Hiking Fitz Roy, from Laguna Capri and Poincenot to Patagonia’s Iconic Laguna de los Tres
Mount Fitz Roy does not rise from the Patagonian landscape gradually. It appears almost abruptly, a vertical mass of pale granite surrounded by thinner needles, glaciers and cloud, with the small town of El Chaltén occupying the valley below. At 3,405 metres it is not exceptionally high by Andean standards, but altitude is a poor way to measure this mountain. What defines Fitz Roy is the violence of its relief: steep granite walls rise directly from glacial valleys, weather moves across the massif with astonishing speed and the summit remains one of the great objectives of technical climbing.
For most travellers, however, Fitz Roy is not a climbing destination. It is the centre of one of the best accessible trekking landscapes in Patagonia. Trails begin practically from the streets of El Chaltén and lead through lenga forest, open valleys, glacial lakes and moraine ridges towards viewpoints that require no technical mountaineering. The most famous is Laguna de los Tres, directly beneath the Fitz Roy massif, but stopping there would miss much of what makes the area exceptional. Laguna Capri, Laguna Torre, Loma del Pliegue Tumbado, Piedras Blancas and the Río de las Vueltas each reveal a different geometry of the same landscape.
El Chaltén itself is unusual. It is not an old Andean settlement that gradually became a tourism centre. The town was formally founded only in 1985, partly for geopolitical reasons linked with Argentina’s presence in the border region with Chile. In less than four decades it developed into the country’s National Trekking Capital, a compact mountain town whose restaurants, hotels, equipment shops and daily rhythm revolve almost entirely around weather and trails.
Three nights should be considered the minimum useful stay. Four or five are much better because Patagonia does not respect itineraries. A clear Fitz Roy morning may be followed by forty-eight hours of rain and wind, or a cloud-covered summit may suddenly emerge for twenty minutes at sunset. Building spare time into the trip is not wasted time here. It is part of travelling in the mountains.
Things to See and Do Around Fitz Roy
- Laguna de los Tres
- Laguna Capri
- Mirador Fitz Roy
- Campamento Poincenot
- Mirador Piedras Blancas
- Laguna Torre
- Mirador Cerro Torre
- Loma del Pliegue Tumbado
- Mirador de los Cóndores
- Mirador de las Águilas
- Chorrillo del Salto
- Río de las Vueltas
- Lago del Desierto
- El Chaltén
- Parque Nacional Los Glaciares
Fitz Roy or Chaltén?
The mountain has two names, and both matter.
The Aonikenk, or Tehuelche people of southern Patagonia, called the mountain Chaltén. The term is generally interpreted as “smoking mountain”, a reference to the clouds that frequently gather around its summit and can resemble smoke rising from the granite.
For the Aonikenk, the massif belonged to a much older cultural landscape than modern mountaineering maps suggest. The mountain’s presence was sufficiently distinctive that the name survived even after European exploration introduced another one.
In 1877, Argentine explorer Francisco Pascasio Moreno renamed the peak Fitz Roy, honouring Robert FitzRoy, captain of HMS Beagle during the famous survey voyages of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
Both names are now widely used. Argentine official sources increasingly place Chaltén alongside Fitz Roy, and the town itself deliberately adopted the indigenous name when it was founded in 1985.
Using Chaltén therefore does not mean referring to a different mountain. It restores the older name of the same granite massif.
A Mountain of 3,405 Metres
Fitz Roy rises to 3,405 metres above sea level, but its technical difficulty is completely disproportionate to its altitude.
The mountain is formed from resistant granite that was exposed as surrounding material eroded and glaciers sculpted the valleys around it. The result is a cluster of steep towers rather than the broad slopes associated with many higher Andean peaks.
The massif includes other famous needles and summits, among them Aguja Poincenot, Saint-Exupéry and Mermoz, producing the serrated skyline visible from El Chaltén.
Strong westerly winds, rapidly changing cloud, ice and steep granite have made Fitz Roy a major destination in international alpinism. The first successful ascent came on 2 February 1952, when French climbers Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone reached the summit after an expedition that became one of the classic achievements of post-war mountaineering.
For ordinary hikers, none of this technical terrain is entered. The trekking network approaches the base of the massif through valleys and moraine systems while remaining entirely separate from the climbing routes.
