South Patagonia
FITZ ROY WILD TREKS
12 days/11 nights
This trek takes you through the northern area of Los Glaciares Nacional Park, visiting Fitz Roy massif, Cerro Torre group and the gate of the Patagonian Ice Field. The trip includes a spectacular glacier walk on the Cerro Torre glacier.
During the trek, we lodge in our Full Camps located inside the National Park. As part of our service, we carry all the necessary equipment and also part of the passenger's luggage, so you can enjoy the trek without concerning yourself with the logistics.
You will walk an average of 6 to 7 hrs a day, at a moderate pace with all the necessary stops.
• Glaciares National Park
• Fitz Roy massif
• Cerro Torre
• Patagonian Ice Field
• Glacier walk
• Trekking & hiking
Travel Styles
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Intense Trekking
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Season:
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October through April
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Minimum number of people
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3 |
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Trip starts at:
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El Calafate
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Trip ends at:
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El Calafate
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DAY / ITINERARY
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01 |
El Calafate airport – El Calafate
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02 |
El Calafate - El Chaltén
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04 |
Río Blanco, Laguna De los Tres
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05 |
Lagoons Madre & Hija, Cerro Torre
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06 |
Glaciar walk on Cerro Torre glacier
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07 |
Pliegue Tumbado, Laguna Toro
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10 |
El Chaltén – El Calafate
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11 |
El Calafate – Perito Moreno Glacier
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12 |
El Calafate - El Calafate airport
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LODGING |
5 nights Hostel room
6 nights in Full Camp |
Price per person:
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FITZ ROY WILD TREK |
Hostel+Camp |
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Hostel |
USD 1,999.00 |
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High Season (Nov 1st to January 31st) |
USD 2,099.00 |
Day 1
El Calafate airport – El Calafate
We welcome you at Calafate airport and transfer to town for a check-in at your hostel. You get the rest of the day to enjoy the town and later you have your welcome dinner.
Lodging in a Hostel double or triple room with private bathroom
Meals we provide: Dinner.
Day 2
El Calafate - El Chaltén
After breakfast, we take our bus to El Chaltén. It takes about 220 km by a van to get to this picturesque village at the foot of Fitz Roy Massif. Stop over on the road for coffee and home made cakes. As we approach El Chalten , we get spectacular views of Viedma Lake and glacier, and Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre groups.
Lodging in a Hostel room with shared bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast
Day 3
Piedra del Fraile
Today we start our trek in the National Park. We go on a short drive to the Electrico River Bridge and begin the hike inside a beautiful southern beech forest to get to Piedra del Fraile . From Piedra del Fraile, we hike on to the viewpoints of Fitz Roy's north face and Pollone Glacier and the viewpoints of Marconi Glacier , entrance to the Patagonian Ice field . We hike back to our Full Camp in Piedra del Fraile.
Lodging in Full Camp at Piedra del Fraile in double tent (rural area)
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch and dinner.
Day 4
Río Blanco, Laguna De los Tres
Today we retrace our steps to the Rio Blanco Valley, which we hike upriver to visit the Piedras Blancas glacier and lagoon. Further on, we get to Rio Blanco (Fitz Roy base camp for climbers in the east walls of the group) and then hike up to Laguna de los Tres , the viewpoint of Fitz Roy and probably one of the most spectacular locations in the National Park. We hike down to Rio Blanco and to Laguna Capri.
Lodging in Full Camp at Laguna Capri in double tent (rural area)
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch and dinner.
Day 5
Cerro Torre
Today we make it around Laguna Capri to get to the Lagoons Madre and Hija Valley and down to Fitz Roy river valley, where we meet Cerro Torre trail and continue to Cerro Torre Full Camp . The trail runs along beech forest, bogs and shrub land. From the camp, a short hike takes us to Laguna Torre, enclosed by moraines and with the Glacier Grande carving on its west side. It is usual to see icebergs pushed by the wind on the coast of the lagoon. The thin and elegant spire ( 3128 m above sea level) of Cerro Torre group and the Adela range in the background complete this spectacular view. Walking time 3 to 4 hrs.
