Continental Ice Field Expedition Trek
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A very demanding, unforgettable expedition on the Patagonian Ice field, third glacier area in the World after Antarctica and Greenland. We enter the Ice field through Paso Marconi and walk south towards the legendary Cerro Torre west face, the “Circo de los Altares”. We exit the Ice field through Paso del Viento and get back into Chaltén along the river Tunel valley.This excursion includes nights camping on the glacier; no prior technical experience required with crampons or snowshoes. Previous experience on trekking and camp activities is required.
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Day1 El Chalten
Arrival and meeting with the Expedition guide. He gives us a short speech about the Icefield and details of the program. We provide technical equipment and the guide and assistant will explain how to use it. Finally we prepare our backpack for the next days. Lodging in Hostel Bed, shared room and bathroom Meals included: Welcome Dinner Note: It is ideal if passengers can arrive one day earlier in order to get familiar with the area. Even so they can arrive on day 1 but they must do it in the morning. Day 2 El Chalten – Glaciar Marconi foot Today we start our trek, driving north and then west for 15 km. Once in River Electrico, we hike up the valley, leaving behind, after a couple of hours, the forest which is replaced by rocks eroded and polished by the surpass of the glacier a fey hundred of years ago. We go around lake Eléctrico, getting good views on Fitz Roy north face and we camp at the foot of Marconi glacier. Aprox. time of walking: 6 hours Lodging in Expedition Camps Meals included: breakfast, box lunch and dinner Day 3 Marconi Glacier With the first daylight, we undo our camp and head towards Marconi Glacier along old moraines up to where the glacier ends. There we start ascending until we get near Paso Marconi, entrance to the Continental Ice Field. This will probably be the hardest day of the whole expedition. We have to overcome a level difference of 800 m along moraines and glacier terrain and, because of the funnel characteristics of this valley, the wind can be very intense. Aprox. time of walking: 7/9 hours Lodging in Expedition Camps Meals included: breakfast, box lunch and dinner 
Day 4 Paso Marconi - Circo de los Altares
After an hour on the glacier, we cross Paso Marconi, entering now the magic landscapes of the ice field. After a walk (probably with snow shoes) we will reach our new camp at Circo de los Altares (1.250 osl), on the foot of the west face of Cerro Torre, one of the most amazing places on earth. Aprox. time of walking: 6/7 hours Lodging in Expedition Camps Meals included: breakfast, box lunch and dinner Day 5 Laguna de los Esquíes We continue our way to the south, still for some more hours on the ice field until the area of the Viedma Glacier´s ablation. And then east, looking for big moraines, walking along some lakes until reaching Viedma Refuge (900 osl), an ideal place for resting, with water and vegetation. Aprox. time of walking: 8/9 hours Lodging in Expedition Camps Meals included: breakfast, box lunch and dinner Day 6 Paso del Viento This day we gain height up to Paso del Viento (1500 mosl), our gate out of the ice field and an excellent panoramic point, in order to then start descending to the Rio Tunel valley, where we meet again with vegetation. Possible river crossing or zip-line over Tunel river. Aprox. time of walking: 7/8 hours Lodging in Expedition Camps Meals included: breakfast, box lunch and dinner Day 7 Loma del Pliegue Tumbado – El Chalten Walking through forests and grasslands while having views on Cerro Huemul and Viedma Lake, we cross Loma del Pliegue Tumbado, our last climb. From here, with a magnificent view on Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy, we descend to the Rio de las Vueltas valley and back to El Chalten. Aprox. time of walking: 5 hours Lodging in Hostel Bed, shared room and bathroom Meals included: breakfast, box lunch Day 8 El Chalten End of services Meals included: breakfast Days 9 and 10 These days will be used in case of bad weather not allowing us to move forward. If this is not the case, they will be used on the ice field for rest or alternative activities like walks and photography. |
Included
Not included:
We pitch up the Expedition Camp upon arrival to our camping site. Includes tents and all the necessary equipment to cook and serve meals but no dining or kitchen tent is provided. Meals are served outside or in your tents, according to weather conditions.
Porters service
Passengers collaborate with the group equipment. Each passenger carries between 15 and 20 kg, total. This variation depends on the passenger´s personal equipment (the backpack, clothes, etc), but not on the group equipment given to them to carry. Including group and personal equipment, passengers carry: Sleeping bag, sleeping mattress, clothing, grampons, snowshoes, lunch for the first 3 days, part of their tent (which will be divided among the passengers who sleep together) and a small gas cylinder, plus extra things they consider they may need. Take into account that every extra thing they take is more weight. Guide and porters will carry all the general equipment for the Expedition, including extra food, cooking equipment, and group equipment During the meeting with the guide on the first day, everything will be explained, the equipments will be revised and passengers can ask all necessary questions. The luggage that you do not take with you in the trek stays at El Chaltén in the office. 2017-2018 Rate per person : US$2240. Supplement for travel between Nov. 1, 2017 and Jan. 31, 2017: US$165
2017-2018 Dates: minimum of 3 people needed. 21-30 Oct., 4-13 Nov. 2-11 Dec., 16-25 Dec. (confirmed), 13-22 Jan., 10-19 Feb. 
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