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been provided by Kordian Waronski, James & Tatiane Hodson and
Embratur
South
American Adventure - Argentina
VFR
Fitz Roy Wild Trails 12
days – 11 nights (Intense trek)
Departures:
Saturdays, each 14
days
Season:
October to April
Starts
at: El
Calafate Airport
Ends
at: El
Calafate Airport
Group
Departures
Minimum
Group Size:
3 passengers
The VFR
– Fitz Roy Wild Trails is
a very popular program for
those active passengers who
enjoy intense trek, but are
not interesting in climbing
or risky activities and do
not need technical skills.
We trek across the northern
part of the Los Glaciares
National park, around the
Fitz Roy area near El
Chalten, and as an
impressive plus, we trek one
day over the Torre Glacier.
We use campsites to stay
inside the Los Glaciares
National Park, where we
transport all the necessary
equipment and personal
passengers’ luggage.
You should be in good
physical condition to trek
seven daily hours on average
at gentle pace and enjoy
campsites.
Day
1 El Calafate Airport – El Calafate We receive you at El
Calafate Airport, and transfer to El
Calafate town, where at 7 pm the group will
have a meeting at Hostel del Glaciar Pionero
salon. You will meet our Guide, converse
about the details of our trip and enjoy our
first dinner together. Lodge at Hostel Room with private
bathroom
Meals Included: dinner
Day
2 El Calafate - El Chalten
After breakfast we will transfer to El
Chalten, a little and colorful town next to
Mount Fitz Roy. We cross 190 km of gravel
road through the patagonia steppe and we
stop at La Leona, a picturesque inn to enjoy
his homemade cakes. The views on the Viedma
Lake are superb. El Chalten is located on
the edge of Los Glaciares National Park in
the surroundings of the Fitz Roy Mount. Lodge at Hostel Room with shared
bathroom
Meals Included: breakfast
Day
3 Piedra del Fraile
Today we start our trek in the Los Glaciares
National Park. A short transfer takes us to
the Rio Electrico, where we start our trek
through forest to Piedra del Fraile. Leaving
our packs here we continue trekking the Rio
Electrico Valley for 2 hours and then
ascending 1 hour to see the Fitz Roy Mount
(3441 metres/11.289 ft) north face and a
view of the impressive Marconi Glacier. From
there we return to Piedra del Fraile Full
Camp. Lodging in Full Camp at Piedra del
Fraile double base (rural area)
Meals Included: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner
Day
4 Rio Blanco, De los Tres Lagoon
Today we follow the Rio Blanco valley to the
lake of Piedras Blancas where we have an
impressive view of the hanging Piedras
Blancas Glacier. In the afternoon, having
left our packs at camp, we ascend the
frontal moraine to De Los Tres Lagoon for a
stunning view of Fitz Roy Mount. Lodging in Full Camp at Capri Lagoon
double base (rural area)
Meals Included: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner
Day
5 Madre e Hija Lagoon, Torre Mount
This morning we start trekking along the
shore of Laguna Madre and Lagoon Hija until
reach Bridwell base camp at Torre Mount area.
Torre Mount (3128 metres/10.262 ft) with its
needle shaped peak is a major challenge for
best climbers. We trek along the northern
side of Laguna Torre, feeded by the Fitzroy
river. From here we get astonishing views of
Torre Mount. Lodging in Full Camp at Bridwell
double base (rural area)
Meals Included: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner
Day
6 Glacier Trek on the Torre Glacier
Today, weather permitting, we perform an
impressive, exceptional activity. You will
walk and climb on the legendary Torre Mount
Glacier, with its granite walls just behind
you. All necessary equipment (rope, harness,
crampons, ice-axe) and expert guidance are
provided. In order to access the glacier we
have to make a Tyrolean crossing of the
river. This is done by clipping a little
seat onto a fixed rope over the river and
pulling yourself, or being pulled, across. Lodging in Full Camp at Bridwell
double base (rural area)
Meals Included: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner
Day
7 Pliegue Tumbado, Toro Lagoon
Today we cross the Fitz Roy river using once
again the Tyrolean traverse. We trek through
the forest, then we climb 700 meters (2300
ft) to the ridge which connects the summits
of the Pliegue Tumbado. The landscape of the
Fitzroy group and the Rio Tunel Valley is
breathtaking. Lodging in Full Camp at Laguna Toro
double base (rural area)
Meals Included: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner
Day
8 Paso del Viento
Today we trek toward the Paso del Viento (Pass
of the Wind, 1550 meters/5085 ft) with the
fabulous Continental Ice Field view and the
Mariano Moreno ridge inside it. We depart
from the Toro Lagoon, and getting views of
the Tunel Glacier and the river with the
same name. It’s a demanding, but hugely
rewarding trekking day. We trek 6-7 hours
approx until return to the forest where we
camp. Lodging in Full Camp at Laguna Toro
double base (rural area)
Meals Included: breakfast, lunch box and
dinner
Day
9 Tunel River, El Chalten
We return trekking down to El Chalten,
hiking on the Tunel River east shore. We
descend through forest, enjoying the
panorama. We arrive to El Chalten at evening. Lodge at Hostel Room with shared
bathroom
Meals Included: breakfast and lunch box
Day
10 El Chalten – El Calafate
We stay freely this day at El Chalten,
resting and enjoying the small town, until
travel by bus from El Calafate around 5 pm.
