Our first day of trekking sees us hiking along ~16km of undulating trails towards our first wild camp at Laguna Toro. Along the way, we will pass through forests of ñires and Lenga trees and a wide valley of glacial origin that leads us to our destination. There are spectacular views of the Fitz Roy, Torre and Solo mountains for much of the route.

Our second day is much more 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.

no más dificultoso con nuevos desafíos. Luego de rodear la laguna Toro buscamos cruzar el Río Túnel vadeando o por una tirolesa. Luego comenzaremos un ascenso entre enormes morenas glaciarias, caminamos sobre el glaciar Túnel inferior y volvemos a la morrena lateral siempre ganando altura en un terreno de piedras y vegetación achaparrada en dirección al Paso del Viento. Una vez en el paso, a 1400 msnm, sobrarán las palabras para describir la inigualable vista del Campo de Hielo, el cordón de montañas Mariano Moreno y el Glaciar Viedma. Luego de disfrutar de la vista, tomar nuestras fotos y si el clima lo permite comer algo y descansar; continuamos la travesía descendiendo sin dificultades en dirección al campamento junto a laguna del refugio Paso del Viento.

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 journey. 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.