BIG ICE
Our Big Ice excursion combines navigating Lago Rico, a two-hour forest trek, and a three-hour exploration on the Perito Moreno Glacier ice using crampons, including a visit to the traditional walkways. This highly demanding physical activity lasts approximately 12 hours from El Calafate. We begin with passenger hotel pickup; on the way to Los Glaciares National Park, our guides will provide information about the activity, the area, and the glacier. Once at the Bajo de las Sombras port, we board a boat to cross Lago Rico, reaching the opposite shore after about 20 minutes of sailing in front of the impressive south face of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Upon arriving at the refuge, expert mountain guides greet us, divide us into subgroups, and accompany us throughout the entire journey. Our trekking begins with an approximate 2-hour walk along the moraine, offering various panoramic views of the glacier and the forest. This is a highly personalized excursion where groups on the ice are limited to 10 people, accompanied by two mountain guides who provide and fit our crampons, helmets, and harnesses, and explain the basic safety rules. Physical demand is high both in the forest and on the ice, where the surface is uneven but firm and safe. Once on the glacier with our crampons on, the world takes on a new perspective: blue lagoons, deep crevasses, huge sinkholes, magical caves, and the unique feeling of being in the heart of the glacier. For approximately three hours, we explore the corners of the world’s most special glacier. Additionally, we will have half an hour for lunch (optional) to enjoy this place of unmatched beauty. At the end of the ice walk, we head back along the same path to the refuge. On our return boat ride, we sail very close to the south face of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Afterward, we enjoy an approximate one-hour guided visit to the walkways located 7 km from the port, where we can take in spectacular panoramic views of the glacier and walk along the self-guided trails. Big Ice takes place in a natural environment, meaning weather conditions and glacier features change daily; however, the excursion is not canceled as long as safety conditions permit.
Regarding restrictions, the following individuals must not participate: overweight individuals, defined as those whose weight in kg exceeds twice their height in cm minus 100 (for example, for a height of 1.70m: 170 minus 100 = 70 x 2 = 140 kg); pregnant women; people with any degree or type of physical or mental disability that affects their attention, walking, and/or coordination; people suffering from central or peripheral cardiovascular diseases, whose cardiac or vascular capacities are diminished, or who use stents, pacemakers, or other prostheses (for example: individuals on anticoagulant medication, Grade III varicose veins which appear thick and multiple, or cardiac arrhythmias); and people suffering from diseases that cause respiratory disabilities such as COPD, asthma, or emphysema. H&A reserves the right of admission, exercised in accordance with the preceding guidelines, when such conditions are apparent.