kallpatour, Autor en Kallpa I Tour Operator

Huemul Glacier Hike in Desert Lake

The trekking to Huemul Glacier is an attraction in itself, with a forest of its own considered to be one of the most beautiful places for a walk in El Chalten.

Before stepping onto our trekking trail of the month, we would like to share with you a curious fact about this destination. Huemul, which happens to be the name of this glacier, is a small deer among the endangered species, whose speed, cunning and size make it almost impossible to see.

We travel 38km to the north from El Chalten, where we can enjoy a gorgeous landscape in between the mountains, with a view to Mount Fitz Roy. Our tour skirts part of the trail towards Rio de las Vueltas until we get to Laguna del Desierto where you´ll find the namesake Camping Site, starting point to the Huemul Glacier trekking, where we´ll pay for our visitor´s tickets. The access road is in a private property, that´s why the fee we pay is kind of symbolic (payable personally in place) to just cover some basic services at this place, which is the beginning of our incredible adventure.

At first the road seems to be easy and smooth because the terrain is flat enough to be able to walk fast and without stops. As we begin to skirt brooks and walk across a couple of bridges all of a sudden the road starts changing, at times it gets dark and at some other times it gets a little steeper. After walking for 1 hour we arrive at the Huemul Glacier.

“Different from all we know” is one of the most repeated phrases when referring to this trekking. And they are right. The trail meanders through a forest that at times turns into something special and makes us think, because of its unique characteristics, of the movie “ Lord of the Rings” when Frodo goes deep into adventure.

But we´ll have to climb to reach our goal. The road zigzags among trees, that´s why a walking-cane or a stick come in handy, thus be able to climb the best possible way without putting our steps at risk.

The Huemul Glacier is beautiful and its beauty is not only visible in the ice or the eternal snow, but also in the surrounding area that turns this view into a real postcard.

A slope, that seemed to be the last one, made us think that we were already there and that we had to make just a last little effort. But on the other side we found the much sought after prize: the great emerald lagoon and its glacial water that was waiting for us with its particular beauty.

After a few minutes we started on our way back along the trail led us up to here. The thing is, without a doubt, that the Huemul Glacier trail has a magic of its own that makes it different from other trails, and of course deserves to be visited and admired.

This is an excellent tour that can be enjoyed in our different versions of Fly & Drive or Hike & Drive before going back to El Calafate. You can book it through your Kallpatour´s Account Executive when passing through Patagonia.

FACT SHEET

featured

Trekking and Kayaking in Bariloche

Bariloche | Trekking and Kayaking Excursion from Kallpa Tour Operator on Vimeo.

Las Torres Hotel

I wake up after having travelled along the isolated Patagonian Roads. I spent my first night at Las Torres Hotel and I feel like drawing the curtains to see the views.

It’s 7 o’clock in the morning and it hasn’t dawned yet but I can see the golden light of the sun gleaming over the mountain’s peaks.The vision of the founders of Hotel Las Torres was” to share the warmth of its people and the customs of Patagonia” and this is something you can feel ever since you step into the hotel.

The rooms in the hotel are very comfortable. Designed for a nice rest after a good day´s excursion. In a rustic and simple style, the rooms are equipped with central heating system, private bathroom, spring box beds, telephone and wireless internet. they do not have tv sets because the mystique of this place has as a main ingredient you’re getting disconnected from everyday life and getting connected to the natural environment.

I get up early with the idea of trekking all the way to the Torres viewpoint in mind. The location of the Hotel Las Torres is ideal because this is the starting point for this trail.

I am on my way to my first destination, the Coirones Restaurant, where I’ll help myself to a Buffet breakfast and where I check the many gastronomical suggestions for lunch and dinner. Hotel Las Torres produces many of the products they use in its restaurant, since they have their own greenhouses where they grow tomatoes, lettuce and pumpkins among others. they also have an orchard where they grow tasty strawberries, raspberries and cherries. Breakfast is very good and satisfies guests from around the world who have different food ways of starting their days.

The level of difficulty for the trekking to Torres viewpoint is moderately strenuous and it´s a full day trekking that takes between 7 to 9 hours to complete. At the hotel they provide you with a lunch box and the options to choose from are varied. I picked a tuna roll that was really tasty plus a bottle of water, a bottle of orange juice, a cereal bar and a fruit, all of which I enjoyed sitting facing the Torres del Paine. The sky was clear and the view was hard to compare with by the colour of the lake and the majestic scenery.

