Trip report - Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia trekking

Hello all,

Returned from our trip to Argentina two weeks ago (thanks to all who helped with advice during planning!), and thought we'd write down some information before it evaporates :)

We did two treks - an attempted Paso de la Oveja trek near Ushuaia and a four-day/three-night trek in the Fitzroy vicinity from El Chalten.

Paso de la Oveja trek:

- First of all, we never completed it, because it was snowing on the first day and night of the trek and the trail across the mountain pass was covered with snow and invisible.
- On the first day, we walked to the first campsite in the Park, about 4 hours into the trek, and put our tent there. It had been snowing/raining the whole time, so we weren't too hopeful. We also met a couple of people early in the day who were coming back because the pass was closed. We went to investigate without our packs, and got to the turn-off to Laguna el Caminante. At that point the trail left the forest and brought us to the mountains. There was probably about a foot of snow. From the turn-off, the trail to the pass was supposed to go to the left, but we could not see either the trail or the markers. The trail to the Laguna was supposed to go to the right, and we thought we could see it a bit under the snow. So we followed it for maybe 20 minutes until it disappeared. We could just see the laguna up ahead, but could not find a trail to get there. At that point, the snow started looking a bit unstable - so we turned around and went back to our cite.
- We thought that if the weather was good overnight, we'd go back in the morning/early afternoon, hoping that snow would start melting. But it rained and snowed all night long, too, so we decided to head back. Naturally, by the time we made it back to the start of the trail, it warmed up and cleared up a bit. We also met a trekker who told us no rain was expected for the next to days. So instead of heading back to Ushuaia, we decided to go up north to Laguna Encantada. We made it by about 6 pm that evening, spent the night there, and headed back the next morning.
- On the first part of the Paso de la Oveja trail, it was easier to find a trail than we thought, because in all places where it is ambiguous it was marked by yellow sticks. The trail to laguna encantada was not marked, but the description in the Lonely Planet Patagonia trekking guide was spot on, so we had no trouble. One brief correction to the guide - to get to Laguna Encantada trail, there is no need to ford the river, because there is a rickety bridge within maybe 20-30 minutes of the trailhead.
- The trails are MUDDY, so gaiters are highly recommended.
- The best part about our trek was the solitude - there was barely anybody on the trails, and we were alone on the campsites both nights (which is nice for a change). Because of the bad weather, we probably missed some pretty spectacular views, which sucked. But Laguna Encantada was lovely anyway.

Fitzroy trek:

