Offering a mixture of the classic viewpoints along with less-visited highlights, thru a 7-day Argentina multi activity holiday in Patagonia from El Chaltén
Duration
Price
Use crampons to hike on the remote Vespignani Glacier before mountain biking down the Río de las Vueltas valley as you take a day away from the trails to enjoy the Patagonian wilderness via different means.
This is a round-trip Argentina multi activity holiday in Patagonia departing from El Calafate and includes all transportation and a mix of hotels, huts and camping-style accommodation.
Attractions/Highlights of Argentina multi activity holiday in Patagonia:
• Learn how to use crampons as you hike on the Vespignani Glacier
• Pedal along the beautiful Río de las Vueltas
• Hike through diverse landscapes, including dense forests and glacial terrain
• Climb to the Laguna de Los Tres for an incomparable view of Cerro Fitz Roy and Laguna Sucia (Dirty Lake)
• Camp in a typical Patagonian Lenga forest near Laguna Torre and enjoy an unforgettable sunset across the Torre lake and mountains
Level of difficulty (technical): introductory – intermediate
Level of physical exertion: moderate
Total duration: 7 days / 6 nights
Activities: hiking, glacier hiking, mountain biking, camping (Optional: kayaking and rock climbing)
Day to day plan for Argentina multi activity holiday in Patagonia
Day 1: El Calafate - El Chaltén
We begin our adventure from El Calafate (town or airport) and travel through the typical landscape of the Patagonian steppe to El Chaltén. This ~3-hour journey reveals extensive grasslands, but also views of the Argentino and Viedma lakes and the Fitz Roy mountain range. We will make several stops at panoramic viewpoints, and be sure to keep a sharp eye out to see if you can spot any of the wildlife that inhabits this area.
When we arrive in El Chaltén, we will drop you at your hotel. Our guide will pay you a visit once you are settled in and talk about the different activities that are scheduled for the following days. This is a perfect opportunity to ask questions and make any last-minute purchases before the trip.
Included: Private transport from El Calafate to El Chaltén, night in a double room
Optional activity: Afternoon rock climbing (value to be confirmed before the booking)
You don’t have to go far from El Chaltén to find a wide variety of rock faces that are suitable for all levels of rock climbing experience. If it is your first climb, we will teach you the basic maneuvers on rocks that are suitable for beginners. If you are already experienced, we will take you to high-quality rock that will challenge your skills. Whatever your level, we begin with instructions on basic safety procedures, equipment use, and rock progression technique.
Level of difficulty: introductory
Level of physical exertion: low
Total duration: 3-4 hours
Services included in the rock climbing:
• Certified bilingual guide (English/Spanish)
• Rock climbing equipment: harness, helmet, climbing shoes, ropes and safety equipment
• Required permissions
Day 2: Hike Lago del Desierto
We leave El Chaltén by car and enjoy views of huge Lenga trees, small waterfalls, and glaciers as we travel 37 km along the scenic Río de las Vueltas to its source at the Lago del Desierto (Desert Lake).
Once we arrive, we board a catamaran for the 45-minute journey to the northern end of the lake. From there, we can choose to do a short hike to the Sentinel viewpoint, which offers a panoramic view over the entire length of the lake, the Vespigniani mountain range, and the north face of Mount Fitz Roy. Then we hike back to our start point with a 14km low-difficulty walk along a path that borders the Lago del Desierto. We will camp for the night very close to the lake.
Transport from El Chaltén to Lago del Desierto: 1hr 30mins
Hiking Distance: 14km
Duration: 6/7 hours
Level of physical exertion: moderate
Services included: Bilingual Guide (English/Spanish), private transport to start of the excursion, all required entrances and permissions, 1 night of organised camping (all equipment included), breakfast, boxed lunch, dinner, boat ticket
Day 3: Vespignani Ice Trek - Río de las Vueltas mountain bike
Today we combine 2 very different activities - ice hiking on a glacier and a fun mountain bike descent through the valley of the Río de las Vueltas.
We begin by hiking for about 1.5 hours along a low-difficulty trail through the humid forest of Lengas and Ñires. This will deliver us to the base of the Vespignani hill, where we will start to climb. Once we reach the glacier, the Guide will explain how to put on our crampons and the best techniques for glacier hiking, then lead us up onto the ice. We will gain altitude slowly and spend about 2.5 hours exploring the glacier’s different features and formations before returning to camp for lunch.
