El Chaltén was founded in 1985 by the National Government. Recently, it was declared Trekking National Capital. It is situated in the Río de las Vueltas Valley, in the foot of the Fitz Roy Mountain. The Fitz Roy was called “Chaltén” by the “tehuelches” natives, what means “the mountain that smoke”, because its peak usually was covered by clouds, and it seems to be a volcano which erupted.
The small village holds 200 inhabitants and is 220 km far from “El Calafate” by the National Rout nº 40 and Local Route nº 23.
The most of the excursions start from the village and it is not necessary to be an expert to do the circuits. You only have to follow the itinerary unless you prefer to get lost in the beautiful landscapes.
The granitic peaks of Fitz Roy and Torre Hill make up an impressive view next to Viedma, Upsala and Moreno glacier which drain in the Viedma Lake of 106.000 hectares.