Why go
Fitz Roy’s steep granite profile rises above the trails from El Chaltén. Laguna Capri offers an earlier view of the peaks, while Laguna de los Tres brings you closer to the massif. The change in perspective along the same route makes this a rewarding landscape to explore even when reaching the summit is far beyond a regular hiking visit.
What to look for
- Laguna Capri provides an intermediate view of the Fitz Roy peaks.
- Laguna de los Tres is the closer natural lookout below the massif.
The full story
The sheer granite faces of Fitz Roy explain why it occupies two different worlds. For experienced climbers, the summit is a highly technical undertaking. For walkers, the mountain is a view earned along a trail from El Chaltén, with Laguna Capri as a shorter stopping point and Laguna de los Tres as the longer approach. Argentine explorer Francisco Moreno named the peak for Robert FitzRoy, captain of HMS Beagle, who travelled up the Santa Cruz River and charted parts of the Patagonian coast. The older name Chaltén is associated with Tehuelche language and a “smoking mountain,” an image tied to cloud collecting around the summit. Notice that cloud and the clean lines of the rock from the trail. They help explain the mountain's name and its climbing reputation, without turning the walk into a summit attempt.
Useful to know
- Begin at the El Chaltén trailhead and decide whether Laguna Capri is your turnaround.
- Allow a full trekking day for Laguna de los Tres; the documented return route is about 25 km and 8–9 hours.