Laguna de los Témpanos, Ushuaia

The Lagunas de los Témpanos trail is a 8 hour return hike that climbs 1200m to a glacial lagoon.

The trail begins through farmland and peat bogs beside the river that runs from the glacier.

Peat Bog

The river and the mountain

The trail continues along the river before beginning a very steep climb towards the top of the mountain.

Steep trail

As the trail continues to climb, you begin to see the top of the mountains through the trees.

The mountain from the trail

The sound of the glacial river becomes louder until finally the trail opens out revealing the glacial river.

Waterfall

And the very steep climb to the glacier and lagoon.

The trail up to the lagoon

Halfway up the trail

But once at the top you can see the lagoon and the glacier feeding it.

Laguna de los Témpanos and the glacier

The glacier also has an ice cave at the glacial face which allows you to climb under the glacier itself.

Ice cave

Inside the glacier

On the way back from the Laguna de los Témpanos there is a 40 minute side trail to Laguna Encanta. This lagoon is at a lower altitude and is not directly fed by the glacier, so it is not the brilliant turquoise blue. However, the lagoon is still picturesque, being surrounded by the mountain and mountain heath vegetation.

Encanta Lagoon

Mountain heath

The trail to Laguna Encanta is very steep and muddy and, although the lagoon itself was very beautiful, it was a relief to get back onto the dry downhill track home.

Trail down the mountain

A short walk around Lapataia

Lapataia river is an easily accessible area in the Tierra del Fuego national park that offers several short walks around the river.

In addition there is an abundance of animals (both native and introduced) around this area.

Sadly, many of the animals are far too acclimatised to humans as a source of food - so their presence is more opportunistic than natural. For example a native Patagonian fox was hassling tourists for food just outside of the lake area - and stupidly, despite lots of signs, idiot tourists couldn't help but feed it.

Patagonian fox

There are lots of trails, offering views of the different landscapes around the river - including several lookouts that give great views of the water.

From the river there is a fairly easy trail that leads alongside Route 3 though stands of myrtle and sphagnum moss bogs.

Myrtle trees

The trail opens out

Sadly much of this area has been damaged by introduced species.

Horses on the trail

Animals, such as horses, have changed the landscape from stands of trees to wider open grasslands.

Grasslands

The "Turba" trail

One of the most destructive introduced species is the Canadian beaver.

These animals have devastated trees and their damming of rivers has altered the flow of the rivers causing them to silt.

Beaver dam

Destruction wrought by beavers

I was told that the beavers were spreading North and that some had been seen as far North as Punta Areanas.

Beaver

Beaver swimming

The visible damage of introduced species around this section of the park, and the changes in animal behaviour because of ignorant tourists is a great pity in this beautiful part of the world - and reminds us just how fragile nature is.

Fitz Roy trail to Capri Lagoon, El Chalten

El Chalten

The trail to Capri Lagoon starts at the far northern end of El Chalten and begins with a steep climb up a ridge overlooking the town and the glacial valley.

Glacial valley

El Chalten from the ridge

Glacial valley from further up the ridge

The trail winds up the hill through forests of Myrtle and it is here you first glimpse the imposing Fitz Roy peak.

Fitz Roy peak through the trees

The trail then opens up and you are able to see the peak clearly.

Fitz Roy peak

The trail then leads down to the picturesque Capri Lagoon.

Capri Lagoon with Fitz Roy peak

Capri Lagoon looking South

Beach at Capri Lagoon

The trail then splits between continuing to the peak or heading to the lookout. As I only had a few hours, sadly I had to turn back to the lookout.

Fitz Roy glacier

Fitz Roy peak from the lookout

From the lookout

Another photo from the lookout

Fitz Roy peak looking up the valley

The trail then returns to El Chalten and the bus back to El Calafate from which I enjoyed sunset over the steppe.

Sunset over the steppe

Sunset near El Calafate

Largo Argentino, El Calafate

Lake Argentino is the largest lake in Argentina and is fed by several glaciers such as Perito Moreno. It consists of several branches which reach up to the glacier faces. In these channels there are many icebergs that have formed from the calving of ice off the glacier faces.

Entrance of Brazo Norte (North branch)

Iceberg in Brazo Norte

Brazo Norte

Travelling up through the North branch of the lake brings the ferry to the Upsala channel. This channel leads to the largest (by surface area) glacier in the Los Glaciares national park. As the ferry gets closer to the glacier face, there are larger icebergs that fill the channel.

Icebergs in the Upsala channel

Larger iceberg

Another iceberg

The channel eventually leads to the Upsala glacier, however due to the amount of ice in the channel, it was impossible to get close to the glacial face.

Upsala glacier

A little closer to Upsala glacier

A little further south from Upsala glacier is the Brazo Spegazzini which leads to the Spegazzini glacier.

The branch first passes the smaller Secco glacier.

Secco glacier

The branch then leads on to the highest glacier in the park: Spegazzini.

Ice calving from Spegazzini glacier

Icebergs near Spegazzini glacier

Spegazzini glacier

Spegazzini glacier

From here the ferry returns back to port back through Brazo Norte.

Icebergs in Brazo Spegazzini

Lake Argentino