Question 1

DAY 1 - WELCOME TO CALAFATE

Accepted Answer

We will welcome you at El Calafate airport by our staff and transfer you to your the hotel.

Meals:
Accommodation: Hostería La Estepa or similar

Question 2

DAY 2 - ICE HIKE - PERITO MORENO GLACIER EXCURSION

Accepted Answer

This tour starts from the port named “Bajo las Sombras”. We embark towards the south east cost of the “Rico” arm of the Argentinean Lake. After navigating for 20 minutes, we will arrive at the south side of the glacier where a mountain guide will receive us to start this excursion. After a short talk about the details of the excursion in the refuge we will start our hike.

First, we will walk along a forest of lengas and ñires,  along the shore of the lake until we reach the ice. At this place the guide will explain how to walk on the ice and teach how to use the crampons. The walk will take 1.30 hours approximately round trip. At the end we will return to the refuge to take the boat back to “Bajo Las Sombras” port.

From there we will go to the footbridge of the glacier Perito Moreno where you will have enough time to walk in front of the glacier and enjoy it.

Intensity: Medium
Ages: 10 to 65 years old.
Equipment included: Crampons

Meals:
Accommodation: Hostería La Estepa or similar

Question 3

DAY 3 - KAYAKING & DRIVE TO EL CHALTEN

Accepted Answer

We start the pick-up at the hotels in our private vehicle by 7.30 am. The activity starts with a short briefing about the equipment use and safety standards. Participants will receive the technical equipment (wetsuit, neoprene boots, cockpit covers, semi-dry jacket, life jacket, helmet and mittens for cold) and a waterproof bag to store their belongings and lunch boxes. Once we are dressed, we regulate the kayaks (participants go on double kayaks and guides on simple ones) and then the guides will show the forward paddle maneuvers, turns and brakes.

The safety and rescue maneuvers are practiced by the group.

A guide helps the participants to get into the kayak and the other guide receives the group in the river. Once the whole group is ready in the water, we’ll start paddling. The guides are permanently attending to participants and checking their safety. They will also explain about geology, flora, fauna and history of the area.

The first kayak ride lasts approximately 1.15 hours (8 km), we´ll stop At La Fortaleza Mount (La Meseta estancia) for lunch and do a hike through Los Hornos Mount until we get to a viewpoint where you can see bones and petrified trunks. After some time off we go back to the kayaks for the last part of the itinerary observing the geological formations and steppe vegetation. We finally get to El Turbio stream where the vehicle will be waiting to take us to El Chalten according to your itinerary.

Meals:
Accommodation: Albergue  Patagonia

Question 4

DAY 4 - BIKING TOWARDS EL CHALTEN

Accepted Answer

Early pick up at the hotel  in regular ground transportation to Del Desierto Lake, located at 37km away from town towards the Chilean border thru a gravel road. Once arrived, you can do a beautiful easy hike till Lago del Desierto lookout for about30 minutes roundtrip.
From there, you’ll have a very special view of Del Desierto lake and at the horizon a view of Fitz Roy’s north face. The round-trip hike goes around 20/30 minutes including time to take pictures and enjoy the place. Once you have returned to the parking lot, you can take the bikes to start the ride. The ride goes mostly downhill towards El Chalten with only a few hills to climb, having the chance to do multiple stops at different waterfalls and some hidden places of De Las Vueltas river.
A suggested stop along the way is to take your lunch at Los Huemules reserve. Here you have a wonderful hike to Blue and Green Lagoons inside the reserve. The hike goes gentle for about 1:30hs to finally return to the parking where you can ride just a couple of kilometers to Refugio Condor where you’ll spend the night.

Ground transportation time from El Chalten to Lago del Desierto: 1.30 hs
Round trip hiking time to Del Desierto lake lookout: 20 min aprox Mountain bike riding time (full ride): 2 to 2.30hs. aprox.
Round trip hiking time inside Los Huemules reserve:1.30hs to 2 hs. aprox.

Accommodation: Albergue Patagonia

Question 5

DAY 5 - LAGUNA DE LOS TRES HIKE

Accepted Answer

After having breakfast, we’ll leave in our private vehicle to Hosteria El Pilar located just a few kilometers away from Refugio Condor. Once arrived, we start to walk on the trail to Poincenot camp thru a forest of “lengas”, typical Patagonic tree, having the Blanco river on our right.

During our way we do different stops to learn about the typical fauna and flora of the National Park. After an hour, we’ll stop at Piedras Blancas glacier viewpoint where we’ll have the opportunity to take pictures and notice the trace left by this glacier during its setback along the last years.

