The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Laguna Torre
HikingJust back from a stunning two-day backpacking trip to Laguna Torre, at the foot of the mighty Cerro Torre. We're committed to honest travel tales, the sublime, the frustrating, and the downright ridiculous. So, here's our warts-and-all report from the trails.
The Good
Let's start with the obvious: the scenery is otherworldly. The jagged summits of Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy, the ancient glaciers, the turquoise lakes, and the wind-sculpted Lenga forests—it's a landscape that defies hyperbole. On a good day, Patagonia is untouchable.
The D'Agostini campsite is worth every peso of the 20,000 ARS fee. It’s a haven of organisation with fresh water, a helpful ranger, and the holy grail of wilderness camping: proper toilets (with paper!). The real luxury, however, was the wildlife. We were even graced by the presence of two Torrent Ducks, the world's most dapper web-footed swimmers, putting on a show in the river just below camp (Kiersten's images to come!)
Sunrise on Cerro Torre is a spiritual experience, even for the sleep-deprived. We dragged our tired bodies from our tents at 5:30 am and made the 20-minute walk to Laguna Torre. Watching the first pink light hit that granite needle was a reward no amount of sleep could ever match.
The hike back via the "Siete Lagunas" trail was our secret victory. By starting early, we had 8km of profound silence between Laguna Torre and Laguna Capri, sharing the morning lit forests with only the birds.
The final leg on the unmaintained trail near Loma de las Pizarras was like stepping back in time to "Old Patagonia". This wasn't a manicured path; it was a narrow, muddy, and gloriously wild gauntlet of spiky branches and recent puma poo. Spotting a big cat in that tangled mess was a near impossibility, but the fresh signs added a thrilling, primal edge to the solitude. We loved every challenging, muddy minute of it.
The Bad
Our first mistake was tactical. We left El Chaltén at 8:30 am, foolishly thinking we'd outsmart the day-hiker rush to Laguna Torre. Spoiler alert: we did not. Laguna Torre is probably the most popular trail. Start early! We quickly found ourselves stuck behind a large group, and it became immediately clear that "Trail Etiquette" was not on their itinerary. The universal hiker's courtesy of stepping aside for faster parties with a friendly "hello" was entirely absent. We were trapped in a slow-motion convoy of people struggling with the small inclines. The real killer, though, was the noise. We could hear this group long before we saw them. Their laughter and shouting didn't just break the peace; it acted as a full-scale wildlife evacuation siren. Not a self-respecting puma or huemul would stick around for that racket. In the end, we made a desperate, grumpy dash to pass them, a move my still-recovering wife, Kiersten, could have done without.The Ugly
True ugliness is rare in Patagonia, but we found a man-made version at the shore of Laguna Torre itself. The scene that greeted us was less pristine wilderness and more "Influencer Convention."
