Guided splitboarding day tour in Cerro Vespignani

Explore the stunning 2,146m high Cerro Vespignani, in the beautiful Argentine Patagonia, in a splitboarding day tour along with IFMGA-certified mountain guide Merlin. This program is for experienced riders.

Andes

1 Day

Jul - Oct

High

Intermediate

Description

The Cerro Vespignani is one of the most visited peaks around the small mountain village of El Chalten (400m), in the province of Santa Cruz, in Argentina’s southern Patagonia region. Standing at 2,146 meters, it features great backcountry terrain and amazing snow, perfect for skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts! Moreover, it offers breathtaking views to the Fitz Roy (3,405m), one of the most iconic peaks in the Andes Range (6,961m), and to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field (12,363 km2), the world’s second largest contiguous non-polar ice field.

Our tour will depart early in the morning from El Chalten, located within the Los Glaciares National Park (7,269.27km2), the largest natural reserve in the country. We will drive 38 kilometers to the Lago Del Desierto (600m). From the parking lot, we will trek for an hour to the base of the Huemul Glacier, and then climb over 6 to 7 hours to the summit. After a short rest at the top, we will ride down Cerro Vespignani’s spectacular slopes over 2 hours, returning to the parking lot, and arriving back at El Chalten by the afternoon.

From the parking lot in Lago del Desierto, the route involves a 1,500-meter ascent. While this is not a technical climb, it features a few challenging sections. I will take a maximum of 4 people on this tour. To be able to join, they should be in good shape and have prior splitboarding experience. They also need to bring their own personal equipment, including regular and splitboard crampons.

Don’t miss this memorable splitboarding outing in the heart of the Argentine Patagonia. Book your trip now!

For your reference, I also offer a ski touring version of this program. If you are looking for other similar activities around El Chalten, check out the splitboarding day in Glaciar de Los Tres and the tailored splitboarding 1+day tours to other iconic peaks in the area.

Price includes

Guiding fee
Transportation start and back

Price details

Please note that the group equipment includes: crampons, harness, rope, VHF radio or satellite phone, and firstaid kit.

Details

More info

You need to bring the following personal equipment:

• Splitboarding gear (splitboard, boots, bindings, crampons, skins, and poles) • Safety equipment (shovel, beacon, and probe) • Trekking shoes and gaiters • Waterproof pants and jacket (Gore-Tex) • Hooded puffer jacket • Merino wool or synthetic base layers • 2 fleece (100-200 weight) • 2 pairs of gloves • Warm hat and buff • 30-40-litres backpack • 1-litre water bottle and small thermo flask • Lunch box • Headlamp • Sunglasses and goggles • Sunscreen and lip balm

Meeting point

El Chalten village, province of Santa Cruz, Argentina

About the guide

Merlín

5.0

(88)

Mountain Guide

Certified UIAGM-IFMGA Mountain Guide from Argentina.

I live in El Chaltén since 1998. I'm originally from Bariloche and I started with mountain activities when I was 15 years old. I've done climbing and ascents in many mountains of Patagonia, Perú, Bolivia, United States and Europe; such as Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre, Alpamayo, El Capitán, Mont Blanc and Aconcagua among others. I'm also a Ski Instructor and I am passionate for backcountry ski.

I speak fluent English, Italian and French and have been leading trips and expeditions for more than 20 years. I work together with a group of guides, so if I'm not available for the trip you request, one of my colleagues will guide you!

Certificates

AAGM | UIAGM

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What people are saying about Merlín

After a few headaches in the beginning (the national park had been closed, but has recently been opened again), we had a great experience and a wonderful tour with Merlin and Mountaineering Patagonia! Merlin offered us great flexibility and patience and a week later the perfect weather arrived for our mountain adventure.

We had an amazing ski trip in Patagonia! Merlin and Martin are exceptional ski guides and we got to ski a lot more terrain than if we had gone on our own. They did a great job adapting our trip plan to the ever changing Patagonia weather. Would highly recommend to anyone considering an adventurous ski trip in Patagonia

Looking for a new backcountry ski adventure to a wild and remote place? Want the comfort of a sailboat to return to every day? Ski first descents? Experience the beauty of massive glaciers, fjords and mountains as far as the eye can see? Check, check, check and check. This was my second trip with Merlin and Patagonia Mountaineering and won't be my last. This trip delivered everything that an expedition can deliver while all the time under the careful guidance of Merlin and Sebastian.

Great experience with Mountaineering Patagonia for a ski touring hut trip of Frey and Jakob huts out of Bariloche, Argentina. I booked with guide and operator Merlin and went on the tour with guide Lucas and we joined forces with another small guided group. I would hope to ski out of Chalten and would definitely use Mountaineering Patagonia again.