El Chaltén
El Chaltén lies at roughly 450 metres above sea level near the meeting of the Río Fitz Roy and Río de las Vueltas. With mountains rising directly behind its streets, it feels less like a conventional town than a base camp that gradually acquired houses, bakeries and restaurants.
It was officially founded on 12 October 1985. The creation of a permanent settlement was partly intended to strengthen Argentine presence in a border area that had been subject to territorial disagreement with Chile.
Tourism soon became the town’s economic foundation. In 1994 El Chaltén was formally declared Argentina’s National Trekking Capital, an unusually accurate tourism slogan because the major trails begin directly from the settlement.
There is no need to arrange transfers every morning. You can finish breakfast, walk to the end of Avenida San Martín and immediately begin the Fitz Roy trail.
That relationship between town and mountain is one of El Chaltén’s greatest advantages.
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares
Fitz Roy and El Chaltén lie within the northern sector of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, one of Argentina’s most important protected areas and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The same national park contains the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and, farther south near El Calafate, the Perito Moreno Glacier. The northern section around El Chaltén has a very different character. Instead of viewing enormous glaciers from developed platforms, visitors move through the park principally on foot.
Native forests contain lenga and ñire, while open areas support guanacos, foxes and numerous bird species. The park also protects the huemul, an endangered deer native to the southern Andes.
Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. The more important point is that the hiking trails pass through a functioning protected ecosystem rather than a purpose-built mountain resort.
Park Entry Fees in 2026
One practical change is particularly important.
Access to the northern zone of Los Glaciares National Park around El Chaltén is now subject to an entrance fee. As of 1 June 2026, the standard international visitor rate is ARS 50,000 per day.
Argentine residents currently pay ARS 25,000, residents of Santa Cruz ARS 8,000 and eligible students ARS 15,000. Several categories remain exempt, including young children, local residents and certain other groups defined by the National Parks Administration.
Multi-day Flexipass options are available and make more sense for travellers planning several consecutive trekking days.
The change is significant because many older El Chaltén guides still describe the main trail network as completely free.
They are now outdated.
Laguna de los Tres
If you make only one major trek, this is the one.
The trail to Laguna de los Tres reaches the closest conventional hiking viewpoint beneath Fitz Roy. From the shore, the mountain rises almost directly above a turquoise glacial lake, with glacier ice, moraine and Aguja Poincenot completing one of Patagonia’s defining landscapes.
The official 2026 El Chaltén trail map gives approximately 10 kilometres each way from town to Laguna de los Tres, around 750 metres of net elevation gain and roughly four hours for the outward journey. Depending on the precise route and GPS measurement, the total walking day is generally around 20–25 kilometres and eight to nine hours.
The difficulty is rated medium to high.
Most of the trail is not technically difficult. The challenge comes from distance, weather and the final climb.
The First Section of the Fitz Roy Trail
The trail begins at the northern edge of El Chaltén.
The first hour climbs steadily above the Río de las Vueltas before reaching viewpoints towards the Fitz Roy massif. This initial ascent is worth taking slowly because the trail soon enters flatter terrain and there is little advantage in exhausting yourself during the first kilometres.
From here, the route divides towards Laguna Capri or continues through forest towards Poincenot.
The massif appears repeatedly between the trees, disappears behind cloud and re-emerges from different angles. This gradual approach is part of the trek’s strength. Fitz Roy is not one viewpoint at the end of a corridor.
The mountain keeps changing position as you move.
Laguna Capri
Laguna Capri is the best shorter alternative for travellers who do not want to complete Laguna de los Tres.
The official map places it approximately 4 kilometres from El Chaltén, with about 350 metres of elevation gain and around 1 hour 45 minutes of walking in each direction.
The lake provides a clean view towards Fitz Roy when the weather cooperates, with forest along the shore and considerably less physical commitment than the full trek.
It also makes a useful first-day hike after arriving from El Calafate. Instead of attempting a nine-hour route immediately after a long journey, walk to Capri, assess the terrain and save Laguna de los Tres for the best weather window.
This is especially sensible for travellers unfamiliar with Patagonian wind.
Campamento Poincenot
Beyond the Capri junction, the main trail continues across gentler terrain towards Campamento Poincenot, roughly eight kilometres from El Chaltén according to the current municipal trail map.
The forest here is dominated by lenga, with open areas providing views of the surrounding peaks. The campground is used by hikers and climbers and sits near the beginning of the final approach towards Río Blanco and Laguna de los Tres.
