National Trekking Festival: El Chaltén runs at the foot of Fitz Roy

Every March, as the season begins to wind down, El Chaltén celebrates what made it famous: walking in the mountains. The National Trekking Festival, organized by the Municipality of El Chaltén, centers on two races along the trails of the northern section of Los Glaciares National Park, with Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre as a backdrop. The date recalls the first Argentine attempt to reach the summit of Fitz Roy, in March 1948.

The races

• Bajada del Torre: a trekkathlon of about 11 km from Laguna Torre down to the village, individual and by age category.
• Desafío de los Campamentos: 27 km along the park’s trails, individually or in pairs.

Registration is free and places are limited: in 2026 there were 200 runners per race. That year the Bajada del Torre was won by Mario Barrientos (44:46) and Silvia Muñoz (57:56), and the Desafío de los Campamentos by Armando Andrade (2:15:18) and Lise Bellet (2:50:11).

More than a race

Until 2023 the festival also had concerts, a food walk, a beer garden, a producers’ and crafts fair and the axemen’s contest. Since 2024 the Municipality has focused it on the races, accompanied by local cultural activities: in 2026 there was music and dance at the Cultural Center and on the Las Adelas pedestrian street.

When it takes place

It is held over a weekend in March. In 2026 it was on Saturday, March 14 (Bajada del Torre) and Sunday, March 15 (Desafío de los Campamentos). The date and registration for each edition are announced by the Municipality of El Chaltén.

See accommodation in El Chaltén.

Getting there

El Chaltén is about 220 km from El Calafate via national route 40 and the road along Lake Viedma, all paved. The nearest airport is El Calafate, about 200 km away, and there are daily buses between the two towns.