Glaciers along Careterra Austral

Following the Careterra Austral southwards we see lots of rain , snow and an ever present ice cold wind. At the little town of Rio tranquillo we drive back into a remote valley where we spent the night at the end of the road( after crossing a bridge with not even inches to spare) . We had booked a boat trip to the laguna and glacier San Rafael. During the 2hour boat ride the icebergs floating arround us become bigger and more frequent until we reach the glacier that flows into the San Rafael fjord with a 70m high edge into the sea. The glacier is one noisy monster with frequent , thundering breakoffs. We also spot a rare leopard sea lion,many unique birds and some dolphins. Also , the traditional whiskey toasted with a piece of glacier ice, warms us up nicely.
The next day we hike back to Lago Leones in the neighboring valley ,with another glacier gliding right into the lake. The 25 km hike was a bit much for us, but despite having 4x4 turned on to drive as far as possible, on these miserable roads , they do end rather soon and hiking is the only option.Read more