Full-day Glacier Trek in the Heart of Patagonia

Glacier trekking in Patagonia is not something anyone gets to do every day (or even within their lifetime) so take advantage of my day-long, excursion atop these beautiful sheets of ice! On the trek to the Cagliero Glacier lie electric blue rivers and lagoons, gigantic rocks and mountainous frost, all of which we will wake up bright and early to go see.

The Cagliero Glacier is located in the lush province of Santa Cruz, a stunning region of Argentina housing Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and resting beside the Chilean border. Given that the region is so large, there are plenty of adventures that lie within, a lot of which will be found doing many different types of hiking while on this trek. Whether we are hiking past the Laguna del Diablo or getting suited up to rock climb one kilometer up the Via Ferrata, you will experience how much adventure there is to be had in this part of Patagonia.

More still, on this expedition we not only get to climb up mountains in order to see the viewpoint overlooking the Cagliero Glacier, but we are also able to take in the view knowing that we will soon be putting our crampons on in order to go trek over it. We then spend approximately two hours ice-hiking over the Cagliero Glacier, which is a type of hiking distinctly different from many others.

This full-day trek will start between 8:45 and 9:00 A.M. at the visitor center at Estancia Los Huemules and will finish at about 5:30 P.M. in the same location. We do, however, provide an optional shuttle service leaving from our centrally-located, El Chaltén office at 8:00 A.M. in order to get to the Estancia, so should you choose that option, the day will begin a bit earlier. Regardless, once we have all arrived at Estancia Los Huemules in the morning, we will begin our trek at 9:00 A.M., which will consist of an accumulated four to five hours of hiking through the mountains, and then an additional two hours on the glacier. And because we will be hiking on many different terrains, it is suggested that you bring a hearty lunch and a bottle of water with you for the day. With that being said, this hike is physically challenging, so if you feel that you would rather break up the excursion into two days for a more relaxing adventure, this can also be arranged.

So, if you have always wanted to sink your feet into glacial ice and hike over a variety of different terrains that Patagonian nature has to offer, this is the trip for you!