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→Season 2025/26
==Season 2025/26==
<big>'''GPT39 & 38/ 2025-12-14 to 2025-12-16/ 3 days/ Hiking/ NOBO/ RR, variant (Laguna Sucia), variant B, option 2, new variant, RR/ Greg Carter'''</big>
Overall
Wonderful landscapes and views, with easy mountain, valley and forest hiking and navigation.
Attraction: 4
Difficulty: 1
Day 1
El Chalten to Laguna Sucia via RR. Currently there is no control point or fee payable on the RR. The RR starts on the track to Cerro Torre which attracts plenty of tourists but has wonderful views of Cerros Torre and Fitzroy etc. The cross-track which passes Lagunas Hija and Madre is less touristy, and is a pleasant forest and lake walk with mountain views. When you get to the trail to Laguna de los Tres, tourist numbers spike dramatically. To avoid them you can hike up the valley to Laguna Sucia.
The Laguna Sucia track is not a tourist track: it is not marked on signs and is classed as a “remote” area. To get to Laguna Sucia I went through the Poincenot campground and up the valley via a trail (marked with cairns), beside a dry southern branch of the Rio Blanco. Eventually I had to turn north to ford the Rio Blanco, to get to the main trail to Laguna Sucia, which is entirely on the northern side of the Rio Blanco. In hindsight it would have been easier to use this main trail up and back. The main trail starts shortly after a wooden bridge on the Laguna de los Tres trail. The unmarked turn-off (to the left/south) is here: -49.27880, -72.96557. Follow this trail firstly through forest then onto bouldery river terrain, high up the valley. Eventually the river valley pinches and you have to ascend a bluff to the north to get to the final section of trail. Don’t take the first trail up the bluff - it’s a very steep and muddy dirt track. Much easier to take the next trail 100m further up the valley, which is an easy rock scramble. The last section of trail involves quite a lot of rock hopping, and you will pass a small campsite (3 sites) here: -49.28673, -72.98497. The campsite doesn’t offer much protection from the wind but has superb views of the mountains. Laguna Sucia is beautiful with the mountains in the background. I was lucky enough to have a condor fly in and wash in the river.
I went back down the valley and camped in a lovely sheltered spot in the woods here: -49.28205, -72.96560. There is plenty of water in the vicinity. In hindsight it would have been easier to camp here and do a side trip with a light day pack up to Laguna Sucia. I suggest that Laguna Sucia be a new variant.
Day 2
I started the day with a quick return hike up to Laguna de los Tres lookout. Superb views of the Laguna and mountains. There are 2 exposed campsites (maybe more) at the lookout, which you could use at the end of the day when tourist numbers have dwindled: -49.28042, -72.98402.
I then hiked to Laguna Piedras Blancas. The trail is easy and well marked with cairns. Beautiful views at the Laguna.
Instead of then following the RR I followed an easy and pleasant trail to the east which is well marked with cairns, and follows Rio Blanco. This worked well because I decided to skip the Glacier Marconi extension, and the trail cuts out a significant part of the RR to the west. I suggest that this be a new option 2A. I passed a major signed intersection at -49.23967, -72.94769. It was then an easy walk to intersect the RR at -49.23038, -72.94713. At Ruta 41 it was easy to hitch to Lago Del Desierto. I hiked about 4km along the lake and camped at a flat sheltered spot (space for 2 tents) beside the trail: -49.05881, -72.86824 (note: dry camp, but there are plenty of streams along the trail, plus occasional access to the lake, to fill up before camp). Along the trail there are stunning views of the lake, the mountains on the other side of the lake, and Cerro Fitzroy to the south-east. If you have time and the weather is good for views I highly recommend hiking the lake rather than taking the ferry.
Day 3 (GPT39 to 38)
I hiked to the northern end of Lago del Desierto, had my passport stamped by a friendly gendarme and continued onto GPT38. It is 22km to Candelario Mancillo, the first 7km (to the border with Chile) is slow going, in forest with a lot of up and down, mud and fallen branches. The last 15km (in Chile) are easy, being entirely on a well-maintained secondary road. In Candelario Mancillo my passport was stamped by a friendly carabinero, after he took approx 20min to do some online checks.
I then walked about 1km S-E, along the coastal road, to get to the campground Camping Estancia Santa Teresita (-48.87812, -72.73993). There is a friendly manager called Ricardo. Cost CLP10,000/night per tent. Free StarLink wifi! Freshly baked pan. No cervezas when I was there.
<big>'''2025-11-19 to 2025-11-20 / 1.5 days / hiking / NOBO / Varient C, Laguna Sucia , Option 2, RR, Varient A / Ohad & Bailey'''</big>