Lodging at Cerro Torre Full Camp in double tent (rural area)
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner.
Day 6
Cerro Torre glacier trek
This day is a highlight of the trip . We provide crampons , harnesses, and we set out to hike on the Cerro Torre glacier. We cross Fitz Roy River through a Tyrolean (horizontal fixed rope attached to both sides of the river). We walk on the moraine around the lagoon and then down to the glacier exploring crevices, ice caves and holes and all the interesting places that a glacier can offer. The bonus is the close up views of Cerro Torre group spires. We hike back to our camp in the afternoon.
Lodging at Cerro Torre Full Camp in double tent (rural area)
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner.
Day 7
Pliegue Tumbado, Laguna Toro
We again cross the Tyrolean but now to hike up to Paso de las Agachonas , a 1300 m above sea level pass on top of Pliegue Tumbado , which divides the Cerro Torre valley from the River Tunel valley. Full views on Fitz Roy , Cerro Torre and the glacier valley in between the two mountains. From the pass we hike down to Laguna Toro.
Lodging at Laguna Toro Full Camp in double tent (rural area)
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner.
Day 8
Paso del Viento
A full day hike from Laguna Toro to Paso del Viento ( 1500 m above sea level) and back. We will cross moraines, glacier and alpine meadows, to get to a spectacular view of the Patagonian Ice field, including the Mariano Moreno Range and many other mountains rarely seen by men. This hike is physically demanding. Carrying a day pack, it is a 9 hour round trip from Laguna Toro, with elevation gain of 800 m from our camp to the Pass.
Lodging at Laguna Toro Full Camp in double tent (rural area)
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner.
Day 9
Río Túnel, El Chaltén
We follow a trail along the River Tunel valley and up Pliegue Tumbado . On the ridge, we get again splendid views of most of the mountains and lakes of the area. Gentle downhill descent to El Chaltén.
Lodging in a Hostel room with shared bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast and box lunch.
Day 10
El Chaltén – El Calafate
Morning on your own in El Chaltén . Relax after the trek and explore the town. By 5 pm we take our bus back to El Calafate.
Lodging in a Hostel double or triple room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast
Day 11
El Calafate – Perito Moreno Glacier
We dedicate this day to one of the World's Natural Wonders: The Moreno Glacier . This ice field- type glacier flows down from the Patagonian Ice Field , which with its 22.000 square kilometers is the third largest glacier area in the world, after Antarctica ( 14 M sq km) and Greenland ( 1 M sq km). Because unusual favorable local conditions, this glacier is the only one in the world that shows a closure and rupture process. The road leads to the very front of the glacier, which will be only meters away from your eyes. A beautiful short trail will lead us from the shores of the lake to the upper viewpoints. The roar of the chunks of ice falling inside the glacier or from the glacier into the lake, the frequent collapse of the front seracs into the turquoise water , makes this day a very special and unique experience . We will drive 80 km (1 and a half hour) to get to and come back from the glacier across the steppe, watching a wide variety of birds.
Lodging in a Hostel double or triple room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast.
Day 12
El Calafate –El Calafate airport
Alter breakfast we transfer to El Calafate airport where our services end.
Meals we provide: Breakfast
Included
• Bilingual tour leader (Spanish – English)
• Mountain guide
• 3 nights lodging in a hostel room with private bathroom
• 2 nights lodging in a hostel room with shared bathroom
• 6 nights lodging in Full Camp
• Transportation El Calafate airport – El Chaltén – El Calafate – El Calafate airport.
• During the trip we combine private and regular buses.
• Perito Moreno glacier excursion.
• 11 breakfasts, 7 lunch box and 7 dinners as shown below
Not included
• Medical, life or travel insurance**
• The Intense Trekking tours don't include sleeping bag or Sleeping mattress
• National Parks fees
• Life and medical insurance
• Drinks
• Tips
• Air tickets and airport taxes
• Optional excursions
• Services not shown or detailed in the program
Accommodations
Full Camps are pitched up early in the season, so we find the camp ready upon arrival. It offers comfortable 3 people igloo type tents for each 2 passengers. The camp also features a spacious dining tent or dining saloon, a kitchen tent, tables, benches or chairs and a full set of table service and kitchenware.
