Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From the free car park at the north end of Avenida San Martín, the Fitz Roy trail climbs steeply at first above the Río de las Vueltas, then more gently through lenga forest. At a fork about 3.5 km up, bear left for Laguna Capri, a lake ringed by trees with Monte Fitz Roy and its needles rising beyond. A path along the shore leads past the campsite and up to rejoin the main trail; turn right and follow it back past the Mirador del Fitz Roy to the fork, then down the way you came.
It is 9.6 km round with 392 m of ascent; allow about 3½ hours. The grade is Moderate: a steady climb on a good forest path, steepest in the first kilometre.
The park charges for its El Chaltén trails, with tickets sold online only and checked at the trail portals. Westerly winds can be fierce on open ground, and from May to September the paths carry ice, mud and snow, when the park requires poles and crampons. Fires are banned throughout this part of the park, and dogs are not allowed.
The rest of the trail to Laguna de los Tres is a much longer and steeper day. El Chaltén is about three hours by bus from El Calafate, and the village's shops and hostels are a short walk from the trailhead.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Laguna Capri lies in lenga forest at about 750 m, with Monte Fitz Roy (3,405 m) rising behind it
- The mountain's Tehuelche name, Chaltén, is usually translated as smoking mountain, after the cloud that so often hangs on its summit
- Francisco Moreno named the peak after Robert FitzRoy, captain of HMS Beagle, in 1877
- The campsite by the shore, like the others on the park's trails, must be booked in advance
Getting there
Start: Fitz Roy trailhead car park. -49.32137, -72.89445
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around El Chaltén: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.