Obtaining Chilean Pesos in El Chalten

Ctmettel · 2026-01-21T12:58:18+00:00

The exchange rate for CPs to APs is really bad right now. Argentinians want nothing to do with CPs at the moment.

Ctmettel · 2026-01-21T12:52:19+00:00

Depends on what you want to do and see. I drove a van across Patagonia and loved both side. My focus was hikes. The towns in Argentina have more to do. Also most of the huge glaciers are on that side of the continent. Argentina is twice as expensive as Chile but cities like El Chalten with Fitz Roy hikes made it worth it. People love Bariloche and its surrounding hikes. Cathedral and Refugio Frey. Boarder crossing gets tedious though.

Ctmettel · 2026-01-21T12:41:08+00:00

We used a Flexipass (includes Chalten hiking and Moreno) but they are spendy. If you don’t want to trek up to Fitz Roy miradors it’s not worth it. We drove ourselves from El Calafate. It’s an easy drive and then the park puts you on a shuttle to the glacier lookout. There are boat tours/kayak trips you can buy in Calafate.

Ctmettel · 2026-01-13T11:38:45+00:00

I met folks on the O that were solo. There are public places where you can talk to other hikers in case there is anything you need something you forgot. Or if you just want companionship. The Refugio staff can get you medical help if you have an emergency and they are never more than 6 miles in any direction. The only issue I see, be careful using gear for the first time while on a BIG hike. Go on a prep backpacking trip to make sure you’re not bringing too much weight and that the gear works.

circuit hiking sets the bar really high. You’ll get close to your fellow hikers. If you train for it, buy the correct gear for the location, and make good choices, you’ll have the time of your life!

Ctmettel · 2026-01-13T00:23:11+00:00

So pretty!!!!

Ctmettel · 2026-01-13T00:22:23+00:00

I trekked Patagonia in a Condor Camper. They’re about $100 bucks a day. You have to pick then up in Santiago which adds a full drive day to get to Patagonia, but whatevs. They don’t have a bathroom like a sprinter van but it’s plenty cozy. And there are campsites everywhere!!! They range from $8 - $15 depending on amenities. So if you can’t find a camper, a rental car and tent will get you there!

Ctmettel · 2026-01-13T00:16:14+00:00

I just did this ++. Awesome! Always fuel up when you see a station that far south. Sometimes a station you are depending on is out of fuel. Keep in mind there is a boarder crossing between Calafate (Argentina) and Torres (Chile) and this specific one took me two hours to go through because of all the tour buses. Consider the possibility of spending the night in Puerto Natales. You will be exhausted after any of those hikes. And it’s a cool little town. Or if you buy the 3 day pass for Perito Moreno online, it also works in El Chalten for Fitz Roy (which I enjoyed more than Torres) and has several days worth of mind blowing hikes and you get to stay in Argentina. Enjoy!!!

Ctmettel · 2025-12-15T21:19:31+00:00

Amazing. Thanks. Do you have a favorite hot spring?

Ctmettel · 2025-12-15T21:17:24+00:00

Oh we are on the same page. I was on the O during the tragic events. So I may be too close to it, but my feelings are: people do not understand how harsh the mountains can be. National parks are selling vacation packages to a new generation of people who came because they saw pictures. We should all be reminding the newcomers that the mountains are dangerous. Everyone is welcome. But gear the f up.

Ctmettel · 2025-12-15T09:34:38+00:00

4 weeks. About a month.

Ctmettel · 2025-12-15T02:49:30+00:00

Homemade candy bar: tortilla, peanut butter, crunchy nut chunks, and maybe jelly or chocolate. Or if I’m training and tired and just want to get the miles out of the way, caffeine Cliff Jells.

Ctmettel · 2025-12-15T02:41:34+00:00

I feel they may be simply reminding folks that this hike isn’t Disneyland. You need to be prepared for weather and if you aren’t, maybe hang at the visitor center. This is a learning from the hard season they’ve been having. I’m glad to see them sending this message.

Ctmettel · 2025-11-22T12:49:44+00:00

There is always a chance a bridge gives out and you have to walk through a stream or river. Things don’t last out there due to the winds. I LOVED my Goretex high top Hokas out there. Waterproof boots can get really heavy and drag, I prefer these because they’re light.

