Activities

Walking Tours Patagonia – Los Glaciares National Park

by 8th April 2019Categories: Activities

Here we continue our list of some of the trekking routes we recommend to do in the handsome Patagonia, in the south of Chile and Argentina. The two walks in this blog are in the region of El Chaltén and El Calafate, Argentina.

National Park Los Glaciares

Has an area of  726.927 hectares that protect the patagonian ice fields, glaciers and alpine vegetation.

Glacier Perito Moreno

The biggest attraction of the park is Glacier Perito Moreno, located some 78km (48 miles) from El Calafate on the edges of Lake Argentina. the images of this majestic glacier are abundant in the internet but one feels differently when facing this immense glacier in person.

It is possible to take a bus to the Glacier from the township of El Calafate, which also has an airport. It is also possible to take a tour trekking on the glacier, using crampons, that they call Minitrekking. You can tak a short tour of 1.5 hours or a longer one lasting all day, arriving by boat.

The Glacier Perito Moreno forms part of the southern patagonian ice field which extends some 13,000km2 (8,000 mi) over the Andes mountains. This ice field together with the northern patagonian ice field are reducing in general and more rapidly in recent times.  Half of the ice field has moved some 100m (300 feet) per year.

El Chaltén

This has been named by some as the Mecca of trekking and mountaineering in Argentina and Patagonia. From the town of El Chaltén, it is possible to take the most well known walk, Laguna de Los Tres. This walk takes you through some spectacular scenery, glacial lakes and to the base of the massif Fitz Roy. The elevation of the trail is 701m (2.300 feet) and the distance is   25km (15.5 mi) or some 9 hours walk. It´s also possible to camp overnight along the route.

Tips

  • Be prepared for rain and cold, the temperatures can drop to below zero and it can rain for weeks.
  • Visit during spring to autumn
  • Take clothes adequate for the mountains
  • Be careful with cooking and the risk of forest fires. Use a camp cooker, not an open fireplace.
  • Notify the authorities of the details of your route and notify them on your return.

Photo courtesy of Patagon Journal

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