Laguna Diablo, Verde & Azul
Laguna Diablo lies within Los Huemules Reserve. This is a private natural conservation reserve with several private homes. To do this hike, you must make a reservation and check in on the morning of your hike at the Visitors Center for a safety and information briefing. You must also complete you hike before 5 pm, unless you are staying at the Puesto Cagliero Refugio at the lake.
Â
The Reserve limits the number of hikers per day through the reservation system. This is a really great feature, as it adds an element of solitude to the experience and increases the enjoyment of the hike.
The hike climbs along the Rio Diablo drainage up to the lake. There are some great scenes of the river in the foreground, flanked by the dense lenga forest and Cerro Gorra Blanco in the background. After roughly 4 miles, we reached crossed a bridge and reached Laguna Diablo. The lake beautiful with desert-like surroundings. The Cagliero Glacier sits across the lake, creating the milky blue color of the water. We tried to get lunch at the Refugio, but they only had enough food for those who had made reservations in advance. We did enjoy sitting down for a moment, however, and eating our energy bars.
On the return, we went to the northwest bank of the laguna, which provided the best views of the lake and mountain backdrop. We then retraced our steps to along the river, until we reached a bridge leading to Laguna Verde and the larger Laguna Azul. This was a worthwhile side trail, with great views of Fitz Roy over the lakes. The trail concluded with a couple gorgeous waterfalls. You are also required to check out at the Visitors Center at the conclusion of the hike
This is one of the great hikes around El Chalten, but requires advanced knowledge and planning. We only came across a handful of other hikers, and felt like we had discovered one of the great hidden gems in this area. I would definitely repeat this hike, and might try to stay at the refugio on a future trip.
