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→Season 2024/25
==Season 2024/25==
*'''2025-MAR-21 to 2025-MAR-23 / 2 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + OH (Var. 02) / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''
A simple section where you won’t avoid the crowds of tourists from El Chaltén, but the absolutely stunning views make up for it.
We chose variant 02, which seemed more attractive to us, and we didn’t regret the detour at all. Laguna Piedras Blancas is beautiful and wild. From the junction at km 1.2, we didn’t follow the trackfiles but took a trail along the creek instead. Initially, it’s a well-trodden, marked trail, which you eventually need to leave. Then, you follow a weakly marked trail, where navigation depends on cairns, making it more CC than TL. The detour to Laguna Piedras Blancas involves scrambling over large boulders.
On the entire variant 02, we didn’t meet anyone until we reconnected with the trail from Lago de los Tres. From that point, the trail becomes heavily frequented. Similarly, expect crowds at Laguna Torre during the day. We, however, timed our arrival for just after sunset. By then, apart from one passing group, there was no one else, and we had the lake to ourselves. It was truly magnificent.
FEES
At the start of variant 02, there’s a booth with a sign stating that the entry fee for one day is 45,000 ARS. In our case (late March), there was no one there.
CHALLENGES
The trail is easy except for the section around Laguna Piedras Blancas on variant 02, which involves challenging scrambling over large boulders. There’s even a sign along the trail warning that it’s a dangerous area and that entry is at your own risk.
BIVOUACING
You can camp for free right at the start near the Argentine border control.
We camped at a spot under trees at the coordinates -49.08736, -72.89699 (km 12.3). It’s a great spot, and we highly recommend it.
Near Piedras Blancas, there’s a small flat area suitable for one tent at the coordinates -49.26553, -72.95429.
The campsites near Laguna Torre looked decent, though we didn’t use them.
WATER
There’s plenty of water along the trail, though it’s often with glacier flour. Your filter will suffer!
RESUPPLY
As far as we know, there’s no resupply option near the border control at the beginning of the section. However, on the other side of the lake (km 11.6), there’s a restaurant.
At the end of the section, in the tourist trap of El Chaltén, everything is incredibly expensive, and the selection is fairly limited, but you can resupply well enough. We combined resupplies from the supermarkets Lo de Lourdes (-49.3254052, -72.8916425) and Supermercado Chaltén (-49.3307613, -72.8857952), which seemed to us the best-stocked.
We also briefly visited Supermercado Pachamama on the main square (-49.33318, -72.88383), which we found to be the worst option.
Most outdoor shops in El Chaltén sell gas canisters.
'''2025-MAR-10 to 2025-MAR-12 / 2.5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR, Laguna Sucia/ Nimrod & Tamar
