1-13 November 2022
This Patagonia Ice Field expedition is an adventure that goes beyond the limits, in a spectacular loop around two of the most famous peaks in the world: Mt Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre. We will be crossing the third biggest ice-field in the world, camping on the glacier, seeing those mountains from a completely different perspective and much more.
6300€ 5300€
PATAGONIA ICE FIELD EXPEDITION ITINERARY
DAY 1
Pick up time is in the morning at El Calafate Airport. Then we will transfer to El Chalten (approx. 2h drive), where our photo tour begins.
In El Chalten we’ll meet with our expert mountain guides and have a briefing about our expedition. Together we will also do a gear check to make sure everybody has the right equipment. When everyone is completely set, it’s time to have some rest before the beginning of our adventure.
DAY 2
On day 2, our Patagonia Ice Field Expedition officially begins! After meeting up with our mountain guides, assistants and porters, a private transportation will pick us up and drive us to Rio Electrico.
We will hike for approx. 2 hours on a mostly flat trail and reach our first stop, Piedra del Fraile campiste. From there, we will make our way towards our campsite for the night: La Plajita (around 3/4 hours hike), where we will already have a wonderful view on Mt Fitz Roy NW face!
Terrain: First part protected by forest, second part exposed and rocky
DAY 3, 4 & 5
Day 3 and 4 will be with no doubt the hardest days as we will hike on the Marconi Glacier. While you can normally do it in one day, we’ll split this ascent in between day 3 & 4 to maximize pictures possibilities and allow enough time to rest.
On day 3 we will hike up for about 2 hours. Views around campsite (Lago de los Quatorzes) will be simply great.
On day 4 we will continue our steep climb on the glacier (around 5 hours hike), until we reach our final destination and set camp there. We will spend the nights of day 4 & 5 in the area.
When the sun goes down, we will have the chance to photograph the Milky Way above Fitz Roy, if skies are clear.
Terrain: Ice / Snow (we will hike with crampons / snowshoes depending on glacier and weather conditions)
DAY 6 & 7
On day 6 after sunrise and breakfast, we will start hiking until we reach Circo de los Altares. From here, we can admire the stunning west side of Cerro Torre, Egger and Standhart.
Here we will build snow walls for protection from the wind and set up our camp for the next two nights. We will spend day 6 and day 7 shooting around this spectacular area.
When the sun goes down, we will have the chance to photograph the Milky Way above Cerro Torre, if skies are clear.
Terrain: Ice / Snow (we will hike with crampons / snowshoes depending on glacier and weather conditions)
DAY 8
Time to leave our camp and continue south on a slight decline, with our sleds and snowshoes. After more hiking and pictures, we will set up campsite at Ferrari Lake where we have spectacular views on the glacier.
Terrain: First part on ice / snow, second part on land
DAY 9
We hike to Paso Huemul overlooking the beautiful Viedma Glacier. Then, we start descending and we set our camp near the shore of Lake Viedma where there’s floating icebergs as far as we can see.
DAY 10
After a shooting session in the morning, we are ready to go back where this expedition started: El Chalten. We will spend some time on post-processing back at the hotel, where Marco will show you his workflow on his laptop. Don’t worry, we will have time for a long and warm shower too 😀
DAY 11 & 12
Weather in Patagonia can be pretty rough and unpredictable. For this reason, this Patagonia Ice Field Expedition counts two extra days to improve the odds of success. In case of bad weather, we will stop longer in some of the areas along our crossing. In case of good weather throughout our expedition we can either spend more time in the final locations of this crossing or, once back in the village, we’ll go shooting other beautiful places that require shorter hikes.
DAY 13
This incredible adventure is over and it’s time to say goodbye. After a rich breakfast in our hotel in El Chalten, we will make our way to El Calafate Airport, where everyone is free to spend more time in the area or leave for the next adventure!
The tab below points out our intended route. Please note that it is however subject to changes, depending on the weather/ice conditions. Daily hiking distances might be different from the ones shared below.
INCLUDED
Professional photo educator (Marco Grassi)
1 UIAGM certified mountain guide + 3 Assistants
2 Nights Lodging in hotel + Campsites permit
Additional 2 Nights Lodging in case we come back from the crossing on day 10
All transportation between El Calafate airport and beginning / end of the hike
Technical Gear: Ropes, Crampons, Snowshoes, 4 season tents
Breakfast everyday
Lunch, Dinner when camping
Basic Personal Accidents Insurance
Post Processing Instructions
EXCLUDED
Flights & Travel Insurance
Lunch, Dinner at hotels
Air tickets to/from El Calafate
Personal Gear (such as sleeping bag + mattress)
Anything not mentioned in the “Included” list
TOUR PHOTO GUIDE
Marco Grassi
Born and raised in Italy, Marco Grassi is a self-taught and award-winning photographer focused on landscape photography. At the young age of 23 Marco has completed his round-the-world trip and today, several countries later, he defines himself as a true travel addict. Marco’s work has been published and rewarded extensively worldwide in a large variety of media outlets, such as the National Geographic and GEO Magazine. Among some of his clients we can find “Nisi Filters” and “Hilleberg – The Tentmaker” . His workshops have been designed with the central idea of putting you in the right place at the perfect time and give you plenty of amazing photo opportunities whilst creating a life-changing experience. He will assist you and advise you with valuable photography tips during the whole trip and show you the best photo locations of each destination.
SUMMARY
Location: Patagonia Ice Field
Tour Length: 13 Days, November 2022
Team: 1 professional photographer, 1 UIAGM certified mountain guide, 1 assistant
Accommodation: Campsites + Hotels
Physical Difficulty: Hard
Number of Participants: Max. 6
FAQ
Should I worry about mountain sickness?
No. Mountain sickness is no concern in this area: the highest altitude we will reach is going to be around 1500m.
How many nights we'll be spending out camping?
This will depend on the weather. In case of good weather we will spend 8 nights camping. In case of bad weather, we will spend a max. of two extra nights camping waiting for the weather to improve, for a maximum of 10 nights out.
Do I have to carry all my gear when camping?
You can either choose to carry all your gear or you can rent a porter which can carry up to 15kg per day at an additional price. If you wish, you can also split the kilos and cost with another participant. Also, you can decide to hire a porter for the entire expedition or just for the steepest part (Paso Marconi). Please get in touch with us to enquire about prices.
Camping: What clothes should I bring?
We recommend you to have warm base layers, fleeces and down jacket as well as the appropriate water resistant clothes and boots during the trip. Please test your gear before this expedition. Also, we’ll provide each participant with a detailed kit list before the beginning of the trip.
Do these campsites have showers?
No, there are no showers or other facilities. We recommend you to bring dry shampoo and dry shower gel as well as wet wipes.
Do we need to carry enough water for 11 days?
No, all you need is a water bottle with enough water for the day. We will refill our bottles by melting ice/snow during the trip or from streams/lakes.
Will you be doing any post-processing class during this workshop?
Yes, we plan on doing a post-processing class once back from the camping.
Do I need to bring a laptop?
A laptop is not necessary to follow the post-processing classes. I’ll show you my workflow directly on my laptop and you’ll be able to see everything I personally do in Lightroom and Photoshop.
What camera gear do you suggest?
For this particular expedition, where weight is crucial, we recommend to carry only one camera body, a wide angle (such as 16-35mm) and a mid range telephoto (such as 70-200mm, f4 would be better as it’s much lighter).
Can I bring a drone?
Yes, you can bring a drone in this expedition.