GPT39 - Monte Fitz Roy

• Helen and Craig 29th December - 1st of January 2023

>Well marked trails. Very busy on sunny days, Incredibly dusty camp sites in high winds (but nicely sheltered)

>Really sad amount of rubbish around the trail. We picked up the bits we could carry but sad to see. Worst littering we have seen anywhere in Patagonia. Wished I had a bigger trash bag to pick up.

>We walked a very leisurely 3 night loop with side trails in high winds whilst waiting for a weather window for GPT40. Then hitchhiked up to rejoin the trail at Lago Desertio.

>To avoid the crowds, the popular miadors we walked to at odd times of day, sunset for the 'sunrise' veiw. Very much Worth it.

2020 Jan - Oreste - Northbound The campground Ricanor near to Laguna Azul was close for maintenance when I passed there (18 January).

2019 Dec - Matthieu - Northbound - 2 days Trail easy to follow for the parts in the wood bedfore the road. Long road to The Lago Desierto, and a possibility to take a boat on the Lago to join the post of Gendarmeria. The walk by the lake is beautiful though, worth it. No special difficulties.

Dec 14 2019 - Arnaud et Adriane /

It was a very rainy, windy and cold day so we walked to the road 12km (along the lago del desierto) and after 6 km on the road, we finished hitchhiking directly to El Chalten. Everything was covered with clouds so we sadly saw nothing.

2020 Jan 16 - Oreste Marquis- Northbound

Two first day were on the regular route. Could not see the Fotz Roy from close because of the cloud but still enjoyable route. I hitchike at the end of the second day and did not walk on the road to Lago del desierto because the camping Ricanor nesr to Laguna Azul was close for maintenance so I camp at the one close to the Lago.

2019 dec 14 - Arnaud et Adriane - North to South

It was a very rainy, windy and cold day so we walked to the road 12km (along the lago del desierto) and after 6 km on the road, we finished hitchhiking directly to El Chalten. Everything was covered with clouds so we sadly saw nothing.

• 2019-Nov-9 / Lea Geibel, Kevin Moe / 2 days / northbound / regular hiking route

The highlight of this section for us was visiting all the lagunas in the national park! We cheated and hitch hiked along the road when we hit it after El Pilar. It was not difficult to get a car in the morning when tourists are heading out to Lago Desierto; it might be harder to find one northbound in the evening would be my guess. It's necessary to pay to camp at Desierto, 800 Argentinian Pesos each, and it is not allowed to camp along the road.

Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route

Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route (2019)

Elevation Profile of Regular Packrafting Route

Elevation Profile of Regular Hiking Route (2019)

Resupply Town

Town: El Chaltén

El Chaltén is a medium sized town with several hostels, restaurants, and decent resupply options. There were also a few outdoor gear outfitters which offered rentals for the famous Huemul Circuit (GPT40).

It is good to note that there are many beautiful day hikes from this area as well. The GPT39 packrafting and hiking route does overlap with some of these hikes, but if time allows, hiking to Lago de los Tres or any of the other lakes at the base of Monte Fitz Roy is well worth it.

Shopping: Food

Shopping: Fuel

Shopping: Equipment

Services: Restaurants

Services: Laundry

Services: ATM and Money Exchange

Accommodation: Hostals and Hotels

Accommodation: Cabañas

Accommodation: Camping

Transport: Ground Transport

Transport: Ferries

Transport: Shipping Services

Resupply on the Trail

Location, Names, Available Items and Services

Access to Start

Return from Finish

Escape Options

Regular Hiking Route

Regular Packrafting Route

• Route description by Kara Davis after Season 2017/18:

Section GPT39 begins on the northern bank of Lago del Desierto. According to the Gendarmería, the Argentine Border Control, the wind patterns on the lake are unpredictable and shift frequently. There is also no good access to the trail on the east side if bailing becomes a necessity, so have caution when deciding whether to packraft or not.

Comment by Jan Dudeck: Lago del Desierto is an innocent looking beast. While very calm at the put in heavy wind at the middle of the lake can make a traverse demanding and dangerous.

There is a well-established trail that runs along the east side of the lake. However, it isn’t flat, and the 11 or so kilometers takes longer than expected. There is an option to take a ferry across the lake which is popular with Carretera Austral bicyclers. More information regarding times and prices can be found at the Argentine border control station on the north side of Lago del Desierto.

Hungry hikers are rewarded when they reach the south end of the lake. A burger stand with some snack options is located here along with an established campground with showers, flush toilets, and a communal kitchen.

Walk along RP23, a gravel road, for several kilometers until reaching the put-in for the packrafting section of Río de las Vueltas, which is a sloped rocky beach. The serpentine river section before Lago Condor is fairly swift with no rapids, only some wooden snags. After Lago Condor, the river widens and forms many braided channels.

Alternate: Instead of exiting Río de las Vueltas onto RP23 as shown by the GPS track, we floated the river al the way to El Chaltén and took out just after the bridge crossing east of the town.

• Comment by Jan Dudeck:

To my knowledge packrafting the Rio de las Vueltas all the way to El Chalten requires a permit by the park rangers. Without this permit park rangers might get very nasty and may even confiscate your packraft. So better leave the river before this river enters the national park. Packraft track OP-RI-1@39-02-# only if you have a permit.