Camping procedures have changed over time. The national park currently states that Poincenot, Capri and De Agostini campgrounds require reservations through the organisation managing those sites.
Do not rely on an old assumption that you can simply arrive with a tent during peak season.
The Final Climb
The last section from the Río Blanco area towards Laguna de los Tres is where the hike changes character.
The route climbs steeply up the moraine on rocky and uneven terrain. Although the distance is relatively short, this section accounts for a substantial part of the day’s elevation gain.
In bad weather it can become unpleasant quickly. Wind is stronger above the forest, rain makes the rocky path slippery and early or late season conditions may introduce snow or ice.
There is no technical climbing, but calling the entire hike “easy” because ropes are unnecessary is misleading.
Fitness matters.
So does knowing when to turn around.
At Laguna de los Tres
The first view of the lagoon comes suddenly after cresting the moraine.
Fitz Roy stands above the far side, separated from the lake by glaciers and broken rock. Under clear conditions the scale is extraordinary, but the summit frequently disappears into cloud even when the lower mountains remain visible.
Do not become fixated on reproducing a particular photograph. Patagonia does not owe anyone a cloudless Fitz Roy.
Walk slightly around the moraine to change the angle, and if conditions are safe look towards the neighbouring Laguna Sucia, positioned lower in an adjacent glacial basin.
Bring insulation even on a warm day in El Chaltén. The exposed viewpoint can be much colder than the valley.
Sunrise at Laguna de los Tres
Photographs of Fitz Roy turning red at sunrise have made pre-dawn hiking increasingly popular.
The light can indeed be extraordinary when clear conditions align, but reaching Laguna de los Tres before sunrise requires hiking for hours in darkness or camping nearby.
This should not be treated as a casual extension of the normal trek. Night navigation, low temperatures and possible ice materially increase the difficulty.
If sunrise photography is a central objective, use appropriate equipment and consider local professional advice rather than copying the departure time from social media.
For most visitors, a normal daylight trek is already one of Patagonia’s finest mountain days.
Starting from Río Eléctrico
A second common approach uses transport north of El Chaltén towards the Río Eléctrico area and enters the Fitz Roy trail system from that side.
The route reaches Poincenot and then continues to Laguna de los Tres before descending towards El Chaltén, creating a point-to-point trek rather than an out-and-back walk.
This variation reduces some repetition and can include the Mirador Piedras Blancas, with views towards the glacier.
It does, however, require organising transport to the starting point.
For a first visit, the conventional route directly from town remains perfectly satisfying.
Mirador Piedras Blancas
The Piedras Blancas viewpoint provides another glacial perspective on the Fitz Roy sector.
According to the 2026 local trail map, the viewpoint lies around 10 kilometres from El Chaltén on the relevant approach, with approximately 350 metres of elevation gain before the route variations are considered.
The glacier descends from the high terrain beneath the Fitz Roy massif and is best appreciated from the designated viewpoint rather than by attempting to approach unstable ice independently.
Glaciers are active terrain.
Falling ice and rock are part of the system.
Stay on the authorised route.
Laguna Torre
Fitz Roy is not the only mountain worth planning around.
West of town, the trail to Laguna Torre follows the valley of the Río Fitz Roy towards Cerro Torre, another iconic Patagonian granite spire.
The official El Chaltén map gives approximately 9 kilometres each way, around three hours outward and only about 250 metres of elevation gain. Argentina’s national tourism information places the full route at roughly 19 kilometres round trip.
The profile is therefore much gentler than Laguna de los Tres.
That does not make the landscape secondary.
At the lagoon, Cerro Torre rises beyond glaciers and often remains partially hidden by fast-moving cloud. Small icebergs can collect on the water depending on conditions.
If you have two good trekking days, do both Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre.
They are not substitutes.
Mirador Cerro Torre
Travellers short on time can stop at the Mirador del Torre, approximately three kilometres from El Chaltén.
The viewpoint is reached after around 1 hour 15 minutes of walking and about 250 metres of climbing.
This is one of the best effort-to-view ratios around town. It also makes an excellent backup walk when the weather is too unstable for a longer trek.
El Chaltén rewards flexibility. A day unsuitable for Laguna de los Tres does not automatically need to become a café day.
