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→Season 2024/25
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<!-- IF YOU COPY FROM THIS EDITING VIEW, YOU NEED TO USE THIS TEMPLATE (* TRANSFORMS INTO BULLET, ''' MAKE IT BOLD):*''' Start Date to Finish Date (use Format YYYY-MMM-DD) / Duration in Days / Hiking or <span style="background-color:aqua;">Packrafting </span> / Travel Direction (SOBO for Southbound or NOBO Northbound) / Chosen Route and/or Option Name (RR for Regular Route) / Names or Alias'''--><nowiki>* '''</nowiki>'''Start Date to Finish Date (use Format YYYY-MMM-DD) / Duration in Days / Hiking or <span style="background-color:aqua;">Packrafting</span> / Travel Direction (SOBO for Southbound or NOBO Northbound) / Chosen Route and/or Option Name (RR for Regular Route) / Names or Alias'''<nowiki>'''</nowiki>
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=Overview=
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=Section Log, Alerts and Suggestions=
==Season 2024/25==
*'''2025-MAR-26 to 2025-MAR-30 / 5 days / Hiking / SOBO / RR+OH (var. A, Rutas RN40 + RP11) / Ivan, Jakub, Daniel'''
For this section, we mostly opted for a boring walk along the main road. Still, the vast Argentine pampa had its own unique charm.
We set out from El Chaltén before noon, following RP23. On the second day, we chose Route A, but walking along the beach proved challenging due to the soft terrain, so we frequently shifted closer or farther from the shores of Lago Viedma. We recommend to keep farther from the beach. At point X {41} [108.0/256] near La Leona, we continued along RN40 and later switched to RP11 at the junction (-50.30970, -71.85501), following it all the way to El Calafate. Strong headwinds were a major challenge here.
*Challenges:
-Water management
-Long, monotonous stretches on asphalt
-Strong western wind
*Bivouacing:
Finding a good wind-sheltered spot can be tricky. These are the places we camped:
1. Old quarry – provided decent wind protection (-49.5197272, -72.5477242)
2. Lakeside embankment – protected from the wind, close to the lake for water (-49.6568358, -72.0516014)
3. Near Río La Leona – mild winds, easy water access (-49.9726949, -72.0823503)
4. Flat spot near water – slight wind, but took time to find a shard-free area (-50.2696277, -71.8864846)
5. Hostel Aguilar House – includes breakfast, 12,000 ARS (-50.3333094, -72.2610229)
*Water:
Water is scarce in the dry pampa, so planning ahead is essential.
Available water:
Small stream: -49.4040636, -72.7553371
Small stream: -49.4112803, -72.7401567
Small stream: -49.5036340, -72.5822583
Stagnant pool: -49.5081890, -72.5713409
Stagnant water: -49.5560720, -72.4225271
Tap with potable water (restaurant): -49.8090569, -72.0532054
River: -50.1568505, -71.9900064
River: -50.2698608, -71.8851865
No water available:
Dry riverbed: -50.0023450, -72.1077764
Dry riverbed: -50.3111712, -72.0635096
*Resupply:
El Chaltén - 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.
La Leona – Overpriced tourist restaurant with friendly staff. Offers empanadas, pizza, some fruit, WiFi, and potable water.
El Calafate – We resupplied in the La Anónima supermarket (-50.3375244, -72.2616506). Plenty of restaurants, fast food, and a few outdoor stores available.
==Season 2023/24==
* November '''From 2023 -12-15 to 2023-12-21 / Regular Route / mostly SOBO / 3 6,5 days / Frank/ Hiking // NOBO // Quentin Clavel'''
So I just walked Chalten-La Leona in 3 days: 2 half from El Calafate to El Chaltén. It took me 6,5 days , and 2 full days that was, as followsyou can imagine not the most exciting section of the GPT !
I walked Chalten-La Leona in 3 days: 2 half days and 2 full days as follows
1. Arrived in Chalten, walked out 15KM SOBO and hitched back.
2. Hitched out 55KM from Chalten, walked 40KM NOBO and hitched in the last 15KM. I regretted it as NOBO the wind is in your face. It is far easier to walk SOBO with the wind at your back.
3. I got the bus to La Leona, set up tent there and hitched back to 55KM from Chalten. Then I walked 17KM on the road SOBO. The road climbs about 350 metres giving distant views of Viedma Glacier. I hitched back to La Leona.
From KM55 you can go down to the lake and walk along it but the nearer you are to the lake the more windy and exposed it is.
4. From KM72 on the road just before a big boulder there is a small jeep track going towards the lake, it is marked on Openstreetmap. I followed the jeep track which runs towards Estancia Punta del Lago. About 2KM before the Estancia I turned left where the jeep track turns towards the Estancia and went along small trails to join another jeep track that led out to the road. Then I walked in the road to La Leona.
The above strategy is a bit risky with a daypack as if you do not get a lift you are snookered. However I was lucky with lifts and never had to wait more than an hour. Vehicles will not stop much near Chalten and Calafate but on the open pampa they often do stop. There is quite a bit of traffic between Calafate and Chalten and also from Rio Gallegos.
=Resupply and Accommodation=
It will probably be too windy & exposed to camp by the lake. Going along the lake SOBO on dirt tracks about 6KM before you reach the road is Punta del Lago Estancia, you may be able to camp there behind trees or buildings. There are no trees & no shelter on the pampa. Trees only grow at the estancias.
After 108KM (or 102KM if you take the jeep tracks) you reach La Leona. Camping for $10 US or 9000 pesos (nov. 2023 price)
Restaurant open for hot food 8AM=4PM & for snacks, pizza & beer until 8PM. Pick the most sheltered spot in the campsite, it gets very windy & can knock tents which are not well sheltered.
11 kilometers before La Leona if you go NOBO, or after if you go SOBO, you can find the ex restaurant "Luz la divina", an abandonned pink house, which is an inspiring obligatory passage, even a museum for our fellow cyclists friends, with a lot of signatures on the walls since 2013. (49°53′26.45″S 72°02′37.1″W).
==Resupply and Accommodation in nearby Towns==
=Permits, Entry Fees and Right-of-Way Issues=
=Links to other Resources=
=Images=