Los Glaciares National Park

There are several other glaciers feeding into Lago Argentino in the south of Los Glaciares National Park, most notably Upsala and Spegazzini, which can also be visited by boat from El Calafate. Further north, Viedma Glacier is an impressive and active glacier feeding the large Viedma lake which is accessed from El Chalten. Numerous less famous glaciers, including Torre and Piedras Blancas, can be seen when trekking in the Fitz Roy region. 

The peaks of Los Glaciares National Park are what makes trekking here world famous. 

At the northern end stand the famous jagged granite peaks of Mount Fitz Roy. This mountain was initially named Chalten ('peak of fire') by the indigenous Tehuelche people, but was later renamed after Captain Fitzroy, who captained the ship on which Charles Darwin arrived here in 1834. Cerro Fitz Roy is notoriously difficult to climb and is only climbed around once a year. 

Another distinctive peak is Cerro Torre. Slightly less famous than Fitz Roy, it is just as difficult to climb, and is an imposing presence on the skyline. The Laguna Torre day hike from El Chalten takes you right up to the foot of the peak.

The two huge lakes in the national park are both fed by glacial meltwater, giving them a milky blue colouring which makes for gorgeous photos against the glacial backdrops. Near El Chalten in the north is the smaller of the two, Lago Viedma. 80km in length, it is famous for the scouring effect the receding Viedma Glacier has had on the surrounding landscape surrounding.

To the south is Lago Argentino, the largest lake in Argentina at an impressive 600 square miles. It is fed by waters from its northern neighbour via La Leona river, but also by the Perito Moreno, Upsala and Spegazzini glaciers. Its waters flow into the Santa Cruz river than ultimately empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

El Calafate is the only big town in the area. With its large airport and good transport links it is the gateway to Los Glaciares, but a day is enough to explore what it has to offer. El Calafate's one main draw is the Perito Moreno Glacier, just over an hour away and well worth a visit. The main trekking opportunities lie 3 hours north in the Fitz Roy range, around the smaller town of El Chalten.

El Chalten is a quirky mountain town close to Fitz Roy, and on a clear day, the peak dominates its skyline, which is why the town was given the old Telhueche name of the mountain. The town is very small and predominately caters for tourists, but there are some lovely little bars and restaurants to put your feet up in after some hard days hiking.

If you're keen to don an ice-axe, crampons and snowshoes and aching to get deep into the Patagonian wilderness, then the ice cap is for you!

The South Patagonian Ice Cap is part of the larger Patagonia Ice Sheet, and stretches over 400km north-south, around 40km east-west and is over a kilometre deep in places. It covers four national parks, including Los Glaciares, and remains unexplored in some areas, It is still also something of a 'border issue' between Chile and Argentina. Most expeditions begin or include the Marconi Pass or Paso del Viento, and expeditions typically take a minimum of 8 to 10 days.