Cerro Torre: the most difficult granite peak in Patagonia

At 3,128 meters, Cerro Torre is lower than Fitz Roy, but its silhouette is even more dramatic: a nearly vertical granite spire, crowned by an ice mushroom formed by the condensation of winds from the Pacific. It rises above the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, in the northern sector of Los Glaciares National Park, and forms a range with the Egger, Standhardt, and Bifida peaks.

How to view it

Laguna Torre

The classic path. The guided trekking to Laguna Torre He walks from the village, crosses a lenga forest and a glacial valley, and arrives at a lagoon where icebergs detached from the Glaciar Grande often float, with the Torre mountain range in the background.

It's about 23 km round trip, similar in distance to Laguna de los Tres, but without the steep final climb: that's why it's much more accessible and a good option for those who want a full-day trek without extreme demands.

Hill of the Fallen Fold

If you want to see Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy in the same view, the ascent to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado It offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the two massifs, the glaciers and the steppe.

A story of controversy

Cerro Torre has one of the most debated stories in mountaineering. In 1959, Cesare Maestri claimed to have reached the summit with Toni Egger, who died on the descent, taking with him the camera containing the supposed evidence. The lack of evidence and the inconsistencies in the account sparked a debate that lasted for decades.

In 1970, Maestri returned with a motorized compressor to install hundreds of pitons in the rock, a decision the climbing community considered contrary to the ethics of mountaineering. The compressor remained hanging on the wall for forty years, and in 2012 two climbers removed a large number of those pitons, reopening the debate.

The first uncontroversially recognized ascent is attributed to the 1974 route by the Italian group known as the Ragni di Lecco.

The ice mushroom

The formation that crowns the summit is a distinctive feature of Torre. It is created by the accumulation of ice carried by moisture-laden winds from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, and it changes shape and size depending on the season. This unstable layer is one of the reasons why the mountain is so difficult to climb: the ice can break off without warning.

When to go

Like the rest of the mountain range, Cerro Torre spends much of its time shrouded in clouds. Clear mornings offer the best conditions. The hiking season runs from October to mid-April, and it's advisable to spend several days in the town to increase your chances of seeing it clear.

Plan your visit

Check the complete catalog of excursions or our guide to What to do in El Chaltén.