Southern Patagonia Trekking Tour

We will greet everyone at the El Calafate airport and start our trip to either the city of El Calafate or the Estancia La Estela (ranch) by the shores of Lake Viedma (depending on flight times). In the afternoon, we will go over all equipment and the route for the upcoming week.

We start the day by traveling to Estancia Helsingfors from either El Calafate or Estancia La Estela. It's important to note that Estancia Helsingfors is situated 180km from El Calafate, with about 70km of the journey being along a dirt road, potentially taking up to 4 hours. This marks the starting point of our trek.

The ranch is positioned at the entrance to the Seno Moyano of Lake Viedma. We will trek along this section of the lake, navigating the natural contours of the terrain amidst low vegetation. The valley we traverse is between the Mascarello and Huemules ranges, offering scenic views of glaciers descending from the South Patagonian Icefield and the Moyano mountain range.

Our camp for the night will be set up near the lake, close to an old abandoned hut.

We continue up the valley through an area of hills and ravines until we arrive at a viewpoint that allows us to see the Valle del Quemado (Burned Valley) below us, the North pass ahead of us, and the spectacular Moyano and Norte mountains with their important hanging glaciers.

We enter into the Valle del Quemado, cross over tree trunks, and then start climbing to reach the upper part of the North pass at ~1,100 meters above sea level. From the pass, we can see the entire mountain range of the Mascarello Strict Nature Reserve (Mascarello Strict Nature Reserve) and the North Canyon, which begins a long descent towards Lago Argentino (Argentine Lake).

From here we will descend about 200m on uneven rocky terrain in the shadow of the imposing walls of the Moyano and Norte mountains, and cross an area of mallines (Patagonian wetlands) and low forest to look for a good campsite.

Starting from our camp adjacent to the woodland, we traverse a substantial glacial moraine into a river valley. Here, we will journey along the valley, maneuvering around numerous Patagonian wetlands and navigating our way through forests without established trails.

If the weather allows, we will set up camp with a vantage point overlooking the remarkable hanging glacier and lagoon of North Mountain.

Alternatively, if the weather is not suitable, we will proceed a bit farther to establish our camp within the forest.

On this day, we will continue our journey through the valley, following paths created by animals and keeping the river to our right, leading us to a remarkable series of waterfalls.

After navigating through forests, Patagonian wetlands, and low vegetation, we will ascend once more and cross a ridge to a series of terraces. From this vantage point, we will observe Lago Argentino and Estancia Cristina in the distance, the Canon of Fossils on the opposite side of the river, and sections of the glaciers that flow from the South Patagonian Icefield.

We'll set camp in the wilderness near the river and the Laguna Anita.

Leaving our campsite near the lagoon, we proceed towards the Catarina river in search of a suitable crossing point for the glacial waters.

Once across the river, we navigate through the extraordinary Canyon of Fossils until we reach a rocky ledge with striking geological formations and vibrant colors. This extraordinary location, near the South Patagonian Icefield and surrounded by expansive glaciers flowing towards Lago Argentino, will be exclusively ours to explore.

Our day concludes upon reaching the restored Upsala hut, nestled behind a rocky promontory and in close proximity to the viewpoint of the Upsala Glacier.

On the final day of our spectacular journey, we will rise early to enjoy the morning light over the Upsala Glacier from the viewpoint.

Once we've had our breakfast and enjoyed the last morning of tranquility, we will start our descent towards Lago Argentino where we will wait for the boat that will take us back to El Calafate by sailing for 3 hours.

Optional: Want to end with a bang? Add nights at Cristina after your hike. Imagine waking up to glacial grandeur, exploring crystal-clear lagoons, and savoring the triumph of completing your journey with breathtaking views.