Of all the places I travelled in South America last year, El Chalten in Argentina was by far the place I felt most happy and at peace. It truly was my version of paradise, with endless trails to explore, running water everywhere you looked, greenery and snow side by side, and peaks as far as the eyes could see. There were heaps of little hostels to stay at, the odd boutique hotel if you are that way inclined, and plenty of vegan options at the many restaurants, cafes and little supermarkets.

I spent two weeks all up exploring this tiny little town, that apparently has only about 350 year round inhabitants and maxes out at a population of less than 2000 in busy times. It is nestled beside the Las Vueltas river near the base of Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitz Roy, which for reference, is the mountain range that makes up the logo of the outdoors brand Patagonia. To get to El Chalten you need to catch a bus from El Calafate, which is 220km away, and can be accessed by flying directly to El Calafate, or by another longer bus ride from Puerto Natales in Chile.

Upon arrival every person that comes to El Chalten must pass through the visitor centre/ National Park office as it is located entirely inside a the Los Glaciares National Park so there are rules to be obeyed to protect the land. After learning where you are allowed to trek, the rules of the trail, which trails you must register for etc, everyone is left free to explore the town and its surrounds as they please.

The town itself is really just one main strip of hostels, souvenir stores, restaurants and a couple of very small supermarkets (fresh produce is not very abundant, but there is enough). In the side streets there are usual houses, school, church, and the odd gem of a restaurant; such as the entirely vegan and coeliac friendly Curcuma and the Melbournesque coffee shop High Mountain Coffee. All up you can explore the entire town in an hour or two and see everything there is - which is everything you could possibly need.

Myself and another Aus Mountain Running Team member Will, stayed in a well run and extremely helpful hostel called Lo De Trivi, which is on the main strip. I didn't spend much time there though, because I was in town to do the one thing most of the population at any time are there for, and that is to spend as much time as possible outdoors, training among and enjoying the mountains.

Every day was similar - wake, eat a massive breakfast in the commercial size kitchen, then head out for the days adventures. Stop for food at Curcuma at some point, take a nap in the afternoon, and otherwise just walk around and enjoy the vibes of the town. Happy hours were abundant at almost every restaurant, but because it is a town based on outdoors activity, happy hour was usually 4-6 and most people called it a night early. Also, possibly the best part about El Chalten is that the wifi is limited at best, so phones and devices are exchanged for meditation, self care, and genuine connection with strangers that become dear friends.

I wish I had the patience to sit down and detail every incredible run I went on while staying in El Chalten, but as always it has to be seen to be truly experienced anyway. So here is a list and quick synopsis of the best places and trails I ran to - I have found the simplest map I could for reference to the places, but highly recommend if you go there to buy one of the trekking maps when you arrive.

• 2 - Laguna de los Tres (Mount Fitz Roy) + Cerro Madsen. 25.5km Return with 1400m +/-. (D/C on Map) We followed the traditional trail from the town centre to Laguna de Los Tres, possibly the most famous hike in the range that starts with a gentle forest climb, then some flat trail past beautiful lakes and views, finishing with a 1km rocky section that climbs 400m to the lake at the base of Mount Fitz Roy. The flat section of this trail was perfect for the fartlek session I did, then the climb for strength. We went a bit off the beaten track and decided to try and follow a ridge line off to the right of the lake that we later found out was the climb to Cerro Madsen. This part was incredible, but tough and sketchy at times so best done with a guide if you have no mountain experience. We turned before the summit due to a white out coming, but it was worth the climb nonetheless.

• 3 - Laguna Torre + Laguna de los Tres + El Pilar 50km circuit with 1430m +/-. This was my biggest and best day in El Chalten, tackling what hikers usually do in 3 days. All up it took me 6 hours, including all stoppage time, to complete this as a lot of it was runnable and it ended with 15km on gravel road, but you could easily take your time to stop and enjoy the views more if wanted. I started from town and first headed for the second most famous peak/lake, Cerro Torre, then cut across to the trail up to Laguna de los Tres (W-W on the map) and again did the 1km rocky climb up there before heading down to El Pilar (M-M on the map) and following the gravel road (Pink road on map) back to town. Words can't describe this run. If you have the capacity, do it - and if you want to take it slower, plenty of options to stop and camp along the way!

• 4 - Los Huemules Nature Park. Not far from El Chalten (17km along the one road in and out of town) is a private nature park called Los Huemules that also has a lot of trail options. You have to pay to get in, but you can buy a three day pass that makes it well worth it! The trails are better kept and easier underfoot, plus the museum at the entrance is an absolute gem for information about nature and the history of the area. My favourite trails in the park were the trail to Laguna del Diabolo via Laguna Azul and Laguna Verde (Very top left of map, 19km, 575m +/-), and the easy trail along Rio Electrico to the lookout (13.5km, 200m +/-). I hitch hiked to Los Huemules with zero trouble, and another time we hired mountain bikes to get there and back; but only do that if you don't mind a very slow ride into the worst head wind you will ever experience - with the views its not so bad at all, just be prepared!

• 5 - Loma De La Pizarras, 19.5km 1200m +/-. This run/hike I did after a flat road session in town (more than possible - some awesome fast roads there for speed training!) and it was beyond incredible. It does very much involve going off the beaten track and bush bashing a little bit, so I highly recommend having the route on your watch/map ready, but the views truly are worth the strenuous climb. As with everywhere in Patagonia, prepare for wind!

• 6 - Laguna Toro. 36km 1250m +/-. Another favourite for different reasons - this trail is much less travelled and I saw no one out there all day, which is heaven to me. On the map this is the lowest black line, and as with most trails the natural end is at a lake. This is also the trail that starts the famous Huemel Circuit, a 60km 3-4 day hike, but finishes before there are any technical sections with requirements for special equipment. To go on this run/hike you must register at the park office first, and there is camping at the Lago Toro should you want to go out one day and back the next.

• 7 - El Salto De Claro. 6km Return, mostly flat. The short and easy gem from town to the nearby waterfalls. This one was busy, but so good for tired legs and just wanting to get out and get the blood flowing. Short and sweet, anyone in town will be able to point you in the right direction for this one and it's near impossible to get lost.

• 8 - Mirador de los Cóndores. Another short hike from town for the best close views, although slightly more strenuous than the hike to El Salto de Claro. Still well worth the short 3-5 km round trip as it gives the best views of the town with Cerro Fitz Roy in the background.

So that's El Chalten from the perspective of a mountain runner in a nutshell. Overall I covered over 284 km with 8725m +/-, and spent over 34 hours in these mountains. Although I got to most of the major landmarks and a fair few lesser known areas, it feels like I could spend a year there and still not know all the beauty. As a runner on these trails you will have to at times stop for hikers on the more well known trails, and trail etiquette is of utmost importance to both care for the land and not ruin runners reputations in what is known as the Trekking Capital of Patagonia. But if you enjoy these trails respectfully and responsibly then you are in for the adventure of a lifetime.

For more info head to https://elchalten.com/v4/en/el-chalten.php or feel free to message me any questions that come up. Happy adventuring!

Still We Rise