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Patagonia’s ice field is the third-largest ice mass in the world and one heck of a place to trek! It is more than 400 km long and 100 km wide, located in the heart of Patagonia near the border between Argentina and Chile. This unique trek in South America provides one of the best chances to experience the vast remote ice field trekking with an experience similar to that in Antarctica or Greenland. Explore the huge expanse of the ice field as well as viewing deep blue lakes and gigantic rock faces like Mt Fitzroy.
Patagonia’s Ice Field, known as “Hielo Continental Patagonico” is one of the most unique places in South America!
The EverTrek Patagonia Ice Field Trek starts in the lush green eastern side of the Andes, and ascends through valleys decorated with deep blue lakes and gigantic rock faces, this is a real juxtaposition to the barren but beautiful Ice Field that lays ahead. Passing over into the Ice Field you will feel like you have landed on another planet! This is a cold, white beautiful world that can only be compared to Antarctica or Greenland.
This trip is also unique as there is an element of being self supported, so you will play an active part in the expedition! You will be trekking with your own equipment and each member will be carrying supplies for the group such as food and participating in making camp each night and melting water for cooking and drinking. This is a true expedition and the reward for all this hard work is travelling in this wild and remote region and seeing some of the most spectacular places on earth: the Patagonian granite spires and wind shaped ice mushrooms that will leave memories frozen in place for a lifetime!
We also have a great team of guides that will be leading the way, all have vast experience in this type of terrain and they are fully equipped with technology for your safety, such as satellite communications, GPS and medical kits.
Join us on the Patagonia Ice Fields Trek:
Please Note
This trip requires a minimum number of 3 EverTrekkers to guarantee it goes ahead. We will notify you at the time full payment is due (6 months prior to trip start date) if the trip going ahead or if the minimum number of bookings has not been achieved.
We therefore recommend you do not incur any non refundable expenditure until you have received confirmation that your trip is guaranteed to proceed.
We recommend you read our minimum number T&Cs (Section 6c) before booking: https://evertrek.co.uk/about-us/terms-conditions
Experience Required:
The 11 days Patagonia Ice Field Trek is a tough and arduous trek, you will be carrying your own equipment and a share of the group supplies so you must be a fit, regular hillwalker to take part. You should have good endurance and be used to long, consecutive days walking preferably in Winter conditions.
We can forward a detailed equipment list upon booking. Over the years, we have gained an incredible amount of experience and expertise in outdoor equipment and clothing. We have applied this to each trip that we offer and recommend what we believe to be the most suitable items for your trip.
Welcome to Patagonia!
As you arrive from your long journey you will be greeted by our EverTrek representative who will welcome you to Patagonia and transfer you to our hotel in El Calafate.
El Calafate is known as the gateway to the Los Glaciares National Park and home to the massive Perito Moreno Glacier with its ever-changing icy landscape.
The evening is yours to enjoy and explore the local area ready for tomorrow and the start of your epic ice fields adventure.
Today you will experience one of the most impressive views of a moving glacier anywhere on earth!
Leaving the hotel at around 9am we will drive westwards towards the Chilean border and after about 2 hours reach the Perito Moreno national Park. We will take one of the catamarans and sail very close to the glacier, have your camera ready for the massive ice boulders breaking off the glacier crashing into the cold waters.
After the tour we will drive to the visitor area, where you can enjoy a coffee and some snacks before starting a chilled tour to the several different viewpoints where you can appreciate the glacier and its magnificence. We will head back to El Cafalate in the afternoon for a relaxed evening and trip preparation.
After an early breakfast you will head to El Chalten, known as Argentina's trekking capital and the gateway to the surrounding peaks of Cerro Torre and Mount Fitz Roy. From El Chalten we will continue to the Electrico River Bridge and start trekking! The trail ascends gently and will take you right into the heart of the Andes and ultimately to La Piedra del Fraile where you will spend the night camping surrounded by green trees and snow capped mountains.
