Chalten means "smoke" in the local language so that "Cerro Chalten" now called Monte Fitzroy means the mountain that smokes. In actual fact it is cloud that is blown off the top much of the time, not a vulcano. It is truly spectacular and even better up close. So for this full day in the town of Chalten, we decided to go hiking.
Chalten is a tourist town formed on a small Estancia by the Argentine government in the early 1990's. Land was offered free to anyone who was prepared to build a house in two years. Now the lots are worth a fortune, and a few larger hotels have been built, along with hundreds of restaurants. It is the quintessential climbers and walkers town and is very cute.
Rahn and I left the Infinito Spur Lodge just after 08:30am and walked about a kilometre down the main street to the start of the hike and also the gravel road up the valley which others would follow on their bikes for 40km. The track is very clear and heads uphill for some 300m of altitude achieved, via a zig zag track that climbs gently for about 2km. We walk through the bosque forest made up almost exlusively of Nothofagus - deciduous Beech the same as found in Tasmania.
The first "Mirador" or lookout appears soon, and you are beckoned onwards. We took the left loop at first to the first campsite at Lago Capri (lake Capri) which was absolutely stunning.
We continued on, and went to other lookouts and branches. There were many walkers from all over the world, most in pairs or families and a few in large guided groups. At one point we heard tapping and stopped to observe a woodpecker at work. But we were really looking for a Condor.
And as we sat in a bush sheltered area and just watched the peaks, mesmerised, there appeared a huge condor, balanced in the breeze and sweeping back and forth maybe 800m above us. It then just sat and hovered, with that full four metre wing-span spread for all to see. It was just magic!
We returned on the same track to Chalten having had a brilliant day in perfect weather. The peak of Fitzroy finally came out of a few clouds to make the day.
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