It’s a 4 hour bus transfer and we arrive
to have our dinner and to lodge at our
hostel. Lodge at Hostel Room with private
bathroom
Meals Included: breakfast
Day
11 El Calafate – Perito Moreno
Glacier
After breakfast we depart by bus to the
Magallanes peninsula, where is located the
entrance of The Glaciers National Park. Its
centerpiece is the Perito Moreno Glacier,
which, because of unusually favorable local
conditions, is one of the world’s few
advancing glaciers. Huge icebergs from the
glacier wall collapse into the De los
Tempanos Channel. The roar of the gigantic
ice rocks falling and crashing into the
waters of the channel is a unique experience.
Our bus will lead us just in front of the
Glacier, allowing us to walk the gangplanks
to view the Glacier from different
viewpoints.
Then we go down to the lakeside to board a
ship that carries us very near the Glacier
ice walls. We return to El Calafate using a
different route that we used to arrive. Lodge at Hostel Room with private
bathroom
Meals Included: breakfast
Day
12 El Calafate - El Calafate Airport
After breakfast we transfer to El Calafate
Airport where we end our services.
Meals Included: breakfast
Bilingual Spanish-English guides during all
the program’s activities.
Mountain Guides during the trekking
activities.
Transfer El Calafate Airport – El Chalten
–El Calafate – El Calafate Airport.
Perito Moreno Glacier Excursion including
Navigation.
11 breakfasts, 7 lunch boxes and 7 dinners,
as detailed in the chart below.
The VFR – Fitz Roy
Wild Trails is offered in the
following chart accommodation scheme
DAYS
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
Hostel Room with private bathroom
Hostel Room with shared bathroom
Full Camp
In El Calafate we lodge using
hostel rooms, between double and quadruple
base, sharing the room with same sex
passengers, all of them belonging to our
groups.
At El Chalten we use similar hostels but
with shared bathrooms.
When camping we sleep in double base big
tents.
When camping there aren’t showers. We warm
and use the lagoon and river water to clean
ourselves. We use a bathroom tent.
Full Camp is a camp previously mounted with
wide igloo type tents we use in double or
single base. Inside it each passenger has
high mountain sleeping bags, individual
sheets and insulating mattresses. The Full
Camp counts with dining room tents, table,
benches and complete kitchen with a cook in
charge.
Cartage Service.
Carrying equipment and luggage.
We provide the Cartage Service carrying the
passengers personal luggage and sleeping
bags. The passengers carry a daily light
pack (raincoat, box lunch, water,
sunglasses, camera). We carry 15 kg of
luggage for each passenger, in the same way
as the equipment is transported.
Meals
Meals included in the program are detailed
in the following chart.
DAYS
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
Breakfast
Lunch Box
Dinner
Is this tour for me?
To get the most out of this tour you should
be in good physical condition.
We have classified this trek as intense.
Previous technical skills on trekking are
not necessary, because this program is not
technically difficult. We trek approximately
six to nine hours on same days, at gentle
pace, with intermediate stops. The treks
involve several ascents and descents (some
long and steep). Previous experience of
walking and camping in remote areas would be
beneficial, because we use extensively camp
sites.
Altitude
We do not go above 1500 meters/4920 ft. In
fact it’s one of the strong points of this
trip, you can trek wonderful mountains
trails without have to reach high altitude.
Nevertheless, the strong winds which
periodically affect Patagonia during the
summer months can make walking much more
strenuous.
More Explanations
Camino Abierto retains the right to change
the itinerary or to suspend some of the
activities when some climatic cause or other
cause of any other nature justifies it in
favor of the security of each member of the
group.
Meeting Point The Meeting Point for the Group on
Day 1 is at 7 pm at the Hostal del Lago
Libertador, Del Libertador 587, El Calafate.
This Meeting Point can be modified and will
be confirmed when confirming the booking for
the passenger.
Services
Not Included
Entrance ticket to Los Glaciares National
Park
Medical and Life Insurance
Tips
Air flight tickets and Airport fees and
taxes
Services not detailed in the program