One Shot Vespignani — Lago del Desierto & Glaciar Vespignani
Location: El Chaltén, Argentina
Discover this excursion to Glaciar Vespignani, deep inside the Lago del Desierto Provincial Reserve. With private transfer and a private guide from El Chaltén throughout, the day combines a scenic drive, a lake navigation and a choice of trails to reach the edge of a hanging glacier that few travelers ever see.
Distance | 37 km / 23 miles each way by road, plus a 30-minute lake navigation each way |
Duration | ≈ 6.5 hrs (private transfer, navigation and 2 hrs at Glaciar Vespignani) |
On-site trails | Red: 2 km / 200 m elevation gain · Yellow: 1 km, gentle · Green: 800 m, flat |
Difficulty | Intermediate (trail options for every fitness level) |
Season | October to April |
The day begins with a private pick-up in El Chaltén for the 37-km drive north to Lago del Desierto, a gravel road that follows the Río de las Vueltas through open Patagonian steppe and native forest, with stops at panoramic viewpoints along the way and your guide's commentary on the area's history and wildlife.
From the pier at Punta Sur, a 30-minute navigation crosses Lago del Desierto, passing beneath the hanging Huemul and Crestón glaciers before reaching the shore at the heart of the lake, in front of Glaciar Vespignani.
On land, two hours are yours to explore a network of three signposted trails, each suited to a different pace: the Red Trail climbs 200 meters over two kilometers to the foot of the glacier, with views back toward the north face of Fitz Roy; the Yellow Trail is a gentler, one-kilometer walk to a panoramic overlook of Cerro Vespignani and its hanging ice; and the Green Trail is an easy, flat 800-meter walk through native forest to a viewpoint over the glacier. A hot chocolate awaits before the return crossing.
Combining a private drive along the Río de las Vueltas, a scenic lake crossing past three hanging glaciers, and trails suited to every fitness level, the excursion to Glaciar Vespignani is one of the most exclusive ways to explore the northern reaches of Los Glaciares National Park — privately guided from pick-up in El Chaltén to drop-off at day's end.
