Our next stop in Patagonia is\u00a0the small town of\u00a0El Chalt\u00e9n<\/strong> in Argentina.\u00a0 This town rests in the rain shadow of the massive spires of the Patagonian Andes and\u00a0is a dry, windy and cool\u00a0place.<\/p>\n

The region around El Chalt\u00e9n is part of Los Glaciares National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site,<\/span><\/strong><\/a> and is very remote.\u00a0 It is\u00a0usually reached by\u00a0taking the bus or driving from\u00a0El Calafate some 220 km to the south, El Calafate itself a remote\u00a0town which we’ve previously discussed<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0here.<\/p>\n

The town resides in a glaciated valley adjoining the\u00a0Rio de las Vueltas.\u00a0The most dramatic aspect of El Chalt\u00e9n is the beautiful mountains that frame it to the west, including the amazingly steep and narrow spire of Cerro Torre….<\/a><\/p>\n

and characteristic and widely known\u00a0shape of Cerro Fitz Roy (Fitz Roy Massif)….<\/p>\n

These and the surrounding sheer peaks are very popular with mountaineers, although they are rarely summited (some years only a single party of climbers might reach a given summit).<\/p>\n

The classic peaks of the Patagonia Andes are seen at a great distance when driving towards El Chalt\u00e9n and the mountains loom ever closer as you approach the small town.\u00a0 We had the great fortune to spending two beautiful clear and sunny days in El Chalt\u00e9n, a treat because we were told\u00a0the weather is often\u00a0cloudy and hazy.\u00a0 We stopped a number of times to take photos of these peaks, and were rewarded with some memorable images, including of Andean condors soaring in the sky, framed against the Fitz Roy Massif and a backpacker walking his alpaca up the town’s main street….<\/p>\n

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It’s the wild wild west of Argentina, a land of cowboys and adventurers.<\/p>\n

El Chalt\u00e9n is a fairly new town, built as an outpost\u00a0in 1985 by the Argentinian government to help firm up its claim to this\u00a0territory\u00a0which was\u00a0in dispute with Chile.\u00a0 Because of its beautiful surroundings, the town quickly became popular with outdoor lovers and adventure travelers.\u00a0 Besides mountaineering, it has became Argentina’s capital for hiking and trekking.\u00a0 We did\u00a0several hikes nearby and the scenery is even better than the photos imply.\u00a0 There are also opportunities for glacier exploration, fishing and photography.<\/p>\n

As you’d expect, the town’s industry\u00a0is oriented to servicing the outdoor loving tourists who visit here.\u00a0 The types of businesses you find here include adventure travel vendors, restaurants, lodging, gasoline, grocery stores, gift shops\u00a0and so on.<\/p>\n

The weather in the summer is pleasant, but frost can and does occur any time of year, even\u00a0in the summer, so bring a jacket when you come.<\/p>\n

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