Monte Fitz Roy Hike To Laguna de los Tres in El Chalten, Argentina- The Fitz Roy Hike to Laguna de los Tres is one of the most popular hikes in the Patagonia region of Argentina. It is located about 3 hours away from El Calafete in the small town of El Chalten. Mt. Fitz Roy is in the Andes mountains, and was made famous as it is the mountain logo for the Patagonia clothing brand. Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia clothing brand’s owner, climbed it in 1968. Here I will fill you in on all you need to know for the hike, how hard is the hike, where to go, how long is it, what to bring, where to stay, how to get there and more.
Stats
Distance: 20.4 kilometers round trip (12.68 miles)
Time: 8-9 hours
Elevation: 1167 meters above sea level (767 meter elevation gain along the trail).
Difficulty: moderate ( a pretty flat trail until the last 1 km, endurance needed as the trail is long)
How To Get There
Having a rental car is best for getting to the Fitz Roy Hike. It is a 3 hour drive from El Calafete, where many people stay to see the Perito Moreno Glacier. There are public buses available to get into town as well.
I would recommend staying in El Chalten overnight to get an early start for the hike if you can. This hike is pretty long and you will want most of the day to hike it. We got up early to start our hike in El Chalten and then drove to El Calafete to stay the night that same evening.
Where To Stay
We stayed at Rancho Grande, they have both private rooms, and hostel shared rooms as well. I do like that they have all amenities available there, an included breakfast, lunch and dinner for purchase, a bar and even a newly opened brewery attached as well! Great location for starting the hike from Rancho Grande as it is a short walk to the trailhead. You can also look as there are some listings on AirBnB (use this link for $55 off your first stay).
Other options in El Chalten:
You could make this a day trip from El Calafete, but it would make for a really long day as you would have almost 6 hours of driving total. Summer daylight hours are long so it is possible if you are a quick hiker.
- Folk Suites ( we stayed here while in El Calafete)
- Calafete Hostel
- Hotel Michelangelo
When To Go
Fitz Roy’s official hiking season is from October to April. We went in December and had perfect temperatures. I would recommend December-February for the best weather.
Many restaurants and hotels close during the off season, so the town does not have much to do outside of the open season months.
Parking
El Chalten is a very small town. You can easily park at your hotel or use street parking in town and then walk to the start of the hike. At most this might add on an extra 1 kilometer depending where you are in town, as the town is only that big. Our hotel had a small parking lot, our receptionist told us we could park anywhere on the main street with white lines on the curb.
Our hotel Rancho Grande was very close to the start of the hike so we didn’t move our car. But there is a small parking lot at the trailhead at the end of town.
The Hike
The Start
You can’t miss the start as there is a huge archway with Sendero al Fitz Roy (trail to Fitz Roy) painted on it. Shortly past the sign there is a trail map to look at as well.
There is a slight up hill climb until the trail flattens to a valley overlooking Rio De Las Vueltas (the Vueltas River), this will be about 0.7 kilometers in.
Mirador Fitz Roy
Next, will be a pleasant hike through a wooded forest until you come up on Mirador Fitz Roy. Mirador Fitz Roy is about an 1 hour in (4 kilometers into the hike). Many people stop here but I believe the even better views are a little bit farther up.
Camp “Poincenot”
Camp Pointcenot is the main camping spot. If you are looking to camp along the hike, this is about 8 kilometers in.
After the campsite you will cross a rocky stream with a bridge before heading on to the hardest part of the trail.
The Incline
The last ascent is the most difficult part of the trail, it is a rocky 1 kilometer up hill climb. Even though only 1 kilometer long plan on it taking a full hour to get up.
Laguna de los Tres
After the long slow up hill climb the towers will get closer and eventually you will be overlooking what you came for, Laguna de los Tres. Laguna de los Tres sits at 1167 meters above sea level. Take in the sights, and climb slightly down hill to enjoy the lake.
Laguna Sucia
We were surprised to find out that there is another lake to view at this same spot, Laguna Sucia. After walking around Laguna de los Tres taking in the views we headed up the hill to the left to see what I thought was the better sight and even more blue waters at Laguna Sucia. Stopping here to eat lunch before we headed back down to town.
The trail back is the same as you take in.
After we finished the hike we got in our car and drove 3 hours to El Calafete for dinner and to stay for the night. This let us be a little closer to Puerto Natales to prepare for the W Trek, so the drive wasn’t as long the next day.
What To Bring
Layersss!!! Patagonian weather is constantly changing by the minute. Along the hike I was sometimes in a coat and ear warmers, and some points I was in a short sleeve! Here is the basics to what I brought, you can read about what I packed for the W Trek (similar area):
Collapsible Travel Water Bottle and/or Hydration Bladder
Hiking Pants/ Athletic Pants -Use this link for a great discount, my favorites are the 7/8, I swear by them!
Travel/ Collapsible Hiking Poles
Ear Warmer or a Beanie
Day Pack (or I used my 40 Liter Backpack that I took on the W Trek with me, my husband took our travel Collapsible Backpack which was perfect)
Rain Cover since you never known what Patagonia weather might bring you!
Check back later for my more detailed and complete packing list for hiking in Patagonia.
You May Also Like These Articles:
Tips, Tricks and FAQs for the W Trek in Patagonia
Visiting the Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia
What To Pack For The W Trek in Patagonia
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