Cerro Torre

1/22 El Chalten, Argentina

01 Trekking to Lago Torre

Miles travelled: 43703

This is the "trekking capital of Argentina", adjoining Los Glaciares National Park. Quite a strange town -- it seems quite rural and simple, yet has some tourism companies, hotels, and restaurants. Almost as if tourism has come in but the infrastructure has not yet been developed. The main attractions here are the multitude of hiking trails and scenic views. Cerro Torre is a 9500-foot tower of granite that was only climbed for the first time in the 1960s. It's the tallest in a row of towers that look like jagged teeth pointing into the sky. It is reputedly one of the most difficult mountain climbs in the world, not because of height, but because of a 1.5-mile sheer cliff and nasty weather with winds often exceeding 125-mph. Fitzroy Peak is also an imposing tower, standing over 11,000 feet high with a number of glaciers stretching from it. On Sunday we hiked a 13-mile round-trip to Lago Torre, with views (unfortunately partly obscured by clouds) of Cerro Torre. With sore knees and legs, we treated ourselves to a steak dinner for two at a nice restaurant. The bill, complete with wine, came to $15. And after one night in a tent with howling winds shaking it all night, we bailed on the tent and, for the next two nights, upgraded to a hotel with a view of the mountains.

02 Lago Torre

03 Our hotel

04 Storm clouds brewing