El Chaltén

El Chaltén needs 3 days of trekking to make the most of its trails toward Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, two of the most challenging mountains in the world for mountaineering. November-March (southern hemisphere summer) is the only window with stable weather, since Patagonian wind is extreme the rest of the year. Prices are high for its size, reflecting a small town with high seasonal tourist demand. It's Argentina's «national trekking capital», a town founded only in 1985 specifically to consolidate sovereignty in the area, today turned into a world mecca for mountain hiking.