Viedma Lake - Santa Cruz Province

Viedma Lake, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina

When looking for glaciers in Argentine Patagonia, most folks head for Perito Moreno, as it’s close to the airport town of El Calafate. El Chalten trekkers, however, can choose from three different glaciers to explore, none of which have the crowds of Perito Moreno. Our guides are carving out an ice bridge over a crevasse in the glacier. After so many treks abiding by Leave No Trace principles it felt somewhat odd to be on a trek where one has to use tools to shape and carve the terrain. But then, a glacier is just a slow moving river of ice and nature has its way of wiping out the traces that we leave behind.

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Trekking on the Viedma Glacier

When looking for glaciers in Argentine Patagonia, most folks head for Perito Moreno, as it’s close to the airport town of El Calafate. El Chalten trekkers, however, can choose from three different glaciers to explore, none of which have the crowds of Perito Moreno. Our guides are carving out an ice bridge over a crevasse in the glacier. After so many treks abiding by Leave No Trace principles it felt somewhat odd to be on a trek where one has to use tools to shape and carve the terrain. But then, a glacier is just a slow moving river of ice and nature has its way of wiping out the traces that we leave behind.

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