The small town of El Chaltén in southern Patagonia has been called the trekking capital of the world due to its proximity to Mt. Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, two of South America’s most rugged peaks. It’s also the jumping-off point to reach Aguas Arriba Lodge, a new six-room mountain cabin in a nature reserve next to Glaciers National Park. From El Chaltén, you follow a gravel road along Las Vueltas river to the emerald green Lago del Desierto, then take a short boat ride across the lake. If you’re more hard-core, put your luggage on the boat and hike three hours through the forest to reach the lodge. This appeared in the June/July 2013 issue.
ARGENTINA - Santa Cruz, Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, April 2011 Cerro Torre (3.133 mts) is one of the worlds most coveted peaks because of its difficulty. The top of the mountain has a mushroom of rime ice, formed by the constant strong winds, increasing the difficulty of reaching the actual summit. Cerro Torre was featured in the 1991 film Scream of Stone, directed by Werner Herzog † Pablo Castagnola / Anzenberger
Pablo Castagnola/Anzenberger/Redux
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El Chaltén, Argentina
The small town of El Chaltén in southern Patagonia has been called the trekking capital of the world due to its proximity to Mt. Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, two of South America’s most rugged peaks. It’s also the jumping-off point to reach Aguas Arriba Lodge, a new six-room mountain cabin in a nature reserve next to Glaciers National Park. From El Chaltén, you follow a gravel road along Las Vueltas river to the emerald green Lago del Desierto, then take a short boat ride across the lake. If you’re more hard-core, put your luggage on the boat and hike three hours through the forest to reach the lodge. This appeared in the June/July 2013 issue.
