Laguna Torre: hiking to the foot of Cerro Torre

El Chaltén lies about 220 kilometres from El Calafate: you head north on Route 40, skirt Lake Viedma and take Provincial Route 23 for the last stretch into the village, right below the Fitz Roy range. From the edge of town, on foot, starts one of the best-loved trails in Los Glaciares National Park: the one that follows the Torre valley up to the lake of the same name.

The first hour carries most of the climbing. After 3 kilometres, about an hour and a quarter in, you reach the Mirador Torre viewpoint: on a clear day Cerro Torre and its neighbouring spires are already in sight, and it makes a good turnaround point if you want a shorter outing. Beyond it the path levels out, running through lenga and ñire woodland and the open valley of the Fitz Roy River.

Around kilometre 9 you pass De Agostini, a campsite tucked into the forest. A little further on you climb the moraine and Laguna Torre appears below: grey, silty glacial water, the Grande Glacier calving at the far end and icebergs stranded along the shore. Above it all rises Cerro Torre, over 3,100 metres high, flanked by Cerro Adela, Torre Egger and Aguja Standhardt.

According to the park's official trail leaflet, it is 10 kilometres each way, roughly three and a half hours, with about 250 metres of elevation gain; set aside the whole day for the round trip. If you still have energy, you can follow the moraine crest for another 2 kilometres to the Mirador Maestri. The Torre walls face east, so the best light comes in the morning, which is one more reason to start early.

• Tour type: Full-day hike, scenic
• Difficulty level: Moderate (about 20 km round trip, no technical sections)
• Tip: Before setting out, stop at the park's Visitor Centre in El Chaltén to check trail conditions; bring water, food and windproof layers, and keep in mind that snow and mud make the trail harder in winter. Campfires are not allowed.