- We did the longest loop we could carve out of the trails in the LP Trekking guide. So we started with the trek to Laguna Torre, then cut across to the Fitzroy loop, and continued all the way to Refugio de los Troncos, returning to Chalten from there.
- On the first day, it was cloudy and rainy. We saw no views and ended up getting pretty wet (because much of the walk is in the open, we were poured on quite continuously, and even our pack covers and my hard core goretex jacket got rained through :( luckily, inside our packs, our clothes and sleeping gear were in garbage bags - the ultimate waterproof barrier). We set up our tent in Camping De Agostini and attempted to walk around Laguna Torre, hoping it would clear up along the way, but it was only getting foggier and kept drizzling - so we returned.
- The next morning, the weather looked better, so we walked around the right bank of the Laguna. During the walk it finally cleared up, so we could see Cerro Torre in all its beauty, which is considerable. The weather stayed warm and clear for the remainder of our trek. Walked back and had lunch on the bank of the Laguna at the point closest to the campsite, which is directly across Serro Torre - the view was quite stupendous. Then we packed up, traced our yesterday's route back for about an hour, and then took the turn-off to the left to connect with the Fitzroy loop. That connecting spur is absolutely worth taking, as it goes along Laguna Madre and Laguna Hijo with amazing views of Fitzroy up above. We got to Camping Poincenot at around 5 pm that night and decided to take a side trip to Lago de Sucia. The trip is not long, but it's slow going, as most of it is along a very rocky bank of Rio Blanco. It was getting late, so not all of us made it all the way to the lake. But later, looking at pictures of those who did, all of us wished we had :)
- The next day we briefly considered getting up very early and hiking up to see the sunrise at Laguna de los Tres. As it usually happens with us, we slept through those good intentions, and started out just after the sun rose. We didn't regret it, though, because on the way up we met the crowds who were up there for the sunrise. We ended up getting to the laguna around 10 in the morning, but had it to the three of us, which was even worth missing the sunrise, we thought. It was also good that we didn't go later, because on the way down we started meeting packs of day-hikers from El Chalten. Whenever you can get there, though, it's a trip that absolutely cannot be missed. The laguna is a heavenly, heavenly place. Oh, and despite what the signs on the trail tell you - no mountaneering experience is necessary. It's steep, and you might need some ankle support (so - no tevas), but that's all.
- After lunch, we continued along the Fitzroy trek, making a side trip to Laguna de Piedras Blancas. It's a fun little adventure (involving scrambling over big boulders in parts), and the lake is lovely. Coming back to the trail, it's necessary to cross the river gushing out of the Laguna. There is no bridge, but you can cross safely on the big boulders. The crossing is marked by cairns, but it's up from the trail a bit, and the trail description doesn't make that clear. From there, the walk to the Refugio is about 3 hours long. There is camping by the Refugio, but since it's out of the park, you have to pay for it (around 14 pesos per person). The camping is also in this fenced off little yard with no view. We were pretty beat by the time we got there, and wondered if it was worth it at all (as an alternative, we could have slept another night at Poincenot and come back to El Chalten via the original Fitzroy route). However, the beer that we drank at the refugio made the reality much easier to bear :) There are toilets and showers at the Refugio, but the latter didn't look too appealing.
- The next day we decided to walk back to El Chalten along Ruta 23. It takes about 2-3 hours to get to the road itself, and then maybe another 3-4 hours to reach El Chalten. Although I was initially against walking on the road (as it's not real hiking :) ), it turned out quite nice. The views from the road are lovely, though you have to look back at some of them. We got back to El Chalten around 4:30 pm, just in time to grab dinner and beer before our bus to El Calafate.
- Overall, this was an amazing trek. The views are out of this world. You absolutely don't need guides or porters, and there are no altitude issues. You can drink water right out of plentiful lakes and streams, which was fantastic. There are many great side trips. We had some long days, so we were tired - but it is definitely doable.
- Negative and cautionary points: It was a bit too crowded for our taste - each campsite had maybe 20-30 tents, and were were there right after the high season. But that shouldn't be a reason not to go :) The times as estimated in the lonely planet guide, we thought, were a bit optimistic. We are young and reasonably fit, but needed to add an hour or more to most time estimates. This applies to both El Chalten and Ushuaia treks. You can't light fires, so you have to use your stove to cook. We knew that and brought a stove from the States, but couldn't find fitting gas canisters. So we bought a new stove in Ushuaia, but no gas for that stove was available in El Calafate! We did find what we needed in El Chalten, though. Just keep this in mind. In the worst case, you can always rent gear in El Chalten, but around high season that can get scarce.

Hope this helps someone headed in that direction :) PM me for more info.

nice report, but the sign you refer to in this sentence

"Oh, and despite what the signs on the trail tell you - no mountaneering experience is necessary."

is NOT about hiking to Laguna de los Tres - its about hiking BEYOND the laguna up the torres of Fitz Roy or in places around the opposite shore and up the mountain itself. That DOES need mountainering experience and equipment and people should not think that its something you should just go and do. I don't think the OP wants people to risk their lives. Its perfectly reasonable and a very easy walk up the sometimes steep hill to the laguna - please stay on the trail.

Thanks, rainboy - that makes more sense now. But because the sign is ambiguous about the section to which it applies, I wanted to warn people who are just hiking up to the laguna not to get turned away because of the warning. (Also, just in case we are talking about different signs, I was referring to the one on the bottom of the slope leading up to the laguna de los tres, not the one on the shore of the lake itelf, above Laguna Sucia).