We leave El Chaltén by car and follow the Río de las Vueltas to our starting point 17 km away. From there, we hike along a beautiful trail through the lenga forest, following the Río Blanco (White River) towards the Poincenot campsite.  Along the way, we will stop to 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 final 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.

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 Torre’s 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 descend a little to our home for the night at the Torres campsite and settle in for the evening. If the sunset looks promising - we will return to the lake to watch.

We will rise early for an intense but incredible day of hiking. Early on, we will get the adrenaline flowing by crossing the raging Río Fitz Roy by zip line. This will, undoubtedly, wake you up if you are still struggling to shrug off sleep! Once safely to the other side, we will follow the trail across another moraine and enter a forest. Note how the trees get smaller as we ascend. Our steep climb to the Paso de las Agachonas is well worth the effort though, as the view across to Cerro Torre and Glacier Grande is spectacular. 

The challenging Patagonian wind will almost certainly find us here to deliver a taste of the strength and chill-factor for which it is famous. However, while we brave the elements, we will be able to see the entirety of the Fitz Roy and Torre mountain ranges, the Paso del Viento (Windy Pass), and, if the weather permits, some of the snow-capped peaks of mountains in the South Patagonian Icefield. This is one of the least visited viewpoints in the park so you will have unique photographs to showcase your adventures with us.

From this point, we will descend towards the Río Túnel valley and Laguna Toro (Bull Lake)

Our fourth day of hiking is one of the most challenging but comes with a stunning reward. 

We begin by hiking around Laguna Toro to a zipline set up over the raging Río Túnel. Once we are all safely across, we begin our ascent to one of the most spectacular viewpoints in this part of Patagonia. Our route takes us between huge glacial moraines, across the Lower Túnel Glacier, and through a landscape of stones and stunted vegetation towards the infamous Paso del Viento. We will likely be walking into the wind for which the pass is named, adding to the challenge of the hike.

However, once we reach the pass at 1400m, all the difficulties will be forgotten as you take in the unparalleled view of the immense South Patagonian Icefield, the Mariano Moreno mountain range on the other side of the ice, and the enormous Viedma Glacier. Here we will spend as much time as weather allows - taking photos, enjoying the view, and (if it is not too windy) resting and having something to eat - before descending to our next camp beside the lagoon near the small Paso del Viento hut.

After breakfast, we break camp and continue our trek by re-gaining altitude. This affords us incredible views of the enormous Viedma Glacier that spills down off the South Patagonia Icefield and drains into Lake Viedma. We will spend much of the day hiking through the mountains following this immense river of ice.

The Huemul Pass is the last significant climb of our 4-day expedition. Once we crest the top, we say goodbye to the icefield and start a very steep descent towards our next campsite at the Bay of Icebergs on the shores of the lake. It is a beautiful and protected spot where (as the name suggests) you can explore the multitude of icebergs that are often stranded along the shoreline here.

After enjoying sunrise and breakfast only meters from the lake (and hopefully several icebergs), we will set off on the last leg of our adventure. Today is pure enjoyment. The trail is straightforward, relatively flat, and passes through a landscape and vegetation that is typical of the Patagonian steppe.  

The zipline over the Lower Túnel River is the last obstacle that stands between us and the comfort of El Chaltén, but our vehicle will be waiting for us on the other side to take us back to town.