Guides and group sizes
Ratio is 1 guide/assistance per 3 guests. Maximum group size is 9 guests, 1 guide and 2 assistants guide.
Difficulty and prerequisites
Guest must be comfortable using crampons to flat foot and front point on moderate angle ice up to 30 degrees.
These are all physically demanding days and participants must be in good hiking shape.
Guest are required to carry a backpack with their personal gear (clothes, sleeping bag, pad, etc), and a share of group gear (tents, pot, stoves, etc) and food. About 20 to 25 kg. Personal porters could be arranged in advance, if needed.
No mountaineering experience is required, however if you have had some, it helps a lot.
Transportation
Participants are responsible for their own transportation to El Chaltén. Your travel agent should be able to arrange this for you. You can get there by flying to Buenos Aires, and then fly to El Calafate. From there, you can get on a 4-hour bus journey, or you can arrange a private transfer.
Accommodation & Meals
All food during the expedition is included.
Please let us know of any special dietary requirements you have when booking.
We can book your hotel/hostel. One night before and one night after. Just let us know in advance your preferences.
Weather consideration
The fame of the area regarding wind and fast changeable conditions are not a legend. Be ready to experience nature and all its beauties and power.
Itinerary
Day 1
9:00 o’clock departure from El Chaltén. Walk for 2 hours through a beech tree forest. If we are lucky we’ll be able to see a magellanic woodpecker. The trail takes us to lateral and terminal moraines left by Glacier Grande, where Laguna Torre is contained. Here is also where Fitz Roy river gets born. We put our harness on and we use a Tyrolean (ropes with pulley over the river) to cross the river. Now, we walk on top of the lateral moraine to reach Cerro Solo buttress. We hike up 150 meter and find Cerro Solo creek, from there already amazing views over the glacier. We hike down to the glacier’ snout, where our Guide will teach us how to put crampons on and he/she will teach us how to walk properly with them. Hike on the side of the glacier, we pass by a serac barrier. Finally, we walk between two beautiful ranges. On our right the west faces of Fitz Roy Range. On our left Cerro Torre range. We set up camp in Niponino, sandy spot with water close by.
Day 2
Early in the morning, after breakfast, we head up to Noruegos, Cerro Torre base camp before the glacier. After passing Noruegos, we get on the actual Cerro Torre glacier. Zig zagging crevasses we arrive to enormous east face. Unreal! After some pictures, we head back to Niponino for dinner and good night!
Day 3
Take down camp and head back the same way we hiked in. Weather permitting, we’ll set up a top rope, so you can experience the sensation of ice climbing. After that, we hike towards Camp Prestadores, where a nice coup of tea/coffee/hot chocolate will be waiting for us. Final 2 hours and we arrive to El Chaltén. The guide will take you to your hotel. End of our services.