Cerro Fitz Roy, a magnificent granite tower some 3,375 metres high, is surrounded by a panorama of jagged almost surreal mountain peaks. Its indigenous Tehuelche name El Chalten means smoking mountain or volcano, so called because of the reddish hue and the billowy clouds which often hover around the peaks of the massif. The central peak Fitz Roy, however, was named after the Beagle’s Captain Fitz Roy who with Charles Darwin spied the mountains from the Rio Santa Cruz, not far from Lago Argentino.

There are many treks within the park of varying lengths and different grades of difficulty. Cerro Torre Circuito is a three-day trek at the centre of the park which can be followed clockwise or anti-clockwise. Or there’s a longer circuit and lots of additional treks if you’re not limited by time. Within the park there are several campsites. Alternatively there are lots of interesting treks that can be completed in less than a day and still afford spectacular views, such as the four-hour trek from El Chalten to Laguna de los Tres, which takes you to the foot of Cerro Fitz Roy, or the walk to Laguna Torre where you’ll be privy to fantastic view of Cerro Torre and its reflection in the lake below, weather permitting. Or there’s the trek to the glacial lake Laguna Toro, also with terrific views of the pinnacles. Weather is changeable so it’s best to be properly equipped with something warm and waterproof.

The National Park office in El Chalten (tel: +54 [0] 2962 493004) has good trekking maps and the guardaparques (park rangers) are extremely knowledgeable, helpful and well-educated. For more details, go to www.parquesnacionales.com.ar. There are also a lot of trekking opportunities outside the park, although much of it is private land, which can be combined with park treks. The same rules and regulations apply and in certain instances you may have to pay. If you want to plan ahead then Monte Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre – Trekking & Mountaineering by Sergio Zagier and Los Glaciares National Park Travel & Trekking by Colin Henderson are both available from Amazon.com. Zagier's can also be purchased in both El Calafate and El Chalten.