Full Camps inside Los Glaciares National Park are in the wilderness, so toilettes and showers are not available. We provide hot water for personal cleaning and bathrooms are latrine type.
When we take a bed in hostel rooms with shared bathrooms, you share the room with other guests of the Hostel.
The Fitz Roy Wild Trails is offered with the following type of accommodations:
NIGHTS |
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11 |
Hostel room with private bathroom
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x |
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Hostel room with shared bathroom
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Full Camp double base (rural area)
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x |
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Meals
The following meals are provided in this program.
DAYS |
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02 |
03 |
04 |
05 |
06 |
07 |
08 |
09 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
Breakfast |
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x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
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Box Lunch |
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x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
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Dinner |
x |
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x |
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Cartage service
Our company will provide the transportation of all the general equipment for the trek (tents, dinning tent or dinning place, and kitchen tents, tables and benches, table service and kitchenware, food, first aid kits).
Additionally, the company will carry the passengers' luggage up to a maximum of 8 kg (18 lbs), including your own sleeping bag and mattress.
Notes
• We hold the right to change the itinerary or to cancel any of the activities when any natural cause (or any other cause of any type) justifies it in order to look after the group's safety.
• We qualify this tour as "Intense". This means that you need to be fit to enjoy it. No previous technical knowledge is required. The group will walk an average of 6 to 7 hours a day, may be 9 in some specific days, at a moderate pace and with all the necessary stops for water, snacks or rest. The trek includes up hills and down hills, some of them quite steady.
• We qualify this tour as "Intense". This means that you need to be fit to enjoy it. No previous technical knowledge is required. The group will walk an average of 6 to 7 hours a day, may be 9 in some specific days, at a moderate pace and with all the necessary stops for water, snacks or rest. The trek includes up hills and down hills, some of them quite steady.
*IMPORTANT
**We strongly recommend that you buy travel insurance. Please contact us for more information or click on our travel insurance link**
These tours have more demanding activities and the accommodations and we spend more nights camping in order to explore more distant areas of the country.
Some nights are spent in Hostels or Hosterias, simple lodgings, while others are spent in our Full camps or in Mountain refugees.
The trekking activities are led by mountain guides or local inhabitants of the area (according to the destination).
In some of the group departures there are incoming services and guides during the activities; and in some other group departures there is a tour leader dedicated full time to the group.
The level of difficulty is intermediate. Passengers need to be in adequate physical condition. It is not required prior technical experience.
We carry all the necessary equipment for the trek and your personal luggage up to a maximum of 8 kg per passenger. This is due to National Park regulations. In some very specific sections of the trek we ask passengers to carry their own sleeping bag and personal items that you will use during 2 days and 1 night.
We walk an average of 6 or 7 hours a day, 9 hours in specific days, at a moderate pace and with all the necessary stops for rest, snacks or photos. The trek includes some steady up hills and down hills that can be steeper by sections.
Previous experience walking outdoors and camping is advisable as we use a lot our Full Camps.
List of suggested personal equipment
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- Backpack, 50 liters or so
- Sleeping bag down or synthetic for -10º C
- Sleeping mattress
- Trekking shoes or boots
- Thermal underwear
- Trekking pants
- Fleece
- Breathable parka and over pants
- Gaiters
- Gloves
- Thermal socks
- The necessary spare cloth
- Wool hat
- Sun hat
- Sun glasses
- Sun screen (UV is very strong during the southern spring, from September thru December)
- Personal items
- Lamp
- Trekking poles (recommended, if you are use to them)
- Personal medication
Prices are per person based in a double
room accommodation and are subject to change without any
notice.
Eureka Travel strongly recommends travel insurance for your
trips. Check the prices and book it in our webpage.
Please be advise that hotel category rating in Argentina &
South America frequently does not correspond to the star
rating in the US especially when it comes to 3* & 4* hotels.
Eureka Travel is not responsible for such discrepancy.
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