Loma del Pliegue Tumbado
For the broadest panorama of the entire mountain system, choose Loma del Pliegue Tumbado.
Unlike the trails that move into valleys directly beneath Fitz Roy or Cerro Torre, this route climbs an independent ridge south of town. As elevation increases, the landscape opens behind you towards Lago Viedma and ahead towards both major granite massifs.
On a genuinely clear day, the viewpoint provides one of the best geographic explanations of El Chaltén: Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre, glaciers, valleys and steppe become visible within the same panorama.
The route is long and demanding, and strong wind can make the exposed upper section difficult.
It deserves a full day rather than being treated as a fallback after lunch.
Mirador de los Cóndores and Mirador de las Águilas
Not every day needs twenty kilometres.
The Mirador de los Cóndores begins near the national park visitor centre and climbs roughly one kilometre with about 100 metres of elevation gain. The viewpoint looks back over El Chaltén and towards the mountains.
Continue another kilometre to Mirador de las Águilas for a broader view over the steppe and Lago Viedma direction.
Together they make an ideal arrival-day or departure-day walk.
They are also useful when low cloud hides Fitz Roy completely. The open valley and steppe remain worth seeing even when the famous summit disappears.
Chorrillo del Salto
Another easy excursion leads to Chorrillo del Salto, a waterfall north of town.
The official trail map gives roughly three kilometres each way from El Chaltén and around one hour outward on relatively straightforward terrain.
The waterfall is not the reason most people travel to Patagonia, but that is almost its advantage. It provides a relaxed walk through forest without the psychological pressure of “reaching” an iconic viewpoint.
Use it during poor weather, with children, or after a strenuous previous day.
Weather in El Chaltén
Weather is not a side note in this guide.
It determines the trip.
Southern Patagonia sits directly in the path of strong prevailing westerlies. Moist air from the Pacific is forced over the Andes, producing rapid changes in cloud, precipitation and wind. A blue morning can become cold and wet before lunch, while mountains hidden for most of the day may suddenly emerge near sunset.
Forecasts are useful but not absolute. Local conditions around Fitz Roy can differ from general regional weather apps.
Layer clothing rather than depending on one heavy jacket. Carry a waterproof shell, insulation, sun protection and enough food to remain out longer than planned.
A hat is useful.
A secure hat is better.
Winter Trekking
Winter around Fitz Roy is a completely different activity from summer hiking.
The National Parks Administration warns that from roughly May through September, snow, mud and ice substantially increase trail difficulty. For winter conditions, trekking poles and crampons are mandatory according to current park guidance.
Frozen lakes must not be crossed.
Remote routes require additional planning and registration.
Visitors accustomed to seeing summer photographs of Laguna de los Tres should not assume that the same path in July is simply colder.
Terrain changes.
So should preparation.
Safety and Registration
Main summer trails are well marked, but the park remains mountain terrain.
There may be weak or nonexistent mobile coverage outside town. Carry enough food, water, extra clothing and a light source. The park recommends planning to return before darkness and strongly advises walking with another person.
For remote areas and climbing, registration with the National Park Visitor Centre is required, either in person or through the approved process.
Open fires are prohibited. Gas stoves may be used only under the regulations applying to authorised camping areas.
Everything you carry into the park should leave with you, including rubbish.
None of these rules is complicated. The main problem comes when an easy-to-follow trail is mistaken for a controlled urban attraction.
When to Visit Fitz Roy
The main trekking season runs from approximately October through April.
November and early December offer long daylight and landscapes still holding spring snow, but weather can remain highly unstable.
January and February provide the longest stable tourism season and full availability of services. They also bring the largest number of visitors to the main trails.
March is arguably one of the strongest months. Days remain useful for hiking, crowds begin to decrease and early autumn colours appear in the lenga forest later in the month.
April can be beautiful but increasingly cold.
Winter is appropriate only for travellers deliberately seeking winter conditions and prepared accordingly.
There is no month that guarantees clear views of Fitz Roy.
Anyone promising one has negotiated terms with Patagonia that the rest of us have not been offered.
How Many Days Do You Need?
Do not plan one night.
Two nights are still risky if Fitz Roy matters significantly.
Three nights should be considered the practical minimum, providing two full trekking days and at least some ability to react to weather.
Four nights are better.
Five nights allow Laguna de los Tres, Laguna Torre, a shorter walk, one poor-weather day and enough flexibility to choose the clearest forecast for the major route.
