El Chalten - Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre

During the two-hour bus ride from El Calfate to El Chalten, I received a message from James, one of the two Australians I met in Torres del Paine. They were currently staying in El Chalten and asked about my plans. We arranged to meet at a bar and while looking out the bus window, I noticed the two protagonists of this region, the impressive granite mountains Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, showing themselves together on the horizon with no cloud in the sky.

The two lagoons at the foot of the peaks, Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre, were to be the destination of two hikes in El Chalten. I was already excited to see them up close and especially how the path would be, as I had heard from some sources that the ascent to Laguna de los Tres could be quite challenging, especially in winter.

Arriving in the town, I met up with the two Aussies for a drink and we exchanged our plans. My plan was to leisurely hike the approximately 5-hour route to the lagoon at the foot of Fitz Roy the next day, starting at sunrise. The weather was supposed to be perfect and hiking in sunshine is quite relaxing, even in winter temperatures, based on my experience in Torres del Paine. However, the crazy Australians had a different plan and tried to convince me to leave at 4 o'clock in the morning to be able to watch the sunrise at the lagoon at 9 o'clock. Checking the temperatures at these hours, the thermometer predicted something below -10°C, and my motivation for this madness was seriously limited. But the two didn't give up, and since I generally have a fondness for crazy plans, I agreed and we arranged to meet at 4 o'clock on the main street of the small town (after organizing crampons and trekking poles).

The night was interrupted shortly after 3 o'clock by the ringing of the alarm clock. The view from the window already indicated the freezing cold, and I had little desire to leave the warm bed, but now there was no other option, so I put on several layers of winter clothing, packed some energy bars, bananas, and water in my backpack, and prepared myself for the upcoming hike.

When leaving the house, I briefly doubted whether this was actually a sensible idea, because it was simply bitterly cold. When I arrived at the meeting point, there were five of us in total: two girls (from France and England) had also fallen for the Australians' persuasions and looked quite startled. I can't say for sure whether it was the time or the outside temperature, but I have a suspicion. ;)

The group of suffering people set off shortly afterwards, and I led the international group. This was purely for logistical reasons, as only 2 out of 5 people had headlamps, and walking in pitch black darkness on unknown paths without light is not recommended.

The first kilometers were a steady, gentle ascent, and the cold could be felt in the air. Besides the sounds of breathing and the scraping of footsteps on snow and ice, only a few strange animal noises disturbed the icy silence.

During the first short break, I noticed that my entire neck scarf, which I had pulled far over my mouth, was almost completely frozen on the front side. My hands were freezing despite the gloves, and overall, the feeling of comfort was below zero, making me wonder why anyone voluntarily endures this shit.

But as mentioned before, the only option was to continue trudging through the darkness. We took it with humor and made fun of the situation in various stupid comedic ways.

After a few kilometers, the trail gradually became steeper, and the terrain changed almost entirely to icy ground. It was time to put on the crampons, and I led the way with one of the girls. It had become too challenging to take breaks together, and the group split up. On such treks and in such outside temperatures, it is essential to find a pace that is tolerable for oneself for the ascent, and constant waiting or rushing is inappropriate for reaching the daily goal.

Shortly before 8 o'clock, the two of us reached a sign saying "Laguna de los Tres - 1 hour," and we knew what awaited us now. Many descriptions from other hikers described the final climb as by far the most exhausting part, and they were right.

The last section was simply a steep path of snow and, in long stretches, pure ice. On the horizon, you could slowly hear the beginning of the brightness, and we climbed at a slow pace with numerous breaks further up the mountain. Constantly, we looked back into the valley, perceiving the beautiful landscape in the dawn and being amazed at the distance we had already covered. Slowly, the chain of peaks unfolded before us, and we could already see Fitz Roy waiting for us. The view increased our motivation, and the last meters of the ascent and then down to the lagoon felt almost weightless. After a short wait, almost exactly at 9 o'clock, the others reached Laguna de los Tres, and we celebrated together the perfect timing and the rising sun. The pleasant side effect of such a night hike: we were actually the only group at the lagoon and could enjoy the "success" just for ourselves.

The impressive sight of the King of Patagonia from up close was even more intensified in the next few minutes, as the sun bathed the granite peaks in beautiful light and the almost orange coloring left us speechless for a few minutes. We looked and marveled, and together we were delighted about the crazy idea of the Australians. Because this moment here was completely worth it all - the cold, the darkness, the cursing, and the difficulty.

Thank you James and Dillan, you wonderful and crazy "idiots". :)

Shortly after that, I suddenly felt the appetite for my snacks. However, it didn't work out because everything in my backpack was frozen. Bananas, energy bars, and even the water, all were a single block of ice and absolutely impossible to consume. So it must have been really cold during our night hike.

On the way back, there was the exciting task of descending the icy path this time. Some sections had to be slid down on the backside, but in the end, everything went well, and the rest of the way back to the town was spent chatting and exchanging stories. Mathilda from France and I talked extensively about the cultural differences and similarities between our two countries. In the evening, we had a few beers, tired but extremely satisfied, and went to bed.

The next day, I had a similar experience. This time, I was going to visit the lagoon at the foot of Cerro Torre. Although I still felt the strain from the previous day in my legs, I was somehow in the flow and started at sunrise, with good weather, on the way to Laguna Torre. The agenda included a total of 22 km for the entire route, but unlike the day before, there were no major ascents or difficulties. It was a leisurely stroll out of town through autumnal snowy forests, where green parrots (whatever they were doing here) crossed my path. Then it continued over a steppe-like plain with a view of Cerro Torre, and along a mountain towards the icy lagoon. Throughout the entire hike to the lagoon, I only encountered 2 other hikers, so I could enjoy the impressions of nature and fresh air in peace and quiet. Arriving at the lagoon, not a soul around, a rather icy wind, but unfortunately, no view of Cerro Torre. I could only perceive the contours, as the summit was covered in a thick cloud layer. The view to the sky promised no immediate improvement, so my gaze turned to the beautiful lagoon and the icebergs sporadically protruding from the water. A beautiful spectacle of snow and ice that perfectly complemented the light blue glaciers in the edges of the surrounding granite peaks.

This time, I was able to easily enjoy my snacks (the temperatures were slightly above freezing point) and spend almost an hour in the solitude before more visitors reached the lagoon. That was the sign for me to leave, and I relaxedly made my way back towards El Chalten. It was an overall relaxed hike with a moderate level of difficulty, which allowed more time to enjoy the surrounding landscape without constantly focusing on the path, any ascents, or my own condition - also nice. Back at the hostel, the day was rounded off with an international dinner. Together with 2 motorcycle travelers, a Mexican and a Frenchman, and another hitchhiker from France, we were served chicken with potatoes, assorted vegetables, and Argentine wine. A joint "cooking skill" production and a wonderful end to this beautiful place on Earth. Southern Patagonia - how beautiful you are!