Laguna Torre & Maestri Viewpoint
Laguna Torre is another of the classic day hikes in El Chalten. This is the second most popular hike in the national park behind Laguna de los Tres. The main events on this hike are the lake, glacier and Cerro Torre, the mountain with the narrow spire rising nearly 8000 ft above the lake.
This hike is relatively long, but is fairly easy with no technical elements and limited elevation gain. In the valley leading to the lake, there is a large area of pale, skeletal trees known as the Haunted Forest, which is a fantastic foreground for images of Cerro Torre, Cerro Grande and Cerro Solo. One of my favorite stitched panorama photos of the trip from with the Haunted Forest in from of this mountain group (top of page).
The best views of this hike are from Laguna Torre. I highly suggest continuing to the Maestri Viewpoint along the north side of the lake, which includes the beautiful vegetation, which we caught in the full Fall color change, and closer views of Torre Glacier. I also suggest going down to the base of the lake, which affords a different perspective of the entire lake from its east side, including the mountains, glacier and icebergs. We spent nearly 90 minutes at the lake.
Cerro Torre is among the most dramatic mountains in Patagonia. It is incredible from every angle. Distant shots with more vegetation in the foreground and close up photos from Maestri Viewpoint give the ability to categorize this mountain in full during this hike. This hike is to Cerro Torre what Laguna de los Tres is to Fitz Roy. It is a must do on a trip to El Chalten.