The most expensive mistake in El Chaltén is not staying too long.
It is travelling across Patagonia and discovering that your only Fitz Roy day coincides with horizontal rain.
A Three-Day Fitz Roy Itinerary
Use the clearest forecast for Laguna de los Tres, regardless of which numbered day it falls on.
On the second good day, hike to Laguna Torre. The lower elevation gain provides useful contrast after the steep finish to Laguna de los Tres.
Use the remaining day for Laguna Capri, Chorrillo del Salto or the Cóndores and Águilas viewpoints depending on energy and weather.
Do not lock the sequence months in advance.
The weather should choose the order.
A Four- or Five-Day Itinerary
With four days, add Loma del Pliegue Tumbado if visibility is excellent. The panorama is wasted in solid cloud.
With five days, keep one day deliberately unscheduled. It can absorb bad weather, allow a trip towards Lago del Desierto or become an easy recovery day in town.
This is one of the rare destinations where an empty day in the itinerary demonstrates good planning rather than lack of imagination.
Getting to El Chaltén
The nearest major tourism hub and airport is El Calafate.
El Chaltén lies roughly 220 kilometres north of El Calafate, and the road journey generally takes around three hours depending on conditions and stops.
Regular buses operate during the principal tourism season. Services should be booked ahead in high season, particularly around January and February.
The drive itself is part of the approach. After crossing open Patagonian steppe, the Fitz Roy massif begins to appear on the horizon long before the bus reaches town.
If the weather is clear, sit where you can see it.
Do You Need a Car?
Not for the major treks.
This is one of El Chaltén’s greatest advantages. Laguna de los Tres, Laguna Torre, Laguna Capri and the shorter viewpoints all begin directly from town.
A vehicle becomes useful for Lago del Desierto, Río Eléctrico trailheads and more distant excursions, but hiring a car simply to park it while hiking every day is unnecessary.
The bus from El Calafate plus occasional shuttle transport is sufficient for most first visits.
What to Eat in El Chaltén
El Chaltén’s food culture is much younger than the mountain.
There is no centuries-old urban cuisine comparable with Buenos Aires or Mendoza because the town itself dates only from 1985. The restaurants instead draw from broader Patagonian traditions and the practical demands of hikers.
Patagonian lamb appears frequently, particularly grilled or slow cooked. Trout is common, although provenance varies. Empanadas, stews, pasta and substantial sandwiches make sense after long trekking days, while the town has developed a notable craft-beer culture.
Calafate berries appear in desserts, jams and drinks.
This is also one of the few destinations where a restaurant’s ability to prepare a good trekking lunch matters almost as much as dinner.
Where to Eat
La Tapera is a strong choice for a substantial Patagonian dinner, with meat, stews and regional cooking suited to the appetite produced by a full day on the trails.
Address: José Antonio Rojo 50–74, El Chaltén
Telephone: +54 2962 493195
Cuisine: Patagonian and Argentine
Price level: roughly ARS 30,000–70,000
Best for: a full dinner after a major trek.
Maffia is better known for pasta and Italian-influenced comfort food, a very sensible category in a town where many diners have just walked twenty kilometres.
Address: Avenida San Martín 76–99, El Chaltén
Cuisine: pasta and contemporary Argentine cooking
Price level: approximately ARS 30,000–60,000
Best for: pasta after Laguna de los Tres or Laguna Torre.
Lito Restorán operates on a smaller, more contemporary scale and is useful when you want something more considered than the usual mountain-town portions.
Address: Konrad Albert 48, El Chaltén
Telephone: +54 11 6537 2510
Cuisine: contemporary Argentine
Price level: approximately ARS 40,000–50,000
Best for: a more polished evening meal.
For something informal, Rancho Grande remains one of the classic hiker institutions in town, combining hostel and restaurant service on Avenida San Martín.
Prices in Argentina move rapidly. Treat the ranges above as practical indications rather than fixed menu promises.
Where to Stay
For a comfortable small lodge, Hostería El Puma sits close to the northern part of town and therefore works particularly well for the Fitz Roy trail.
Address: Lionel Terray 145, El Chaltén
Telephone: +54 2962 493095
WhatsApp: +54 9 2962 433587
Email: [email protected]
Category: hostería / lodge
Check-in: from 14:00
Check-out: by 10:00
Best for: comfortable rooms, breakfast and quick access towards the northern trail sector.
