Trekking On a Glacier in Patagonia
Taking a solo trip through South America had been at the very top of my adventure list for quite some time and probably the biggest motivating factor leading me to quit my job, sell my car, let go of most of my belongings, and make the move to Europe to pursue travel on a deeper level. ‘Probably’ is probably an understatement. It was *most definitely* the leading factor.
The first time I saw a photo of the snow-capped peaks of Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia, I was irrevocably awestruck and knew it was a place I had to visit as quickly as possible. The time it took me from first spotting that photo to actually getting down to Patagonia, was in fact, not fast at all. It took me a few years to finally get down there, but I made it (back in 2019)!
During that time of moving and planning, I delved deeper into everything Patagonia has to offer and one of the numerous things to do there is walk on a glacier.
HOLD UP. Walk on a glacier!? I had heard of viewing a glacier from a boat, watching the ice calve away from a safe distance. Taking a heli flight over a glacier to view it from above. Kayaking up close to a glacier in a full thermal wetsuit just in case you somehow manage to fall into the cold glacial waters. But walking on it??? Totally different perspective! Sign. Me. Up.
If taking my very first solo backpacking trip through Chile and Argentina for 5 weeks with zero backpacking or camping skills wasn’t big enough, then this was going to be the big epic cherry on top! If you’re gonna do it big y’all, DO IT BIG.
Perito Moreno glacier experiences a unique natural phenomenon in that it grows just as fast as it loses ice, which means it’s not shrinking or disappearing like most glaciers around the world. Although, that may not be for long.
The minute I checked into my hostel and dropped my bags in my room, a blonde American girl said hello and asked me how I was doing. I said I was great, but kind of tired from the long road trip I had made from Chile over into Argentina. And I had just spent 5 days camping in Torres del Paine National Park completing the W circuit.
We got to chatting about how she had just done the same thing, too and then I asked her if she wanted to go find a burger spot somewhere in town. Over burgers and beers we got to know each other and found out we had so much in common in terms of burgers, beers, and boys. Funnily enough, we also share the same name. From that moment on we bonded like sisters!
We also realized we shared essentially the same travel plans for the next week, including a glacier trek the very next day. I was scheduled to go on the glacier tour in the afternoon, her in the morning, so we booked it down to the tour operator’s office and checked to see if I could change tours to get on the same one Nicole would be on at 9am. Just in luck, only one more spot left! YES!
So, I’m not a huge fan of group tours in general, but I do think they deserve their place from time to time. With an activity like hiking on a glacier, it’s required to go with a guide for safety reasons, obviously. What I love about Patagonia is that even though it’s so wild and remote and tough to get to, the tourism infrastructure once you’re there is incredible. They’ve got it down pat.
The group sizes are kept small, usually around 12-15 people. We got on a comfortable, spacious bus, and listened to the guides give us information on the glacier and the tour itself, as we made our way to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares.
Soon after arriving in the park, we boarded a boat to navigate across Lago Rico and then followed our guide to the edge of the glacier. Next, we were fitted for crampons and after a safety instruction, it was time to trek!
I’ll never forget the first time I stepped onto the glacier – totally felt like a baby giraffe taking my first wobbly steps across the ice, but just a few minutes in, I felt like a pro in no time! Nicole and I were pretty much leading the group and our tour guide even gave me his ice pick for a bit!
For the next few hours, there were lots of oohs and aaahs and snapping cameras as we navigated crevasses and small streams in the ice. Just before the end of the tour, we came to a little station where everyone was offered a piece of chocolate and whiskey on glacier ice.
So freaking epic! What a way to end an unforgettable adventure. It ranks as one of the top 5 things I’ve ever done.
After the trek, we headed back to the visitor’s center where we had some time to walk around the catwalks and observation decks and snap photos. Seeing the ice calve away from the glacier was such a mesmerizing experience!
What to Know Before You Go
There is only one tour company that operates these glacier treks, Hielo Y Aventura, and they offer two options.
You can choose between either the Mini Trek or the Big Ice trek.
Mini Ice trek: ~$250 USD | full-day 9.5 hours | 1.5 hours on the ice
Level of difficulty: moderate, so you must be a good health
Big Ice trek: ~$500 USD | full day 12 hours | 3.5 hours on the ice
Level of difficulty: high, so you must be in very good health
