Laguna Torre (Cerro Torre)

One of the most frequented day hikes from El Chaltén, the route to Laguna Torre leads to a glacial lake at the base of the Torre massif. The 18 km out-and-back trail follows the Fitz Roy River valley, moving through sub-antarctic forests of ñire and lenga. The terrain is primarily well-maintained gravel paths and packed dirt, with a short initial ascent followed by mostly level walking through the glacial valley. The destination offers direct views of Cerro Torre (3,128m) and the Adela range, with icebergs frequently calving from the Torre Glacier into the lake.

True wilderness navigation. The Long Range Traverse is an unmarked 35-40km backcountry trek through the ancient mountains of Gros Morne National Park. It begins with a boat ride into the heart of a billion-year-old fjord (Western Brook Pond) before a steep ascent onto the alpine plateau. There is no official trail—hikers must rely on topographic maps, compasses, and GPS to find their way across bogs, arctic-alpine tundra, and through dense 'tuckamore' (stunted forest). This is a place of caribou, massive moose, and some of the most dramatic cliff-side views in the world, where the ocean meets the sky in a mist-shrouded landscape.