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 Estimated reading time: 3 min. |
 Marcelo Sola  Wintek Expediciones |
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There are many spots at the Isla Grande de Tierra Del Fuego which, due to various reasons, allow visitors to find nature in its purest form. One of the most interesting sites for those who enjoy hiking and this kind of environments is Mount Alvear and its surroundings.
Located 26 kilometers from the city of Ushuaia, and 1,400 meters over sea level, this is one of the most emblematic mounts in the Tierra del Fuego Andes, along with Mount Olivia. This is due in part to the fact that it is one of the greatest heights on the Argentinian side of the island, and also to its almost plain top, crowned with ice and snow during the entire year.
The glacier located on its eastern side gives origin to the Cotorras River, of indescribable beauty as well as its surroundings. Although it is close to the city, this is an incredibly wild and lonely site, which keeps more than one surprise in each excursion.
In this area, it is quite feasible to come across a troop of guanacos, a couple of condors and even a distrustful red fox. This is due to the fact that the valley surrounding the mount is hard to access, as it is framed by mountains without paths and guarded by a thick forest that will not unveil its secrets. |
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After passing by all this area, the ancient ice is reached, where visitors can appreciate the glacier from the top and from the inside. Caves are formed in the very edge of this ice mass. These caves may be visited during most part of the year, if the corresponding caution measures are taken.
An Unforgettable Sight
Day 1: The tour starts in the surroundings of the Altos del Valle Winter Resort, where Nordic Siberian and Alaskan Huslies dogs are bred. A blurred path starts here and gets deep into the forest, continuously going up until the border of tree vegetation is reached. |
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Afterwards, the Equivocado mount must be skirted. The panoramic sights of the Larsifarshaj River Valley escort the excursionists in each step they take. At this point, the real high hiking begins. Ascensions along stone pits that end into cliffs settled into an incredibly green valley, along which the Cotorras River flows, giving shape to spectacular waterfalls. |
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After some four or five hours of hiking, the foot of the glacier is reached. Lunch is served there. Then, the caves carved in the ice by the water flowing underneath are visited. Wearing helmets and brandishing frontal torches, excursionists enter an environment out of this world. Only the noise of the water and the ice surround the visitors who are immersed in infinite shades of blue. |
After going through the caves, they put on crampons to walk on the glacier and continue the ascent.
After the tour on the ice, the excursionists head for a campsite located at the foot of the snowdrift. It is time for relaxation until a hot dinner and bed time arrive. Everybody falls asleep listening to the sounds of the glacier and the wind.
Walking between Walls
Day 2: After a hearty breakfast, the visitors start walking along a path towards the other side of the mountains, until they reach the Alvear lagoon, of an intense blue color hard to put into words. |
The northern slope of the hill is observed and from this privileged site, it is possible to make out the lakes area, located on the north of the islands and the plains spreading in the distance.
Once lunch is over, they start their way back to the starting point, but this time bordering the Cotorras River. |
At this point, visitors are at the very heart of the valley, and the rock walls deprive them of the horizon during the entire trip. Along the tour, the excursionists can appreciate impressive cascades, beavers’ dams and green vegetation resembling tapestry. After going along the valley for about two hours, the Equivocado mount must be climbed in order to end the journey at the very same point where it started.
As the vehicle takes the excursionists back to Ushuaia, this adventure slowly turns into a memory. |
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To be arranged with the tourist operator. |
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Wíntek Expediciones
Gobernador Paz 1191 (9410) Ushuaia - Tierra del Fuego - Argentina
Tel/Fax: +54 2901 43-7006 Cel: +54 15-516944 / 15-469109
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2 complete days, one night spent on a tent. |
It was impressive to watch the ice mass from beneath once we got deep into one of the caves of Mount Alvear. Very attentive to every step and in complete silence, I let myself be carried away by that phenomenon of nature. I lit the inside of the cave with a torch and discovered a color never seen before. A kind of intense blue stronger than sapphires invaded my pupil. At that moment, I understood that only in a place like this could I find this enigmatic shade. With something as simple as that, I can assure that it was worth the effort.
Ezequiel Gaullón |
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