Cumbres Nevadas offers a simpler central hotel option close to restaurants and shops.
Address: Avenida Antonio Rojo 131, El Chaltén
Telephone: +54 9 2962 493210
Email: [email protected]
Category: hotel
Best for: central position and practical trekking base.
For budget travellers and a more social mountain atmosphere, Rancho Grande Hostel remains one of the best-known addresses in El Chaltén.
Address: Avenida San Martín 724, El Chaltén
Telephone: +54 2962 493005 / 493022
Email: [email protected]
Category: hostel
Best for: hikers, lower budgets and direct access near the Fitz Roy end of town.
Another strong option is Chaltén Suites, close to the central section of Avenida San Martín.
Address: Avenida San Martín 27, El Chaltén
Telephone: +54 2962 493213
Email: [email protected]
Category: hotel
Best for: a more conventional hotel stay close to restaurants and the bus-terminal side of town.
Book early for January, February and major holiday periods. El Chaltén has expanded substantially, but accommodation remains finite when weather, trekking season and Argentine holidays align.
Staying Near the Trailhead
There is a practical argument for staying towards the northern end of El Chaltén if Fitz Roy is the priority.
You reduce the distance to the Laguna de los Tres trailhead and can start early without crossing the entire town.
The advantage is modest because El Chaltén is small. Do not reject a significantly better hotel simply to save fifteen minutes of walking.
More important are breakfast timing, the ability to arrange a packed lunch and somewhere comfortable to dry wet clothing.
Luxury in Patagonia can be a warm radiator and dry socks.
Fitz Roy in 2026
The most important current change is the paid-access system for the northern sector of Los Glaciares National Park. From 1 June 2026, the general daily rate is ARS 50,000, with reduced categories for Argentine residents, Santa Cruz residents and students.
The official El Chaltén tourism service has also released an updated 2026 trekking map, confirming the current distances, approximate walking times and elevation figures for Laguna de los Tres, Capri, Poincenot, Piedras Blancas, Laguna Torre and the shorter viewpoints.
Camping at Poincenot, Capri and De Agostini now requires reservation under the current park system.
Winter guidance remains strict: from May to September snow, ice and mud can make ordinary summer trails significantly more difficult, and the park requires poles and crampons under winter conditions.
El Chaltén itself continues to expand as a tourism centre, but the basic principle has not changed. The reason to come is still that you can walk out of town and into one of the great mountain landscapes of South America.
What I Would Prioritise
If you have one clear day, hike Laguna de los Tres.
If you have two, add Laguna Torre.
With three, choose between Loma del Pliegue Tumbado and a shorter recovery day according to fitness and visibility.
Do not try to complete every named trail simply because they fit into a spreadsheet. The experience of Fitz Roy depends more on weather and time than on accumulating kilometres.
A clear hour at Laguna Capri can be more memorable than an exhausting summit viewpoint reached inside cloud.
Patagonia rewards patience.
Useful Information
Country: Argentina
Province: Santa Cruz
Region: Southern Patagonia
Protected area: Parque Nacional Los Glaciares
UNESCO status: Los Glaciares National Park is a World Heritage Site
Mountain: Cerro Chaltén / Monte Fitz Roy
Elevation: 3,405 m
Traditional name: Chaltén
Meaning: commonly interpreted as “smoking mountain”
Name Fitz Roy given: 1877 by Francisco Pascasio Moreno
First ascent: Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone, 2 February 1952
Base town: El Chaltén
El Chaltén founded: 12 October 1985
National Trekking Capital: since 1994
Town elevation: approximately 450 m
Main trek: Laguna de los Tres
Laguna de los Tres distance: approximately 20–25 km round trip depending on route measurement
Official one-way figure from town: approximately 10 km
Elevation gain: approximately 750 m net on current official map
Typical duration: 8–9 hours
Difficulty: medium–high
Laguna Capri: approximately 4 km one way
Laguna Torre: approximately 9 km one way
Main season: October–April
Winter conditions: snow, mud and ice; specialised equipment required
Nearest airport: El Calafate
Distance from El Calafate: approximately 220 km
Travel time: roughly 3 hours by road
Park general admission from 1 June 2026: ARS 50,000 per day
Car required for main trails: no
Recommended stay: 3–5 nights
Best overall months: November–March
