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.

Standing at an imposing 14,309 feet (4,361m), Uncompahgre Peak is the highest summit in the spectacular San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado and the 6th highest 'Fourteener' in the state. Despite its towering mass, it is widely considered one of the gentler, most aesthetically beautiful, and accessible 14ers for intermediate hikers—provided you have a hardcore off-road vehicle to reach the high trailhead. The peak is wildly distinct from the typical conical mountains; it looks like a massive, slanted rectangular block or the bow of a sinking ship, complete with sheer, 1,000-foot vertical cliffs on three sides. The surprisingly manageable hiking trail weaves up the one gentle southern slope, through lush tundra basins full of marmots, culminating in a fun, brief, and non-exposed rock scramble to a vast, flat summit plateau the size of a football field.