Fitz Roy - Patagonia

Dec. 5-10, 2025 - Part 2

After completing the W-Trek in Chile, we headed north on a 5:40 hours bus ride to El Calafate in Argentina. There we did three day hikes in the famous Fitz Roy area.

A Hare. Buff-necked Ibis.

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Dec. 6 - Mereno Glacier boat + boardwalk tour / 9:15am - 4:30pm

Compared to the Grey Glacier that we toured one week earlier, this one was much more touristy.

We started by taking a one-hour boat ride to the snout of the glacier.

Then we were driven a bit farther and higher up to the boardwalk area.

Chimango Caracara is a species of the falcon.

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Dec. 7 - Took a 2:40 hour bus ride to El Chalten. This is a quaint cute village where mostly hikers roamed the streets. We stayed there for four nights.

Stray dogs were everywhere in the small towns (even at the bus depot). They looked very well fed.

It was too early to check into our apartment so we did this 2-hour hike above the cliffs.

View overlooking El Chalten. The Fitz Roy peaks were exposed as the bus drove towards the town. Emelia and Cindy had front seats on the upper level. They got amazing views!

Our apartment was on the far side of the town to the left.

An Adean condore on the cliff. Their wing span is up to 10' wide! We saw numerous condores in flight.

Phlox

The valley we drove through to enter the village.

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Dec. 8

After we got settled into our home for the next four days, I did a solo 1-hour leg-stretcher on the trail we were to use the next day.

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Dec. 8 - Laguna Torre / Stats: 20km / 520m gain (not cumulative)

This trail runs through the valley left of Fitz Roy. It's the second most popular trail in the park. The trail started a few minutes walk from our apartment.

The lenga trees that dominate the forests often grow crooked. Many are hollow. Its surprising they're still alive. From 8:00am till 11:00am it rained.

And then not only did the sun peak out, but this vibrant rainbow stayed in the sky for about half an hour!

This Caracara falcon let me get to within 5' of him!

At the end of the valley and once on the moraine, we turned right and kept following the path to the opposite end of Lake Torre.

Unfortunately the clouds did not lift off of this peak or the neighboring peaks of Fitz Roy. But we could see most of the Torre Glacier.

We parked ourselves at the end of the trail for lunch.

Heading back on the moraine.

Instead of going back by way of the Torre Valley, we went to the Torre Lake shore and then took the trail from there.

A bit of a boggy section.

The fast flowing Fitz Roy River.

Almost back.

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Dec. 9 - Laguna de los Tres / Stats: 21 km, 945m gain

We saved the best hike for the best weather day. So did alot of other hikers. We had to pay $35.00 for a park permit for this trail. This route took us right up to the base of the towers. It was a longer and physically exerting but very satisfying day.

After a half-an-hour taxi drive, we arrived at El Pilar trailhead. We ended up doing this hike as a crossover that ended in El Chalten. This shaved off a few kilometers and meters of elevation gain and encompassed a larger area of unchartered territory for me to docomuent.

The water of the Blanco River was very close to this rickety bridge. The wood platform looked worn and as the van drove over it it was making questionable clacking and groaning sounds.

Carefully chosen wet rocks to try not to slip on.

Another rainbow!

Piedras Blancas Glacier.

A guide that was standing at the viewpoint with us, told us that the shoot to the right was not a water fall, but a constantly active avalanche.

We were very excited to get our first glimpes of the world-reknown peaks of Fitz Roy!

Once we crossed this creek, the real climbing started. There were so many people, it often resulted in traffic jams.

Looking back.

Approaching the highest part and end of the trail.

Sheri & I continued to the right, once on the moraine. No one else was hiking there and for good reason. The wind was even stronger there, making any progress especially challenging. Sheri was busy video-taping me walking like a drunken sailor. A very strong blast of wind hit, so I stopped to brace myself against it. When Sheri showed me the video later, you could see the camera suddenly shift to her feet against the sky. The wind had literally knocked her off of her feet!

It was too steep to descend to the lake from the far end of the morainne so we backtracked to where all the people were sitting and then dropped down to Lake de los Tres.

On the lake shore. The longer we stayed, the more visible the towers became.

Then we climbed up to this hill to the left from where we could see Lake Sucia in the adjacent valley. Sheri's getting blasted by the wind again.

Cindy, Sheri & I.

Once down the steep rocky slope, we took the trail heading to Lake Capri.

Looking back at the Piedras Blancas Glacier.

We regrouped at Capri Lake.

Many hikers were soaking their tired feet in the cool water of the lake.

Long-tube Evening Primrose

Austral Parakeet Southern Lapwing

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Dec. 10 - Piedra del Fraile / Stats: 13 km, 76m gain

It was nice to have an easier quieter day after two more challenging hikes. Owen Williams, a member of our Chilliwack Outdoor Club, met us the evening before. Him and his son, Loklyn + wife, Sarah joined us for this hike. We drove to the trailhead with all six of us squeezed into their small rental car.

The Magellanic woodpecker is one of the larger species (14-18").

Rumpled Cloverleaf

Huemul Deer

The trail followed alongside the Electrico River.

They had the best homemade apple pie in this warm cozy refugio.

On our 3-week trip, we saw all the animals on this sign except for the puma.

From the refugio we stayed left and took this short but steep narrow trail to the top of a knoll.

Once we descended the knoll, we continued up the valley in this wide river basin, to Lake Electrico. Again the wind was fierce.

We had a hasty lunch behind a rock shelter in the cold. I was tired of battling with the wind. Four of us were more than fine with going back. But Owen who was on his first hike, and Sheri who has unbounding energy decided to carry on. I was concerned about them because they had to climb on a wet rock bluff while fighting to stay upright in the gusty wind. Later they did admit it was dangerous.

The other three carried on to the hut but I did some creek hopping and got closer to the waterfall.

The Fitz Roy peaks as seen from the right.

Lupine flowers by the hut where Loklyn & Sarah were playing chess. After half an hour there and an hour for Emelia, we decided to carry on at a slower pace. Sheri & Owen ended up taking alot longer than the 45-minutes we agreed on. It was more like 3 hours. They ended up hiking all the way to Lake Pollone at the far end of Lake Electrico.

Slipperwort

When we looked back at the valley we'd just hiked out of, we were shocked to see that dark clouds had closed in on it.

Emelia and I huddled up against Owen's car but decided to try hitch a ride. It didn't take long for a very friendly couple to pick us up. One look at Emelia's lovely face and they just couldn't say no. They had just come from Lago Del Desierto Reserve just a bit farther up the road, which is a popular tourist destination.