El Chalten

El Chalten
Basic data
location	49 ° 20 ′ S , 72 ° 53 ′ W Coordinates: 49 ° 20 ′ S , 72 ° 53 ′ W
Height above d. M .:	410 m
Population (2010):	1627
administration
Province :	Santa Cruz
Department :	Lake Argentino
Mayor:	Jorge Velázquez, PJ
	Others
Postal code :	Z9304
Telephone code:	02962

El Chaltén is a small town in Patagonia in the south of Argentina . It is located in the department of Lago Argentino in the province of Santa Cruz , near the Chilean border on the northern edge of the Los Glaciares National Park . The place was founded on October 12, 1985, making it one of the youngest towns in Argentina.

El Chaltén offers the most direct access to the mountain massifs of Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy . The latter is called in the language of the indigenous people, the Tehuelche Indians, El Chaltén . That means "smoking mountain" in their language, although the Fitz Roy is not a volcano. The name is derived from the clouds that are often visible at the top of the mountain.

The place can only be reached via an hour-long bus ride. Gravel roads used to lead there, today the route is paved. There are regular bus connections from El Calafate , among others . El Chaltén has no industry and hardly any agriculture, but is experiencing a strong economic boom due to the increasing tourism around the extensive trekking and mountaineering areas near the Fitz Roy. Many freeriders also found their way to El Chaltén, as there are good conditions for their sport.

The founding was driven forward by the Argentine government due to border disputes with Chile . This should underpin the claim to the territory. This continues to cause polemics, as both countries stipulated by treaty that the membership of this region will only be defined in the near future. The province of Santa Cruz shows the mountain Fitz Roy in its coat of arms and thus expresses the Argentine claim to the mountains.

climate

El Chaltén has a climate that is strongly influenced by the Atlantic and Pacific, as it is very close to the Andes . Lots of rain, lots of storms, correspondingly few hours of sunshine. Generally a cool, temperate climate. The Andes are also the reason why a lot of snow falls in winter, the longest season of the year. Around 5,000 mm of precipitation (rain, snow) annually. The snow is mostly powdery due to the cold, hence the ideal conditions for skiers and snowboarders.

Economy and tourism

The economy in El Chaltén is almost entirely dependent on tourism . The village could not survive without vacationers and tourists. 90% of all income is generated in tourism, the remaining 10% are self-earned u. a. also agriculture , whereby the climatic conditions for this are quite modest.

Sports

El Chaltén is known for trekking ( hiking ). Numerous trekking tours are offered. The tours mostly go through well-known national parks such as Los Glaciares or Torres del Paine .