Hike Patagonia: Loma del Pliegue Tumbado

Balancing Rock near the beginning

  The beauty of hiking from the town of El Chalten is the wide array of hikes that you have to choose from. I wrote about two of them (Chorrillo del Salto, and Laguna Torre) in previous post but on day three we wanted a real challenge, but also something a little different. We did a bit of research and felt like taking the path less traveled to a high 360 degree panorama was going to be the way to go. I am sure glad this was our choice. The hike to Pliegue Tumbado overlook was fun and challenging, and had a mind blowing view from the top.

Glimpses of mountain pillars thru the trees

The hike starts from the National Park visitor center on the same trail that leads to Laguna Toro. The National Park material says the length of the hike is 7 to 8 hours, although we did it in under 7. The way there is all uphill, all the time. This was a big change from the long flat portions from the two hikes before. Because you are constantly climbing you get to travel through different ecosystems. And views of mountain spires grace the horizon every so often.

So many options: El Chalten hiking map

 After forking off the Laguna Toro trail you enter a deep forest. The understory isn't overcrowded but the canopy gives a nice respite from the wind and rain if you have either. A stream runs through the forest but I wouldn't drink this water as there are lots of cows in the area. There is another stream almost all the way to the top that has good drinking water.

  All of a sudden the forest just ends. We found ourselves on a high alpine tundra with view of Mt Fitz Roy and Torre. The mountain massifs get closer and closer as you climb higher and higher through the tundra. Once you reach the viewpoint at 4500ft above sea level the view is one of the best in Patagonia. This is what postcards are made from.

  We looked down over the edge at the same glacier-fed lake, "Laguna Torre" that we had hiked to yesterday. And now I finally understood what the view could have been from the lake. The clouds that had been hiding the mountain peaks all around us dissipated leaving us with a scene I will never forget. As I sat eating my picnic lunch I couldn't help but strain my eyes to try and see if anyone was climbing the famous Mt Fitz Roy. It was the middle of summer on a bright sunny day but I still put on my windbreaker and rain pants just to stave off getting chilled from the cold wind. It is possible to get snow here even in the middle of summer.

Patagonia Back Pack with Patagonia Backdrop

   I couldn't help snapping a picture of my patagonia backpack in front of this picturesque Patagonia scene. Since it was uphill the entire way to the top, the way back was a fast paced downhill. We still stopped and took in the sights along the way, but a cold celebratory beer was definitely calling our names back in El Chalten.