We are passionate about exploring the remote locations where our 4WD expeditions take us , and we concentrate our many years of overseas experience in making each of our International trips a unique adventure . A huge amount of planning goes into each expedition , so if you have dreamed of exploring such fascinating locations as Eastern Siberia , the Kamchatka Peninsular , the Namibian Desert or the saw toothed mountain region of Patagonia give Steve a call on 021 924427 or email him at steve@4x4treks.co.nz , he likes nothing better than to chat about plans for the next exciting trip.
Day 15 Fri 17 300Km 5hrs Gobernador Gregores – El Chalten via Tres Lagos R40 , R23
Our second big mileage day in Argentina will bring us into Argentinian Patagonia at El Chalten , a small alpine village nestled at the foot of the famous Mt Fitzroy. The route continues to follow R40 South via Tres Lagos town before turning West onto R 23 past the shores of Lake Viedma to El Chalten on the riverside of Rio de las Vueltas, within the Los Glaciares National Park near the base of Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitz Roy spires, both popular for climbing. It is 220 km north of El Calafate where we head tommorrow and is a popular base for hiking numerous trails, such as those to the base of surrounding peaks and glacial lakes, such as Laguna Torre and Laguna de los Tres (near the base of Fitz Roy).[1][2][3]
For those reasons, El Chaltén was named Argentina’s Trekking Capital or Capital Nacional del Trekking. The town is located at the edge of the 12,363 km2 (4,773 sq mi) Southern Patagonian Ice Field and about 350 inhabitants live there throughout all the seasons of the year. Snow and ice mostly fence the town, and the homes are low structured with roads mostly made of rocks and dirt.[4] In October 2014, El Chaltén took second place in a ranking of “Best cities in the world to know” of the travel guide Lonely Planet.
We spend two nights here enabling us to explore the amazing scenery right on our back doorstep , our accommodation is at Hotel Lago del Desierto , Lago Del Desierto 137 , breakfast is included , there is a great Tapas restaurant nearby , ( if my Spanish translation is correct! ) and also in the town the Paisa High Mountain coffee , which looks to be the ideal place for a leisurely morning tea
Panoramic shot of El Chalten with Mt Fitzroy in the background and the Rio de las vueltas in the foreground.
Day 17 Sun 19 214Km 3hrs 15 El Chalten _ El Calafate R23 , R40 , R11
Heading East back out via R23 to R40 we make our way South to the turn off on R11 taking us along the shores of the mighty Lago Argentino to the ‘’Queenstown’’ of Argentina , El Calafate , a relatively easy run after the two big days to get from Chile into Patagonia Argentina. We stay two nights here at Hotel Kapenke , 112 9 de Julio 9405 , and breakfast is included with a restaurant in the Hotel which might be a good spot for dinner after a great day tomorrow visiting the famous Perito Moreno Glacier and surrounds. Close to the town are two very accessible sites , Punta Walichu , home to some 7,000 year old rock paintings , and Reserva Laguna Nimez ( 1km from town ) where there are over 70 species of birds including the Chilean Flamingo.
El Calafate, also known as Calafate, is a city in Patagonia, Argentina. It is situated on the southern border of Lake Argentino, in the southwest part of the Santa Cruz Province, about 320 kilometres northwest of Río Gallegos. The name of the city is derived from a little bush with yellow flowers and dark blue berries that is very common in Patagonia: the calafate (Berberis buxifolia); the word comes from the word Calafate which is Spanish for Caulk.
