Expedition to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field

Arrival at the airport in El Calafate, and transfer to El Chaltén.  El Chaltén is the capital for trekking in Argentina, and it’s located 220 km north-west from El Calafate. Reception in El Chaltén, and preparations for the experience to come!   Note: besides the Southern Patagonian Ice Field expedition, El Chaltén hosts all kinds of trails that lead to spectacular views on the Fitz Roy and Torre Mounts – among others.  Therefore, if you have enough time, we suggest you to to extend your visit and take advantage to do some of the complementary activities.

Transfer from El Chaltén to the Río Electrico bridge (around 20 km), where we’ll start our hike.  Today we’ll walk around 4-5 hours until reaching the place where we’ll camp, near the amazing Glacier Marconi.

The first two hours are very pleasant. Then we pass by the refuge Piedra del Fraile, and continue through a rougher (depending on the weather) trail until reaching the place where we’ll camp.

Meals included:  snacks to get energy, hot beverages, lunch, and dinner.

Today is the “key” day*. If the weather allows us, we’ll ascend (probably through Paso Marconi) all the way to the Chilean refuge Sotto Garcia, right in front of the ice cap. You’ll actually walk on top of the ice field to reach it.  This refuge (also known as Gorra Blanca) is next to the Gorra Blanca Mount and offers an incredible view of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.

If the sky is open or not so clouded, we’ll have spectacular views of the Fitz Roy, Pier Giorgio, and Gorra Blanca Mounts. Today is probably the longest and most difficult day of walking hours, which will depend on the weather. Overnight in the refuge.

Meals included:  breakfast, snacks to get energy, hot beverages, lunch, and dinner.

*Note:  we say that today is the key day because is when we cross the Pass. The way that leads us through and across the pass goes through a very unstable area, with lots of changes in the weather. However, we have our spare days as a backup to reduce the chances of not achieving our goal.

Today is a relatively short day. We’ll walk on top of the Southern Patagonian ice field (4-6 hours) until reaching one of the most spectacular scenic points of Los Glaciares National Park: the Circo de Los Altares.

We’ll camp and sleep on the ice.

Meals included:  breakfast, snacks to get energy, hot beverages, lunch, and dinner.

Return to the Refuge Sotto García and overnight there.

Meals included:  breakfast, snacks to get energy, hot beverages, lunch, and dinner.

Today, we expect to descend through Marconi’s Pass (or another route) to our previous camp at the foot of the Glacier Marconi and sleep there.  We expect to have around 6 hours of trek.

Meals included:  breakfast, snacks to get energy, hot beverages, lunch, and dinner.

Return to El Chaltén through the Río Eléctrico Valley (around 6 hours trek), same as in the beginning, combining then with the transfer.  Overnight in El Chaltén.

Meals included:  breakfast, snacks to get energy, hot beverages, lunch.

*** Spare day. In case everything goes well, you can take advantage of this day to do some other excursion or just to relax ***.

Transfer back to El Calafate’s airport.   Optional extensions available on request, such as visiting the Glacier Perito Moreno or adding any other destination within Argentina and Chile.

Notes about this expedition:

• • The weather in this area is very unstable and unpredictable. Therefore, we need to be prepared to be flexible in case we need to change the itinerary/route. We’ll go with an experienced guide, therefore, you can trust that you’re in good hands and we’ll aim to provide you with the best possible experience.  For this purpose, the expedition counts with the spare time, in order to improve our chances of reaching the ice and completing the proposed itinerary.
  • The water in most of the lakes and rivers of the zone is drinkable and there are places where you can refill your bottle. When you’re on the ice, you get water by melting the snow.

• • INCLUDED DURING THE EXPEDITION:
    • High mountain tents
    • Kitchen set
    • Snow racket shoes
    • Crampons
    • Harness
    • Ropes and security equipment
    • Shovel
    • Sled
    • VHF Radio
    • GPS(Global Positioning System)
    • Mountain guide
    • Meals
    • First Aid kit
    • Insurance for accidents
    • Transfers to and from Río Electrico

• WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING (REFERENTIAL):
  • Backpack 75 lts
  • Sleeping bag duvet 800 gr or -15°C.
  • Sleeping mattress (Therma rest is recommended)
  • Headlamp with spare batteries
  • Double plastic boots or similar leather (some boots and gear can be rented in Chalten, ask for advice before coming)
  • Light shoes (such as trainers)
  • Fine fleece pants or synthetic leggings
  • 3 pairs of socks  (2 synthetic thick socks and 1 thin)
  • Cover pants (Gore-tex)
  • Synthetic shirt (thin).
  • Synthetic shirt (thick).
  • Polar or sweater
  • Winsdstopper or thick polar jacket
  • Anorak with hood (Gore-tex)
  • Polainas
  • 3 pairs of gloves ( polar or Windstopper, waterproof, and a spare one)
  • Telescopic trekking poles
  • Warm hat (wool or polar)
  • Buff
  • Sun hat
  • Glasses with UV filters and goggles
  • Sun  protector and lip protector
  • Nalgene bottle (1 liter) and/or a Thermus
  • Personal hygienic set
  • Wide masking tape or duct-tape
  • Personal documents that allow you to cross to Chile