Vinciguerra Glacier & Laguna de Los Témpanos (Floes Lagoon)

 

This trekking is not only physically demanding adventure, but also a journey to knowledge and enabling throughout time to see how the Fuegian landscape was developed from the glacial period to the present.

 

It is one of the most important glaciers of Tierra del Fuego province although not the biggest.

Along with the surrounding peat bog was declared a Ramsar site in 2009.

The site is called Vinciguerra Glacier and associated peat bogs and is the southernmost in the world. The glacier is part of the glacier monitoring network of the "Working Group of snow and ice" of the "International Hydrological Programme" of Unesco.

 

The beginning of the path is easy, it begins in the Andorra valley over flat terrain, appreciating the reddish peat bogs and forest adjacent to Arroyo Grande river.

 

Then we will cross the Arroyo Grande river to begin to walk the first part of ascent, always surrounded by beech forest, ñires trees, cohigües trees and other associated plants. The trail is demanding.

 

At one point, the path allows us to make a break halfway in a clearing of grasslands and peatlands with panoramic views.

 

We resumed the path to begin the ascent through the upper forest with trees stunted by extreme weather conditions in the high mountain area. The last part is performed on the limit of vegetation being able to enjoy species at late spring such Chocolate flowers native of this area.

 

At the end of the path we find the Laguna de los Témpanos (Floes Lagoon), surprises everyone with its beauty and its colors. Also, the neighbor Vinciguerra Glacier whose melting feeds this body of water invites you to discover its caves, crevices and glacial moraines.

 

All the physical effort is amply rewarded with images perpetuated in our eyes and cameras.

 

Recommended season:  from November to April.

Duration: 8.5 hours.

Difficulty:  This is a trekking   of medium-high difficulty, especially for those who love nature and great challenges.

Distance: approximately 14 km (round trip)

Elevation: 850 m

 

Very important:

We recommend using warm clothing and waterproof  footwear (jacket, gloves, hats coat, hiking boots, sunscreen, etc).

 

 

We hope you enjoy it.

GuMo © 2015