El Chaltén
El Chaltén
National Trekking Capital
INTRODUCTION
El Chaltén is located in the southern Andes in the southern part of Patagonia within the Los Glaciares National Park. It is located in a valley where the De las Vueltas and Fitz Roy rivers converge in the province of Santa Cruz in the Argentine Republic. The landscape of this region is dominated by the endless plains of the arid steppe, where the two largest lakes in the country meet. To the west the plain collides abruptly with the vertical granite walls of the Andes. Of all the mountain peaks, Cerro Chaltén stands out for its height and unmistakable silhouette, about 3,405 meters high, clearly visible more than 100 km from the plane or the road.
The Chaltén or Fitz Roy hill is the predominant figure of the landscape.
The usual way to travel is to arrive by plane at the El Calafate International Airport and from there by land the last 213 km to El Chalten.
HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF THE NAME
Its name is due to the mythical mountain that stands out from the rest of the peaks that surround it. Chaltén is a term from the Aonikenk language with which the ancient Tehuelches named this mountain that they considered sacred. Its meaning is smoky mountain, because that is the impression it gives when the clouds gather with the wind at its top.
The Aonikenk (in their own language means “people of the south”) or Tehuelches (in the Mapuche language) were the last aborigines to inhabit the current province of Santa Cruz, in southern Patagonia. Its tribal groups of nomadic habits migrated through the steppe between the coast and the mountains, mainly mobilized by hunting for their food: the guanaco and the rhea.
There are no traces of important Tehuelche settlements in the vicinity of El Chaltén, because due to their beliefs they avoided this area of forests and mountains. They were the ones who named “chaltén” (which according to various sources would mean “blue mountain”, “sacred mountain” or “smoking mountain” in their language) to the unmistakable hill that the expert Pascasio Moreno later baptized with the name of Fitz Roy in the year 1877.
FOUNDING OF EL CHALTÉN AND THE LAGO DEL DESIERTO CONFLICT
In 1965 there was a brief armed confrontation in the Lago del Desierto area between the National Gendarmerie (Argentina) and the Carabineros (Chile), an event that brought to the fore the dispute over the demarcation of the border that had originated a century before.
In 1985 the Argentine government made the geopolitical decision to establish the town of El Chaltén at the confluence of the De las Vueltas and Fitz Roy rivers, 37 km from Lago del Desierto.
Finally, in 1994 an international jury ruled in favor of Argentina’s sovereignty over Lago del Desierto.
Many of the streets of El Chalten are named after immigrant pioneers who began to arrive in the area at the beginning of the 20th century, mostly coming from different parts of Europe.
On January 12, 2015, through National Law n° 27,055, El Chaltén was declared the “National Capital of Trekking”. In this way, the extraordinary combination of elements that only occur in El Chaltén for mountain sports is officially recognized and valued: a pristine and protected natural environment, numerous trekking circuits with varying degrees of difficulty, dozens of climbing of very high technical difficulty, and a locality of services that is developed in function of the active tourism.
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
The town is located in an ecoregion called ecotone, the transition between steppe and forest. The plain abruptly gives rise to a mountainous system with wooded valleys crisscrossed by rivers and streams.
The seasons are well defined throughout the year: summer is temperate with average temperatures of 12ºC, days with many hours of sunlight, normally windy and moderate rainfall. Winter is cold, with an average temperature of 2ºC, short days, little wind and sporadic snowfall.
The wind is an inescapable presence, especially between October and March but it can be in any month of the year. You should know that in the southern summer – from December 21 to March 20 – days without wind are rare.
Sudden changes in temperature and the sudden appearance of dense clouds, heavy rains and even snowfalls on the same day that dawned sunny and cloudless on the horizon (and its reverse situation) is a characteristic that can take you by surprise when you go for a walk through the trails. That is why you should always take warm and waterproof clothing with you, even if the weather is good.
We must also consider solar radiation, which in these southern latitudes is considerably accentuated and is noticeable even on cloudy days. It is advisable to always wear a sun hat, sun protection for the skin and glasses.
The climate in these latitudes is well known for its strong character, but the splendid days with clear skies and without wind are more frequent than their fame suggests.
ACTIVITY SEASON
Normally the opening of the season of activities is from the months of September/October, being the month of November the one that marks the beginning of the season with the highest frequency of daily buses to and from El Calafate along with the different activities that can be perform in the area.
Starting in April/May, most of the hotels and shops close their doors until the next season, but it is increasingly possible to find accommodation open all year round.
Likewise, El Chaltén can be visited throughout the year thanks to the good condition of the paved road from El Calafate Airport, but it must be taken into account that in the southern winter (June to September) the accumulation of snow on the trails and the access routes, low temperatures and the short duration of the day limit the possibilities of visiting and getting to know the area. The routes can accumulate snow, and more frequently ice, for which it will be necessary to have extra time in case you have to wait to enter or leave the village. Check which accommodations will be open at this time of year.
The ground transportation service between El Calafate and El Chaltén (213 km away) operates 365 days a year.
The National Park Visitors Center and the Tourist Office Information Center maintain reduced opening hours.
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