General info

A very demanding, unforgettable expedition on the Patagonian Icefield, third glacier area in the World after Antarctica and Greenland. We enter the Icefield through Paso Marconi and walk southbound towards the legendary Cerro Torre west face, the “Circo de los Altares”. We exit the Icefield through Paso del Viento and get back into Chaltén along the river Tunel valley.
We see during this trek the Vulcano Lautaro (the “hidden volcano”, according to the british explorer Eric Shipton), the Mariano Moreno range and many more mountains.
The trek includes 4 nights camping expedition style on the ice. You do not need to have previous experience in the use of snowshoes or crampons.
It is necessary, however, a very good physical condition to be able to enjoy the adventure and get the most of your trek.

Itinerary

Services

Included

• Mountain guide (Spanish – English).
• 12 nights lodging as in the itinerary.
• Tents.
• Camping and cooking equipment.
• Crampons, snowshoes, harnesses to complete your personal equipment.
• Perito Moreno glacier excursion.
• All transfers El Calafate airport – El Calafate – El Chaltén – El Calafate airport.
• We combine private and regular buses for our transfers.
• 12 breakfasts, 9 box lunch and 11 dinners as detailed below.

Lodging

The EHC – Continental Ice field Expedition is offered in the following type of accommodation.

Nights	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12
Hostel room with private bathroom	x	x
Hostel room with shared bathroom			x									x
Expedition Camp				x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x

We pitch up the Expedition Camp upon arrival to our camping site. Includes tents and all the necessary equipment to cook and serve meals but no dinning nor kitchen tent is provided. Meals are served outside or in your tents, according to weather conditions.

In this type of camps you bring and use your own sleeping bag and mattress, which you carry as part of your personal equipment.

When we take a bed in hostel rooms with shared bathrooms, you share the room with other guests of the Hostel.

Meals

The following meals are provided in this program.

Days	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13
Breakfast		x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Box Lunch				x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Dinner		x		x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x

Not included:

• The expeditions tours don’t include sleeping bag or Sleeping mattress
• National Parks fees
• Medical and life insurance
• Drinks
• Tips
• Air tickets and airport taxes
• Services not detailed in the program

Porters service

The travel agency will carry all the general equipment for the Expedition, (tents, food, gas, ropes, sleds, snow shovels, first aid kit).

In our Expeditions the passenger carries its own personal equipment (backpack, spare cloth, sleeping bag and mattress, personal items) and also carries the personal technical equipment provided by Camino Abierto as crampons, snowshoes, harnesses and the box lunch for that day. This is necessary not only to spread the weight but also to have it handy when you need it.

The luggage that you do not take with you in the trek stays at El Chaltén in our office.

When this Expedition is hired as a private group under your own brand name, out of our regular departures, we offer you the possibility of hiring porters to carry up to a maximum of 8 kg per pax.

Notes

The travel agency holds the right of changing 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 safety.

Spare days are included in case that bad weather conditions prevent us from accomplishing our itinerary in the key days of the traverse.

¿Is this Tour for me?

To take the best out of this tour you should be in good physical condition. We grade this trek as very demanding. It is not necessary to have former experience in the use of crampons or snowshoes, but is advisable that you have at least once walked on snow or ice. The group walks an average of 6 to 7 hs a day, some days may be more, at a moderate and steady pace with the necessary stops. The trek includes some long and steady climbs, up to 800 mts in key days, some of them steep enough to be demanding. Outdoors and camping experience in the wilderness is also advisable.

Equipment Required

List of suggested personal equipment:

• Backpack of 80 to 90 lts
• Mountain plastic double boots
• Sleeping bag, down or synthetic, for -20ºC
• Sleeping mattress
• Thermal underwear
• Cotton t-shirt
• Trekking pants
• Fleece
• Goretex parkaGoretex overpants.
• Gaiters
• Gloves
• An extra pair of thin thermal gloves
• Thermal socks, a couple of pairs, thin and thick
• Trekking poles
• Balaclava
• Sun glasses with UV protection
• Sun screen (UV radiation is very strong)
• Flask or plastic water bottle
• Tape
• Hygiene items
• Lamp
• Personal medication

Departure Dates

• ComienzaTermina
• ComienzaTermina

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