Our adventure begins in Puerto Chucao. If you choose the option with shuttle, we will pick you up at your hotel in downtown Esquel around 9:00 am. If you have your own vehicle, we will meet you directly at the port at 10:30 am.
Once in Puerto Chucao, we will start with a short walk that will take us to the South East arm of Lake Menéndez. We will cross the wooden footbridges of the Arrayanes River and we will border part of the lake enjoying its beautiful emerald waters until we reach the boat that will be waiting for us to enjoy the lake more closely.
We will sail on Lake Menendez for 40 minutes to Puerto Nuevo, enjoying unparalleled views of the snow-capped peaks and the Patagonian forests that surround the lake. Once we arrive at Puerto Nuevo, we will get off the boat and start the ascent to the Glacier.
The trekking to the Torrecillas Glacier will take us to discover one of the most incredible areas of the Alerces National Park. It will be two hours in full contact with the Valdivian Rainforest. The hike will be of medium difficulty. We will negotiate steep and rocky terrain, while the guide will explain the flora and fauna of the place, full of history and geological changes.
In the last meters of the route, we will cross a small mountain stream that will take us to the Laguna del Antiguo, located right at the base of the Torrecillas Glacier. At this point we will look for the right place to rest and contemplate the immensity of the glacier. We will be able to appreciate the larches of thousands of years and other species such as tineos, coihues and lengas. We will see the basins where the snow began to accumulate and the glacier ice was formed during the last glaciation more than 24,000 years ago. It is possible to see condors if we are lucky, as well as the spectacular glacier ice breakup over the lagoon.
After the break and capturing the beautiful surrounding landscape with our cameras, we will return along the same trail to Puerto Nuevo, where we will board the boat again to Puerto Chucao, where our services will end. If you select the option with transfers, the services will end with the drop off at your hotel.