Once back at the hotel I took a break in the bar and had a drink gazing at the colours of the sunset before heading for the restaurant to taste the Theme Buffet organized by the hotel. This time it was Patagonia’s local delicacies such as roasted lamb and other products that can be found in Chile and mostly grown at the Hotel’s organic orchard.

Las Torres Hotel provides you with its own shuttle service to Laguna Amarga that is one of the Points of Entry to Torres del Paine National Park as well as the place where you have to pay for your visitor’s ticket. This is also a Bus stop for the buses entering or leaving Argentina and Chile.

Las Torres Hotel in Torres del Paine is the best option for those travellers who love comfort and a good rest plus an excellent service and enjoy the adventure that any day might bring by just walking or marvelling at unique views.

By Diego Calzetta | Marketing Kallpa tour

FACT SHEET

Minimun Pax Requirements: 1

Transfers are not included in Bed & Breakfast mode.

Suites: The suite rooms measuring 38 m2. They are the most spacious rooms, equipped with minibar, Wi Fi, a small living room and a jacuzzi, where you can relax enjoying the beautiful view of the Paine Massif ..

Cypress Rooms: The rooms are 22 m2. New, spacious, warm, with excellent insulation and large windows to enjoy the scenery rooms. It highlights your decor with special elements of the area, including looms, ethnic masks and furniture made by artisans from Patagonia.

Canelo Rooms: The rooms are 20 m2. Very warm rooms, pleasant and comfortable spaces where simple elements that evoke the history and culture blend Patagonia.

Lenga Rooms: The rooms are 15 m2. Small and very comfortable rooms that make up the first module built in the hotel. Twin only room availability. *

All rooms have central heating, private bathroom with tub, amenities, Wi-Fi, closet and hairdryers.

featured

Self Hike and Drive Patagonia

Everything starts in El Calafate. As soon as we arrive at its modern airport a bilingual Tour Guide will be waiting for us to take us to our hotel where we’ll leave our luggage and then go along with us to the Car-rental Company to pick up the car we’ll be driving during our Hike and Drive Patagonia trip.

We thought it would be a wonderful idea to combine the rented car plus a GPS for the roads and a Trekking GPS for the walks we’ll be taking.

We will be visiting the Perito Moreno Glacier and consider the possibility of taking the Minitrekking. The Minitrekking walk is moderate and the surface of the Glacier is irregular but solid and safe. It starts with a 20 minutes walk along the Lake banks until we reach the Glacier. The walk on the Glacier lasts about 2 hours to appreciate different ice forms.

It not only draws thousands of local and foreign tourists to its wonderful show every time a breaking in the ice takes place, but the Perito Moreno Glacier is also becoming a mystery to the scientists that can´t understand its behaviour.

On the third day we went to El Chalten, also known as the National Capital of Trekking. On the way to El Chalten we suggest to stop at La Leona Petrified forest where you will be able to do a trek to the Petrified Forest, where large petrified tree trunks from 0,5 to 1,2 meters in diameter and fragments of dinosaur bones can be admired. This excursion is not included in the price of the program but you can ask for it to your Kallpa Account Executive. A fair physical condition is required due to the fact that the site is abundant of steep hillsides, broken terrain and loose soil. Wind and water erosion is significant here and allows encountering new surprises every visit.

Upon arrival to El Chalten we will have the introductory talk given by The National Park guard. In El Chalten we will spend four days visiting beautiful mountain trails´ landscapes, watching cascades, waterfalls, glaciers and taking different walks, for instance, on the second day we walked to the Laguna Torre where we caught sight of Mount Torre and its steaming peaks caused by the clouds that usually cover them. Another choice is trekking to Laguna de los Tres that offers an excellent view of Mount Fitz Roy. On the third day we suggest walking on the ice of Viedma Glacier, the biggest one in the Glaciers National Park.

On the sixth day we visited Lago del Desierto, located 32 km north of El Chalten. It’s A lake that links Argentina with Chile and is surrounded by beautiful forests and glaciers. We’ll be ending our trip in El Calafate where we´will spend the last night before our return.

The diversity of landscapes, the different activities and the possibility of coming and going in our rented cars and with different possibilities of trekkings available in El Chalten pre-loaded in the GPS provides travellers a total sense of freedom and made this trip unique in its type. For those who like to travel without being subjected to timetables this is the best option ever. That´s why we recommend the Hike and Drive programme offered by Kallpa Tour.

FACT SHEET

Prices include: