Patagonia Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre Grand Traverse
A legendary high-latitude wilderness trek traversing the awe-inspiring tooth of Monte Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre across the Southern Patagonian Ice Field perimeter.
- Region
- Los Glaciares National Park, Patagonia
- Country
- Argentina & Chile
- Difficulty
- Strenuous
- Terrain
- Glacier / Icefall
- Distance
- 88.5 km
- Elevation gain
- +4250 m
- Max altitude
- 2650 m
- Duration
- 5 - 7 Days
- Best months
- Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
- Permit
- National Park APN Registration & Laguna de los Tres Backcountry Permit
Standing before the vertical 1,200m granite sheer face of Mount Fitz Roy is a humbling pilgrimage. Expect fierce Patagonian winds exceeding 90 km/h, rapidly shifting glacier moraines, and crystal-clear glacial streams cold enough to numb bone in seconds.
Cultural notes: Named “Chaltén” (the Smoking Mountain) by the indigenous Aonikenk (Tehuelche) people who revered its cloud-shrouded summit. Pioneer mountaineers Cesare Maestri and Lionel Terray etched climbing history on its forbidding granite towers.
Wildlife notes: Watch for the rare endangered South Andean deer (Huemul), Andean Condors with 3-meter wingspans circling granite spires, and Austral Parakeets in the subantarctic beech forests.
Key hazards
- Violent sudden wind gusts (Gales up to 100+ km/h)
- Unstable lateral moraine scree and loose granite talus
- Rapid river fords swollen by afternoon glacial melt
- Sudden sub-zero blizzards even in midsummer
Essential gear
- 4-Season Wind-Reinforced Geodesic Tent with Heavy Pegs
- Waterproof-Breathable Hard-shell & 800+ Fill Power Down Parka
- Microspikes / Light Crampons for Glacier Passages
- Trekking Poles with Snow Baskets
- Suggested pack list:
- - 4-Season Geodesic 2P Tent (1800g, mandatory)
- - -10°C Hydrophobic Down Quilt (750g, mandatory)
- - Stormvane 3L Waterproof-Breathable Alpine Jacket (420g, mandatory)
- - Steel 10-Point Crampons (680g, mandatory)
- - Northlatch Two-Way Satellite Messenger (100g, mandatory)
Waypoint-by-waypoint
| # | Waypoint | Dist. | Elev. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Chaltén Trailhead Basecamp (camp) | 0 km | 400 m | Final resupply station, gear shakedown, ranger station registration. |
| 2 | Campamento Poincenot (camp) | 11.2 km | 780 m | Direct view of Fitz Roy needle. Excellent wind-sheltered camp. |
| 3 | Laguna de los Tres Summit Lookout | 15.6 km | 1200 m | Crux ascent: 400m vertical climb over 1.8km boulder scramble. Spectacular turquoise tarn. |
| 4 | Paso del Viento (Wind Pass) | 42 km | 1550 m | Gateway to Southern Continental Icecap. Requires harness/tyrolean traverse on river. |
| 5 | Campamento Agostini & Laguna Torre (camp) | 68 km | 650 m | Watch floating icebergs calved from Grande Glacier beneath Cerro Torre spire. |