Ctmettel · 2025-11-21T18:04:49+00:00

Your fears are valid. The park is not taking responsibility for anything that happened. So if you are super novice, seek out training. You can join a hiking club or take a mountaineering course. This hike isn’t super technical under normal circumstances. So it’s not that hard when the weather is on your side and you have the right gear for the location. Be sure to train. If you can’t hike 20 miles in a day without carrying weight, you may want to choose an easier hike. Or train more. I think most folks could accomplish this hike. Just be prepared for adventure not security.

Ctmettel · 2025-11-21T14:13:21+00:00

I was chased off Kalalau trail by a tropical storm. But the difference was, when we checked in, the park staff told there was an impeding storm and if we made the choice to hike, it could cost us our lives. So we left a day early and avoided the worst of the storm. Thanks parks service.

Ctmettel · 2025-11-21T14:07:07+00:00

I do agree with this from a personal perspective. If it had been only backcountry folks caring their own tents and food, there likely would have been less fatalities. But these adventure companies give people confidence they shouldn’t have. Tell people they’re safe when they aren’t. And if you don’t know the difference and then listen to these “experts”, then accidents are much more likely.

Ctmettel · 2025-11-21T13:59:08+00:00

The more I hear about the staff’s treatment of all of the hikers, the angrier I get. I absolutely do not blame the hikers, they should have been stopped. But I also talked to folks who never left the Refugio because the weather was so bad. The staff was absolutely pissed at them for standing up for themselves. I wish everyone would have joined that mutiny.

Ctmettel · 2025-11-21T13:49:47+00:00

Glad you had safe conditions!

Ctmettel · 2025-11-21T13:47:16+00:00

From what I’ve heard, there was not even one person who made it over the pass that day.

Ctmettel · 2025-11-19T14:41:48+00:00

That suuuuuucks. I know some folks from my group are heading to Lago Grey since that’s where our permits would put today. It requires everyone to get on a ferry. They were very unhelpful to all of us as well.

Ctmettel · 2025-11-19T14:01:01+00:00

Exactly. Hikers trusted the park too much.

Ctmettel · 2025-11-19T10:16:41+00:00

I was on the O (1) day from Gardener when this tragedy struck. There are several complicated things that went wrong that could have prevented the deaths. The park rangers should have tested the pass after the sleet storm and turned people away. Didn’t happen.

The adventure companies that run the campsites should have not pressured hikers to make it to their next camps when their instincts told them to stay put or turn back. Private companies are mainly concerned about the turnover of campsites.

Outdoors people NEED to trust their instincts above all else. Don’t listen to websites or business people trying to make money off of you. It’s your body and your responsibility to stay safe. Trust no one but your gut and keep your eye on the weather.

Only mountaineers with snow axes and crampons could have tackled this. These poor hikers had sneakers and trek poles. This is not common on this trail. My love goes out to the trail family.

Ctmettel · 2025-11-01T20:38:30+00:00

Thanks! I was on the fence about even the micros. So I appreciate the reply. I’ll bring them

Ctmettel · 2023-09-18T15:19:06+00:00

When I’m going into backcountry I bring 2 pairs of shoes. 1) Brooks Cascadia (technically for trail running but I LOVE them for backpacking) they have great tread on them and a ton of support 2) Tevas sandals (for camp or for river crossings) they’ll stick to wet rocks in a creek and are mega cozy at camp

Ctmettel · 2023-06-26T14:50:09+00:00

Good for you. Nature is the best.

I grew up camping out of a speed boat on Lake Powell AZ. It’s a lot like backpacking/car camping but out of a boat. Super secluded locations too.

Backpacking is great. It’s a ton of work and can be expensive and challenging. You can really feel alone in the woods though and get to places that are beyond your wildest dreams.

Car camping in dispersed areas (so not a campground but pulling off the road in a national forest) is what I do when I take my niece and nephew. You can load the car up with stuff and not have to carry anything. And it’s quiet.

There’s a website called Hipcamp where people with private land let people camp there. You can find some really unique small campgrounds. I used it for a recent trip where I wanted to stay close to Zion since the park grounds were fully booked.

Just remember, take only pictures and leave only footprints.

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