Patagonia 2025

January – February 2025

I was fortunate that my adult daughter Freja wanted to take a month off and spend it with me in Patagonia. The trip was incredibly beautiful, suitably strenuous, and an all-round impressive experience — imagine a combination of gourmet food, delicious local wine and hiking in the most beautiful nature. Friendly people everywhere. All of that and much more is on offer in Patagonia.

Argentina: El Calafate

There is an airport outside El Calafate, and the town is used as a base for trekking in areas three hours’ drive to the north. The main attraction nearby is excursions to the Perito Moreno glacier and boat trips on Lago Argentino, where you visit various glaciers and can see the landscape from the water. Daily buses run to Chile from the bus terminal.

The whole town is based on tourism, and it feels as though every single building in the centre is either a trekking shop, restaurant/bar or hotel. Another hallmark of El Calafate is the many stray dogs. The town is teeming with dogs just wandering around waiting to be petted by tourists. They roam freely through the streets, into shops and restaurants, and it is perfectly normal for shops and restaurants to put a bucket of water by the door for them to drink from.

El Chaltén

El Chaltén sits in a valley, and the entire town is built to serve the tourists who trek in the area. The vast majority of trekking routes are day trips starting and finishing in El Chaltén, which means there is plenty of life in town from late afternoon onwards, with well-earned beers and evening meals.

Trekking routes in the area: The whole area is protected and you pay an entry fee to use it. We received very different advice about when to start, but our conclusion was: check the forecast for the following day. If good weather is predicted in the morning and cloud in the afternoon, set off early — e.g. at 4 or 5 a.m. — and enjoy the beautiful sunrise over the mountains without many other people on the trail.

Fitz Roy

Trekking routes in El Chaltén with GPS tracks — The three routes we chose to walk: the northernmost with views of Fitz Roy, the middle one to Laguna Torre, and the southern route to Loma del Pliegue. The routes are shown on the map and the red lines are my GPS tracks.

Fitz Roy is an iconic mountain area — the clothing brand Patagonia uses these very peaks as its trademark. The route is approximately 22 km, following a small river for the first section with plenty of fine viewpoints. The first 8 km are fairly flat but with beautifully varied scenery. Near the end you cross the river, and the final 1½ km climbs steeply to a lake. The ascent is 400 m/km, so there is a good chance of queuing on the last stretch. Start early (before 7 a.m.). The full round trip, with plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, takes 9½ hours.

Lago del Torre

The route has a gradual ascent for the first 3 km, then continues at an even gradient all the way up to a glacial lake. The lake itself holds a number of small icebergs. For most of the walk you are in a valley with fine views of the many peaks on either side. The round trip to Lago del Torre is approximately 19.5 km and takes a good 8 hours with plenty of stops.

When we stopped for a handful of nuts, we were often joined by small birds waiting for crumbs.

Loma del Pliegue

The route starts 1 km south of El Chaltén. It climbs 1,000 metres in total, but it does not feel that demanding because the ascent is spread evenly over the entire track. The walk passes through forest with thousands of old fallen trees, open meadows with grazing cattle, and finally above the tree line into a vast boulder desert where only small clusters of low flowers grow in the shelter of rocks. Those with strong legs can continue to a summit 227 metres higher still, with a spectacular view over Lago del Torre and the surrounding ranges. It is very windy at the top — bring warm, windproof clothing.

Freja with a view of Laguna Torre — The final shot looks out over Laguna Torre, which we hiked to the previous day.

The round trip to Loma del Pliegue takes 7–8 hours and covers 21–24 km, but feels less demanding than, say, Fitz Roy because the altitude gain is spread evenly throughout.

Chile: Puerto Natales

The border crossing into Chile — Crossing into Chile is straightforward — just remember you may not bring in foodstuffs. Soft drinks and nuts are fine.

We took a bus from El Calafate in Argentina to Puerto Natales in Chile via Route 40 and a small border crossing. Fresh fruit is strictly prohibited in Chile. The first impression of Chile is that people are friendly, everything works, buses run on time and arrangements are honoured. Many people speak English. Puerto Natales serves as the gateway to the vast Torres del Paine National Park.

Puerto Natales — the coastal town in Chile — Puerto Natales sits right on the waterfront, and you can enjoy excellent food at reasonable prices with Chilean wine — a welcome change from the hiking boots.

Torres del Paine National Park — The O-Circuit

Visitors can do a 1–4 day trip on the section known as the “W”, or spend 8 days walking the full circuit around the massif — the “O”.

The O-circuit with my GPS data shown.

Those who choose to walk the full O-circuit enjoy the first five days in magnificent, near-solitary wilderness. The last three days are busier, but as you are camping you decide when you start. The O section runs clockwise and begins at Camp Central — meaning that even if you set off just five minutes after someone else, you will not see them again until they take a break. You quickly get to know people you share meals and afternoon beers with. It is wonderfully convivial.

Photos from the O-circuit.

If you have purchased a full-board package, a tent with a sleeping bag will be waiting for you, and a three-course dinner, breakfast and a packed lunch for the trail are provided. There are plenty of opportunities to refill your water bottle along the way — every small meltwater stream you cross is full of clean water, ready to drink straight from the source.

The Pass on the O-Circuit

The day of the pass — early morning by headtorch

The view from the pass — The day we cross the pass — even though it is summer, the wind is fierce and there is snow for the last few hundred metres. Start very early in the morning. We hiked by headtorch for the first hour.

Practical Tips

E-reader: Bring one — you often have several free hours in the afternoons and evenings.
Inflatable pillow: A number of campsites provide no pillows.
Inflatable sleeping mat: Ultralight versions weighing only 450 g are available.
Small zip-lock bags: Useful if you need to store used toilet paper.
Instant coffee sachets: Hot water is often available, as the locals use it for tea.

Have a wonderful trip! — Carl Nielsen, February 2025