Once we’ve eaten and rested, our guide will provide safety equipment (helmet, gloves, vest), help adjust our bicycles, and explain the basic concepts of safety while mountain biking. Then, it’s off on our two-wheeled adventure.
During our 18km ride, we will stop to admire (and photograph) the most picturesque locations along our route, including the river, the forest, the waterfalls, and the imposing north face of Cerro Fitz Roy. Our final destination is the comfortable Condor cabin, where we will spend the night.
Hiking Distance: variable depending on glacier conditions
Biking Distance: 18km
Duration: 8/9 hours
Level of physical exertion: moderate to intense
Services included: 1 night in a cabin (double occupancy) with breakfast, boxed lunch and dinner
Day 4: Río Eléctrico - Piedra del Fraile – Glaciar Pollone
After breakfast, we will drive with a private transfer to the bridge over the Río Eléctrico (Electric River).
Our hike is initially quite flat and weaves along a trail through the gorgeous trees as it follows the river through the forest of the Río Eléctrico valley. Once we reach the Piedra del Fraile campsite, we will stop for a brief rest and then continue our hike into a terrain that is vastly different to what we just traversed. We now enter a glacial moraine environment that is far more open. We hike along the bottom of the valley until we reach the Pollone River and can enjoy magnificent views of Cerro Fitz Roy, the Polone spire and the Lago Eléctrico.
We return along the same trail and spend the night in the hut at Piedra del Fraile.
Distance: 18km +300m
Duration: 7/8 hours
Physical Intensity: moderate
Included: accommodation in a shared-dorm room or tent (depending availability), with breakfast, boxed lunch and dinner
Day 5: Laguna de los Tres - Fitz Roy
We leave Piedra del Fraile and start hiking in the direction of the Río Blanco (White River). At the foot of Cerro Eléctrico, we take an intermittent trail that leads along the west bank of the river and passes through a dense forest of Lengas.
This is a very attractive and solitary route where we will learn a little about the flora and fauna that is characteristic of the Patagonian Andean forest and also visit the beautiful Piedras Blancas (White Rocks) viewpoint. Here we will see the Piedras Blancas glacier and its associated glacial features, including the erratic boulders and lateral moraines left behind as the glacier retreated over the last few decades.
We will have many different views of the Fitz Roy mountain chain as we make our way towards our objective for the day - the magnificent Laguna de Los Tres. This unforgettable location has the best view of Cerro Fitz Roy - and one of the most impressive vistas in all of Patagonia. We will have plenty of time to take in this unforgettable view before descending to the Poincenot campsite where we will spend the night.
Distance: 11km +650/-400m
Duration: 7/8 hours
Level of physical exertion: moderate
Included: 1 night of organized camping at Poincenot campground with breakfast, a boxed lunch and dinner
Day 6: Laguna Torre - Cerro Torre - El Chaltén
From our forest campsite, we will enjoy the first light of day breaking over the incredible Ritz Roy mountain range.
After breakfast, we leave Cerro Fitz Roy behind us and head off towards a lovely valley with rolling hills and the Lagunas Madre e Hija (Mother and Daughter lagoons). We will have plenty of time to stop and take photos and, if we are very lucky, we may even spot the small group of Cauquenes that is sometimes found in the area. The trail leads us through forests of Lenga and Ñires and across a large moraine before arriving at our destination - Laguna Torre (Tower Lake).
Here, we will stop and have lunch while taking in the spectacular views of the Torres mountain chain and Glacier Grande (Big Glacier). If the weather conditions allow, we will then hike towards the viewpoint Maestri for the closest view of Glacier Grande. This viewpoint is named after the controversial Italian climber, Cesare Maestri, who designed his strategies for climbing one of the most difficult mountains in the world from this location.
Once we are ready, we will leave the lake and mountain and follow the trail through the Cerro Torre valley back to El Chaltén.
Distance: 17km -400m
Duration: 7/8 hours
Level of physical exertion: moderate
Included: 1 night in double room, breakfast and boxed lunch
Day 7: El Chaltén - El Calafate
The final day of this Argentina multi activity holiday in Patagonia is spent with free time in El Chaltén before heading back to El Calafate (airport or city) on the public bus. It is also possible to arrange a private transfer.
Optional Additional Activity: Full day Kayak the La Leona River or 2 Days Kayak traverse La Leona River
Login
Register
