If you don’t find the answer to your question in this section, contact us by phone or email.
If you don’t find the answer to your question in this section, contact us by phone or email.
The use of crampons provided by Hielo y Aventura is essential to walk safely on ice. The mountain guides will be in charge of fitting the crampons appropriately and they will explain how to use them safely.
There are daily departures depending on the tour and the time of the year. In the case of the Minitrekking and Safari Náutico tours, there are daily departures from Bajo de las Sombras port, at 70 km from the city of El Calafate, in the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. We offer transfer services for passengers to get to the port, with a visit to the walkways with a tourist guide. Time schedules are confirmed after the service is hired. Pasarela Náutica and Big Ice are not currently open.
With credit cards or Paypal via our web page, or debit cards, credit cards or cash in our office located at Av. Libertador 935, in the city of El Calafate.
Minitrekking
Restrictions: No, due to the great effort and difficulty of this activity it is only allowed for people between 10 and 65 years old.
Not suitable for overweight people; to this end, overweight people will be considered as such when they exceed the following criterion: weight in kg more than double the height in cm minus 100 (for example, for a height of 1.70m: 170 minus 100 = 70x 2 = 140); pregnant women; people with any type or degree of physical or mental disability, which may affect their attention, gait and/or coordination; people who suffer from central or peripheral cardiovascular diseases, as well as those whose cardiac capacity or vascular capacitance is diminished, or who use stents, pacemakers or any other prosthesis, (e.g. anticoagulant drugs, grade 3 varicose veins -which are seen as thick and multiple, cardiac arrhythmias); people who suffer from diseases that cause respiratory disability (COPD, asthma, emphysema, etc.)
Due to the responsibility by virtue of the applicable legal regulations, H&A reserves the right to refuse admission, pursuant to the above standards, when they become apparent.
Big Ice
Restrictions: No, due to the great effort and difficulty of the land, this tour is only suitable for people between 18 and 50 years old and in a good physical condition, considering that they will walk about 7 hours in total, including ice and forest.
Not suitable for overweight people; to this end, overweight people will be considered as such when they exceed the following criterion: weight in kg more than double the height in cm minus 100 (for example, for a height of 1.70m: 170 minus 100 = 70x 2 = 140); pregnant women; people with any type or degree of physical or mental disability, which may affect their attention, gait and/or coordination; people who suffer from central or peripheral cardiovascular diseases, as well as those whose cardiac capacity or vascular capacitance is diminished, or who use stents, pacemakers or any other prosthesis, (e.g. anticoagulant drugs, grade 3 varicose veins -which are seen as thick and multiple, cardiac arrhythmias); people who suffer from diseases that cause respiratory disability (COPD, asthma, emphysema, etc.)
Due to the responsibility by virtue of the applicable legal regulations, H&A reserves the right to refuse admission, pursuant to the above standards, when they become apparent.
Safari Náutico
Anyone can do this tour.
No, due to the use of crampons and the irregular surface. It is not safe enough for pregnant women because one crampon can get caught with the other and she may fall.
There are different daily departures depending on the tour and the time of the year. The departure time will be confirmed after you buy the tour.
We will send you a voucher via email with your booking information within the first 24 hours after you buy your tour. If you can’t find the email in your inbox, please check your Spam folder or junk folder.
Food and drink. Trekking shoes (Big Ice) or sport shoes with laces (Minitrekking). Warm clothes, rain jacket, GLOVES, sunglasses, sunscreen. A backpack to carry everything will be more comfortable. FACE MASK.
It isn’t included in the price of the tours. The simplest way is buying your entrance fee online at https://ventaweb.apn.gob.ar/reserva/parques and take it in your cell phone. Otherwise, you can buy it at the Parque Nacional. In this case, you must have Argentine pesos, as credit cards or foreign currency are not accepted.
We walk with crampons approximately 3.30 hours in the Big Ice and 1:30 in the Minitrekking tours. Besides, we have to add the time we spend to go to the glacier and to return from it. In the case of the Minitrekking tour, we walk 40 minutes to go and return. In the case of the Big Ice tour, 2:30 hours. These are approximate times and they can vary depending on the weather condition and the physical fitness of the group. Big Ice is not currently open.
A mountain guide is a professional responsible for leading one or more persons in a natural environment, so that they can safely enjoy the landscape while they learn more about the place they are visiting with information provided by the guide. Our guides are highly experienced with Patagonia’s and foreign locations. They are certified by the Argentine Association of Mountain Guides (Bariloche), EPTGAM (Mendoza) and other institutions approved by Parques Nacionales.
Yes, almost all guides speak English.
There are 70 km to the Bajo las Sombras Port (ships to cross over into the glacier depart from there) and 7 km more to reach the walkways of the Perito Moreno Glacier.
They are included in the Big Ice and Minitrekking tours if you hire this service. They aren’t included in the Safari Náutico tour. Big Ice is not currently open.
In both tours, you can walk on the ice and about some areas of the forest, navigate in front of the glacier and visit the walkways. The difference lies basically on the intensity you will experience. The Big Ice tour is more demanding. Therefore, Big Ice groups are more reduced and the experience is more personalized. The Minitrekking tour lasts 3 hours with a moderate walk (including the walk out of the ice). The Big Ice tour is a longer version and you walk along a different and more distant part of the Glaciar during 7 hours, out of which 3:30 are on the ice. This is why we focus on age restrictions and physical fitness. Big Ice is not currently open.
We care for each other by complying with all tourist protocols. Our staff is qualified and trained on this issue. Both employees and passengers always use face masks in all our tours. We also have sanitation places at different points of the tour. Tours are carried out mostly in open air; therefore, social distancing can be adequately maintained. We sanitize common spaces (buses, vessels, offices, shelters, etc.) And, above all, our aim is always to minimize the risks of contagion.
