IMPORTANT !
RATIO: Highly personalized! 1:5 (Group on ice: maximum 10 passengers)
LANGUAGES: Our guides speak Spanish and English.
TRASFER: Optional transfer with guide, including a visit of about one hour to the walkways.
CANCELATION: Services may be canceled 48 hours in advance, without paying any charges or penalties, only in certified cases of force majeure. More info.
MODIFICATION: The tour may be changed 48 hours in advance of the service schedule without paying any charges or penalties.
DIFFICULTY: HIGH. In order to have a great experience on the Glacier, you should have the psychophysical capacity required to walk for at least 7 hours and a half, partly on ice and with crampons.
AGE RESTRICTION: Suitable for people between 18 and 50 years ONLY. No exceptions.
OTHER RESTRICTIONS: People with cardiovascular diseases, COPD, emphysema, asthma or recent surgeries, and people who have tested positive for COVID when taking the tour.
NOT SUITABLE: For physically or mentally disabled people whose autonomy may be affected; pregnant women; people suffering from severe vertigo; people with sedentary behavior and obesity.
Big Ice is a full day tour, starting with passenger pick-up in El Calafate. On our way to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, aboard our comfortable buses, our tour guides will give you information on the tour, the place and the glacier.
Once you arrive at “Bajo de las Sombras” port (located on Route 11, 70 Km from El Calafate) you will board a ship to cross Lago Rico, and descend on the opposite coast after a 20-minute navigation in front of the stunning south face of Glaciar Perito Moreno.
When the group gets to the shelter, it will be welcomed by expert mountain guides, who will divide it in subgroups and will stay with them throughout the walk. The trekking starts with a walk along the moraine for about 2 hours, where you will be able to enjoy different panoramic views of the glacier and the woods.
Big Ice is a highly personalized tour: For the ice walk, passengers will be divided into groups of up to 10 people, with 2 mountain guides who will fit the crampons, helmets and harnesses and will explain the basic safety rules.
A high level of physical effort is required in the woods as well as on the ice, where the surface is irregular, but firm and safe.
Once you are on the glacier and with the crampons on, the world seems different: blue ponds, deep cracks, huge moulins, magical caves and the unique feeling of being in the heart of the glacier.
During approximately three hours, you will explore every corner of the most special glacier in the world. During the walk, the mountain guides will help you learn more about the ice and its environment and you will be able to appreciate the dimensions of the glacier and enjoy the view of the surrounding mountains, such as Dos Picos, Pietrobelli and Cervantes hills. There will be a 30-minute break to have lunch while enjoying the amazing and unique beauty of the surroundings.
At the end of the trekking on the glacier, you will go back to the shelter by the same path, where you will have some minutes to appreciate this site of unparalleled beauty. Then, you will board the ship back and you will navigate very close to the south face of Glaciar Perito Moreno and later return to the “civilization”, after having enjoyed one of the most spectacular ice treks in the world!
The duration of this tour is about 12 hours, including the transfer and a one-hour guided visit to the walkways of Glaciar Perito Moreno, 7 km from the port. There, you will enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of the glacier and walk along some of the self-guided paths. If you don’t use our transfer and go by your own means, the Big Ice tour takes about seven hours and a half, leaving from the port and returning to the same point.
The Big Ice tour is carried out in a natural environment, so weather conditions and the glacier and its surroundings change every day. However, the excursion is not suspended, as long as security conditions allow it. We are waiting for you!
Wear comfortable and warm clothes. A rain jacket, long waterproof trousers, trekking boots, a medium-size backpack (40Lts), sunglasses, sunscreen, gloves, a wool hat.
Bring food and drink for the day. The company does not sell food and drinks.
Tickets must be exhibited at the entrance of the Parque Nacional. You can buy your ticket here (Select: “Acceso Corredor Rio Mitre y Glaciar Perito Moreno”) or pay it in cash (in Argentine pesos) when you arrive at the Parque Nacional.
BEFORE PURCHASING YOUR TICKETS, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THE FOLLOWING:
Due to the effort and difficulty levels (HIGH, with steep and uneven ascents and descents) of this activity, and in order to preserve their health, the following persons cannot take the tour:
Not included: Admission fee for the Parque Nacional, food and drink, personal clothes adequate for the weather conditions of the site.