EXPERIENCES

The first strategic point when travelling by the Los Alerces National Park is Villa Futalaufquen, located 50 km away from Esquel and bounded on the west by the majestic Andes Mountain Range. It occupies a total area of 263,000 hectares that place it fourth in size among the national parks of Argentina. Its proximity to the mountain range allows the development of a dense Andean Patagonian forest and in the area of higher rainfall a Valdivian forest grows where the Alerce or Lahuan stands out. This millennial tree is slow growing and its specimens can live between 3000 and 4000 years of age and measure more than 70 meters high. We also visit the Museum of Interpretation, Rock Paintings - 2.5 km from Villa Futalaufquen -, Hotel Futalaufquen and Puerto Limonao. We continue to the north to see the Irigoyen waterfall and then we skirt the Futalaufquen lake; we can see the Arrayanes River that starts in the Verde Lake, cross a bridge and walk approximately 1 hour between the Patagonian forest and the Valdivian jungle. Here we will have time to have lunch (not included) before going back to Esquel, passing through Trevelin.

Quebrada de las Conchas (Shell Ravine) is a magical place where the wind and the water have carved, after many centuries, very curious forms. We will see its very diverse geological formation and incredible landscapes. Departure by car from Cafayate towards the Quebrada de las Conchas; during the journey we will stop to contemplate the most relevant forms of the rock, such as the Garganta del Diablo, El Anfiteatro, El Obelisco, El Sapo, Los Castillos and others. Then the trek is about an hour –moderate difficulty. On the way back to Cafayate we will make a last stop to take a short walk to the Calchaquí River.

One hour will take us approximately to arrive at the GLACIER VIEWPOINT, from there and towards the north we will be able to observe the unexplored South Cagliero Glacier (950 m.a.s.l.), which for years remained alive thanks to its orientation and the accumulation of snow from Neumayer, Cagliero and Loma del Diablo hills. To the south we find the vertical walls of Cerro Treinta Aniversario and its needles, highlighting the Devil's Tooth. From the viewpoint, a short walk takes us to the front of the Glacier where the guides will distribute and regulate the crampons with the boots of the hikers, to begin the third part of our program that is the walk and trekking by the glacier proper; and if the climate is mild, you will have lunch on the Glacier. The average stay over it will be approximately 2 hours, depending on the climatic conditions and the physical level of the group. The return will be made by the same way one way with arrival back to the Information Center approximately 3 hours later. The meeting time with the El Chaltén transfer will be at 5:30 PM.