The Official History

This town was founded in 1985; its main purpose was to inhabit the area, due to a border conflict with Chile concerning Lago del Desierto area. During the first years, adventurers wishing to inhabit the area were not many, but a great number came in 1987, being given benefits by the State.

The town grew considerably during the last five years, due to the high number of visitors who find the opportunity of beginning a new life here. Those who come to stay are mainly backpackers and Nature lovers.

The name of this place means 'Smoking Mountain' in the Tehuelches' language.

Pioneering

By the early 20th century, foreigners started coming to stay in this area, forming very small towns which in turn developed into estancias. This area was not yet occupied by big estancias (or wealthy people owning them), who they had to fight with in order to keep their territories. Some pioneers are paid tribute to nowadays, for example in the names of the streets in El Chaltén: Fred Otten, Andreas Madsen, and Ramstrom, Halvorsen and Rojo families.

The Tehuelches' Sacred Place

According to Tehuelche mythology, this area has a great value, as Elal was hidden on Fitz Roy Mountain's summit, taken there by a swan, in order to protect him from the giant Noshtex, who was his father and wanted to kill him because the Sun had said his son would be more powerful than him, because of having kidnapped his own mother. In order to make him company, almost every animal from the island Kooch had given life to inhabited Patagonia, beginning here ...