The small village of El Chalten was founded in 1985 to help Argentina claim the area in a border dispute with Chile. Today, this dispute is no longer an issue, and it seems that the only purpose for the existence of El Chalten is tourism. El Chalten serves as the base for hikers and climbers who come from all over the world to climb the near-by world famous peaks of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. El Chalten has one of the most imposing backdrops of any town or village in the world, with Fitz Roy peaks being that backdrop, and therefore El Chalten photos by themselves are amazing. The name of El Chalten comes from the local tehuelche word of “smoking mountain”, describing the famously shy peak of Fitz Roy which is hiding behind clouds most of the time. All the trails for the two peaks start from El Chalten.
