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==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
'''
Nothing much to add. We hiked RR and did not meet any rangers.
It took us a full day taking a taxi from Candelario Mancilla, hiking to the border and along Laguna Desierto.
We hitchhiked from Laguna Desierto at 18:00.
We hiked on the RR and camped at (-49.153433,-72.567564).
Next day we hiked to Laguna Sucia and camped by Laguna Torre. Sunrise in Torre was amazing.
Next day we hiked to El Chalten, resupplied and went on to section 40.
* ''' 2025-MAR-10 > 12 / 2,5 jours / Randonnée / SOBO / RR > 39-02 > 39-B > RR > <strike>39-E</strike> > RR / Pierre-Marie '''
Etape : GPT37+GPT38+GPT39
| Meteo : soleil
| Eau : facile
| Neige : non
| Intérêt : 5/5
| Difficulté : 3/5
| Danger : péages, touristes, torrent impassable
Le sentier le long du lac est un peu humide mais il est très bien entretenu. J'ai marché 4 km sur la gravel road puis un couple d'argentin super gentil m'ont emmené directement au km 31,7 au départ du sentier. Le péage était désert alors je suis passé sans payer direction le glacier Marconi 39-02. Après le camp du km 6,7 il faut passer au nord de la colline, le long du torrent. Globalement il faut utiliser son GPS, il y a des cairns et un marquage mais ça ne suffit pas. J'ai campé ici (-49.2126854, -73.06602) ça protège du vent dominant mais attention il y a des courants d'air. Le point de vue est ici maintenant (-49.2127844, -73.0944228) car le glacier a bien reculé. La glace tombe même sous nos yeux. Les sentiers 39-B (El Chaltén - Lago de los Tres) et RR (El Chaltén - Laguna Torre) sont saturés de touristes, ça ralenti vraiment le rythme. J'ai essayé de faire le sentier 39-E mais le torrent est totalement infranchissable près du lac. Il faut soit utiliser la tyrolienne au début du torrent, soit le franchir 1km plus bas puis passer dans le bois (bush-bashing). Le courant est très rapide, l'eau est totalement trouble, il y a des blocs de glace qui passent. Comme il fallait revenir par le même chemin je n'ai pas essayé, estimant le risque beaucoup trop important. Je ne comprend pas comment ce trail a pu être validé sans pont ni ford alors que même moi je n'arrive pas à traverser en fin de saison. J'ai continué vers El Chaltén. Attention ils ont un vrai probleme avec la CB et veulent tout le temps du liquide, et pas de liquide Chilien... Cependant j'ai pu faire mes courses avec ma CB.
'''28Fev2025 - 1Mar2025 / hiking NOBO / RR - varB OH1 - RR / 2 days / Lilian and Clara'''
No park ranger at begining of RR trail to Laguna Torre.
Easy trail overrun ++, we decided to skip laguna torre.
We went to laguna sucia and loved it, very majestic.
Camp at laguna piedras blancas, nice view on the glaciar and fitz roy at the end of the trail but crazy wind. Some good wind sheltered spots for tent under huge rocks (one very good and even rain protected).
Trail on OH1 is close but still easy to follow, no one there and really nice.
No park ranger at rio electrico around 11am.
It took us 30sec to get a ride to the lake at the end of the morning.
There you have 1h free wifi that is good. Several solutions to eat (foodtruck and restaurant, minimarket with mostly drinks and sweats). possibility to pay by card.
Boat going to north side of the lake several time per day (except no boat on monday), 40k ARG.
Trail to north side along the lake is easy.
Camp at the Argentinian border campsite : water, toilets and awsome view on lake + fitzroy.
'''2025-Feb-21 to 2025-Feb-22 / 2 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR + Option 2 + variant B + Laguna Sucia + variant C / Sean & Neele'''
Trail along Lago Desierto is nice and straight forward. We hitched the road to the start of Option 2. There's a ticket booth with the new park fees near the start however it was closed in the afternoon. We found somewhere hidden in the forest to camp.
The rest was all straight forward. Didn't see anybody at Laguna Piedra Blancas, Lago De Los Tres was very busy as expected, Laguna Sucia was much quieter but still a few people. We took variant C to El Chalten as the weather looked bad the following day, very easy trail lots of tourists.
*'''2025-Feb-04 to 2025-Feb-05 / 1.5 days Hiking / SOBO/ RR/ MiaimZelt'''
Day 1: The trail along Lago del Desierto is nice and easy, sometimes a bit wet. When i reached the gravel road it took more than 1h to get a hitch. A friendly couple from Buenos Aires took me. Wanted to continue with the RR, but a sign said "access only for guests of Hotel El Pilar". Was confused and continued some meters on the road and tried to bypass on a gravelroad. But it ended nowhere. Was frustrated and had to backtrack. Found a possibility to bypass Hotel El Pilar on this 4x4 track: -49.235541, -72.932263. It continues to the trail. From there it was easy hiking and at 8pm i pitched my tent hidden in the forest.
Day 2: The official campsites like Poincenot now charge 15.000 ARS (~15US$). In my opinion it's pricey for what you get: a flat spot in the forest and access to a vault toilet without toilet paper.
Went up to Laguna Sucia. Really beautiful, but the trail was suprinsingly technical with a short & very steep ascent and a stretch on big boulders.
It was very easy hiking until El Chaltén. Met tons of people. Missed Laguna Torre, want to do it later with Arno.
* '''2025-Jan-22 to 2025-Jan-23 / 2 / <span style="background-color:aqua;">Packrafting</span> / SOBO / RP + RR + Variant: C + B + new Option/ Roman'''