Following our way to Poincenot camp we’ll have an excellent view of massif Fitz Roy, we will get even closer after we cross the Blanco river’s bridge heading the last part of this trail all the way up to los Tres lake. At this point, we’ll take some time to have our lunch, take pictures and have some rest at the lake shore.
After we recover from this last effort, we’ll begin our way down to Poincenot camp where we’ll enjoy some snacks while we wait for the dinner. During the night we’ll have dinner at our private dome including beverages and dessert.

Distance: 12km+750/-400
Trekking time: 7/8 hours
Physical Intensity: Medium

Meals:
Accommodation:  Albergue Patagonia

Question 6

DAY 6 - CERRO TORRE HIKE

Accepted Answer

We begin our day having a full breakfast at our private dome preparing for the second day of our itinerary. Once we’re ready, we got onto the trail towards the valley of Lake Mother and Daughter leaving Fitz Roy behind us to our final destination, the valley of Cerro Torre. During the trail we’ll have enough time to stop at the lakes to take some pictures of the area around and with some luck to a small colony of typical Patagonic gooses.

After this stop, we continue thru the trail towards Cerro Torre’s valley enjoying the emblematic Patagonian forest of Lengas and Ñires till the final part of our trek crossing an old moraine to face Lake Torre and Grande glacier. If the weather looks good, we could continue to the Maestri viewpoint, from where the famous Italian climber Cesare Maestri outlined his strategy to conquer Cerro Torre and having, at the same time, a closer view of Grande glacier. Once we completed this traverse, we’ll return to town thru Cerro Torre valley along the Fitz Roy river and then reaching a beautiful waterfall called Margarita, we will finish our day returning to El Chalten.

Distance: 17 km -400 
Trekking time:8/9 hours
Physical Intensity: Low

Meals:
Accommodation:  Albergue Patagonia

Question 7

DAY 7 - HUEMUL CIRCUIT - TORO CAMPSITE

Accepted Answer

An early departure from El Chaltén as we have 6 hours trekking through the forest until we reach Laguna Toro campsite. This hike passes through beautiful meadows whilst enjoying amazing views of the impressive Patagonian spires of Fitz-Roy and Cerro Torre.

The Toro campsite is located at the edge of the forest, thus providing good protection from the wind.

Distance: 15 km +500 
Trekking time: 6/7 hours 
Physical Intensity: Medium

Meals: 
Accommodation: Toro campsite

Question 8

DAY 8 - HUEMUL CIRCUIT

Accepted Answer

Today we follow the trail which takes us alongside the Viedma glacier. We will always see the glacier from above, thus giving us spectacular views along the way. During the trek we pass by some sparkling mountain lakes and after lunch the hard work awaits us as we trek up to the Huemul Pass. At the top we could have the chance to see some Condors flying around because there is a huge “Condorera”. From the top of the pass and after taking the necessary time for resting we have to descend a long and steep way thru the forest to get to our next camp at Bahia de los Tempanos (Icebergs).

Distance: 18 km +300/-900
Trekking time: 7-8 hours 
Physical Intensity: Medium-High

Meals:
Accommodation: Toro campsite

Question 9

DAY 9 - HUEMUL CIRCUIT

Accepted Answer

After breaking our camp we begin our trek towards the day’s first challenge: the crossing of the river Túnel via a zip line or wading depending on the level of the river that surely is going to be very cold. Then we continue walking uphill along big and spectacular moraines towards Viento Pass – privileged viewing point of the Southern Ice Field. The name of this pass means Windy in Spanish, so we expect to feel the full-force of these notorious gales.

Once over and onto the western slopes of the mountain we descend in direction to Paso del Viento camp, an ideal resting place with a crystal-clear river running next to the tents.

Distance: 13 km +900/-450 
Trekking time: 7-8 hours 
Physical Intensity: Medium-High

Meals:
Accommodation: Paso del Viento Camp

Question 10

DAY 10 - HUEMUL CIRCUIT

Accepted Answer

From the camp we have the chance to see some icebergs from the calving Viedma glacier and after breakfast we have a fairly easy trek to get to Bahía Túnel. From there our transfer will be waiting to take us to El Chalten.

Distance: 14 km 
Trekking time: 5-6 hours
Physical Intensity: Low – Medium

Meals:
Accommodation: El Chalten

Question 11

DAY 11 -  FREE DAY AT EL CHALTEN

Accepted Answer

Free day to relax and rest.

Meals: breakfast
Accommodation

Question 12

DAY 12 - TRANSFER TO EL CHALTEN TO CALAFATE

Accepted Answer

Morning transportation in regular bus to El Calafate airport.

We hope  you had a wonderful trip!

Meals: Breakfast

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