Ascent: 517 m / Highest Altitude: 537 m / Distance: 7,1 Km. / Activity duration: 2-3 h
Today you will depart Piedra del Fraile and follow the trails along the famous Rio Electrico, named for its strong electric blue colours. You will then trek to the western end of the beautiful teal blue Laguna de Los Tres. In English, this translates to "Lake of The Three", referring to the three peaks that you can see from the lake shore, Fitz Roy (3,405m) Poincenot (3,002m) and Saint-Exupery (2,558m).
Ascent: 317 m / Highest Altitude: 854 m / Activity duration: 4-5 h
Get ready! Today is going to be Epic.
Today is going to be a long and tough day. You will depart from the Laguna de Los Tres camp early in the morning and follow the valley up onto rocky slopes, the ascent is long and demanding and depending on the conditions we might have to secure ourselves with ropes. Once on top of the Marconi Pass you will have your first view onto a completely new world, the Ice Field.You will then start your descent towards the ice field and once on it continue to hike until we find a suitable place for the campsite. If the weather is good, we will camp on the ice field, otherwise we will continue to the Gorra Blanca refuge, where we will set up our camp outside. By this time we will have already crossed the border into Chile and will have our camp close to the Cerro Gorra Blanca peak.
Ascent: 671 m / Descend: 70 m / Highest Altitude: 1525 m / Activity duration: 7-8 h
Your first morning on the third biggest ice mass on the planet!. Today is a shorter day and much less demanding than the Marconi Pass but the fact you are now walking on the Ice Field makes everyday from now on a real adventure! The trek is relatively flat but as with any glacier travel the terrain can be challenging. After several hours hiking, we will reach one of the most iconic places in the mountaineering world: “El Circo de los Altares” the east face of Cerro Torre, Standard and Eger, some of the most desired climbs in Patagonia. This place is worth every effort to get to and for some may be the highlight of the whole trip.
Highest Altitude: 1400 m / Activity duration: 4-6 h
We will depart from our campsite and head southwards over the ice field for about 4 hours, before heading to the mountain range and ascending a rocky section to the Ferrari Lake, located below the Paso del Viento – our “exit” back to the eastern side of the Andes. From our campsite you will have a great panoramic view over the ice field, and with a bit of luck, a great view over the mountains on the Chilean side.
Descend: 300 m / Ascent: 80 m / Highest Altitude: 1180 m / Activity duration: 6-7 h
Today you will be trekking to the famous mountain pass called “El Paso del Viento” (Pass of the Wind) at 1400 m. El Paso del Viento lives up to its name and is known for its exposure to high speed winds so this should be a fun day! It is also one of the best viewpoints over the ice field. Once on the pass, we will take some time to enjoy this awesome place and soak up the panoramic view of the ice Field and for the last time and marvel at the natural ice formations and the amazing granite spires which are famous around the world!On the other side of the pass we will head down the valley passing a small glacier just below the Cerro Grande peak on our way to our camp by the Toro Lake’s shores. Just before the campsite, there is a zip line crossing over the Rio Toro, an amazing experience!
Ascent: 220 m / Descend: 750 m / Highest Altitude: 1400 m / Activity duration: 6-7 h
We will continue to descend following the Tunel River before making a final ascent to the Pliegue Tumbado pass, over which we will follow the trails back to El Chalten. Here we will notice the change of vegetation as we encounter the lush green plains and flowers, this trip really is a tail of two worlds. Once back in Chalten, we will enjoy the comfort of a nice hostel and a good meal!
Ascent: 350 m / Descend: 600 m / Highest Altitude: 1000 m / Activity duration: 5-6 h
Because you can never be too careful! If all is good we will make our way back to El Calafate and spend the night in the hotel.
In the morning you will bid a final farewell to your guides and fellow explorers and of course the amazing country of Patagonia. We will transfer you back to the airport so you can travel home and start planning the next adventure!
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