El Chalten, Argentina

El Chalten is a tiny town that exists for one reason: Monte Fitz Roy. It’s Argentina’s trekking capital, a handful of streets surrounded by some of the most dramatic mountain scenery in Patagonia. We caught the bus from El Calafate, a few hours through flat steppe before the mountains suddenly appeared on the horizon like someone had switched the backdrop.

The main event was a seven-hour return trek to the base of Fitz Roy. It started well enough. The trail winds through forests and along rivers, and you can see the peak getting closer with every turn. Then the weather turned. And when I say turned, I mean it absolutely hammered it down. We got soaked through. Freezing cold, squelching in our boots, waterproofs doing absolutely nothing kind of soaked. Patagonia is famous for its unpredictable weather, and it decided to give us the full experience.

The shame is that the final viewpoint — where you’re supposed to get that iconic postcard shot of the granite spires reflected in Laguna de los Tres — was largely obscured by cloud and rain. You could make out the shape of Fitz Roy through the grey, enough to appreciate the sheer scale of it, but the photo opportunities were basically non-existent. Still, there’s something about pushing through terrible conditions to reach a destination that makes the experience feel earned. I was knackered, dripping wet, and couldn’t feel my fingers, but I wouldn’t have skipped it.

For our last night we had dinner at La Tapera, a solid little restaurant in town. I was meant to meet some mates afterwards at La Vineria for drinks, but they never showed up. Classic travel coordination — no Wi-Fi, vague plans, and everyone ends up in different places. I had a quiet one instead, which my body was probably grateful for.

The next morning it was a bus back to El Calafate. Short visit, but Fitz Roy in the rain still beats most things in the sunshine.