Southern Patagonia Ice Cap Expedition

Packing list materials

• 75/85 liter (4800 cubic inches or larger) backpack
• Sleeping bag allowing for -10º C (10 F) - we recommend at least
• gram of down shell, or synthetic sleeping pad (we recommend closed cell foam or Therm - A -Rest type, for more comfort.)
• Mountain boots: crampon compatible (either waterproof leather or plastic double boots) - we recommend the leather ones. (Boreal Latok or Sportiva Nepal Top); double plastic boots are also possible to use, but they make the walking sometimes difficult.
• Two pairs of medium polar socks
• Two pairs of thin synthetic socks
• A pair of good quality gamaschen
• One set of synthetic thermo underwear (pants and long sleeve shirt)
• One long sleeve synthetic shirt
• Rain Parka with hood (we recommend Gore - Tex shell or similar)
• Rain pants with full side zips (we recommend Gore - Tex shell or similar)
• Polar fibre jacket
• Warm duvet or synthetic jacket, to wear after walking or at night
• Polar fibre pants or trekking pants
• One t-shirt
• Sun hat for sun protection (sun in Patagonia is stronger than in the North) in order to avoid sunstroke
• Warm hat (for warmth)
• Polar fibre balaclava
• One pair of liner gloves
• One pair of synthetic mittens
• Waterproof over mitts (we recommend Gore - Tex or similar)
• Two ski or trekking poles
• Glacier glasses (with UV filter and side shields)
• Lip protection
• Sunscreen (with SPF of at least 16/20)
• Athletic tape for blisters (1 ½ inch wide tape)
• Personal hygiene and Medical Kit (please, reduced to a minimum)
• Pocket knife (Swiss Army style or a multi - tool like Victorinox or               Leatherman)
• Water bottle (better if it is wide -mouthed)
• Headlamp and flashlight (e.g. Petzl or Black Diamond) - with set of extra batteries
• Power bars
• Camera - with extra batteries
• Reading material

We suggest not using natural fibres such as cotton or wool. They don't keep you warm anymore once wet and are very difficult to dry.

Climate

Annual rainfall of as little as 200 mm. a year. In autumn and winter, rain becomes snow and during summer, the area is continuously swept by strong westerly winds that drop their moisture on the mountains and continue cold and dry eastbound over the steppe.

Facts about the Southern Patagonia Ice field

The moist westerly winds will bring great amounts of snow, that fall and build up on the plateaus and mountains of the Ice Cap throughout the year. Consequently, ice will be formed up there. The ice will later flow down the valleys thus forming many glaciers. The Ice Cap and related glaciers becomes then a massive network of ice. The Southern Patagonian Ice Field represents the third biggest mass of ice in the world after the Antarctica and Greenland sheets.

North to South length
372 Km/230 ml.

Average width
40 km/25 ml.

Minimum width
17 Km/11ml (Falla Reichert Pass)

Maximum width
80 Km/50ml (Fitz Roy’s latitude)

Total area
13.000 sq Km. / 8080 sq ml The SPIC has lost 500 Sq Km /310 Sq ml since 1945.

The Southern Patagonian Ice Field is clearly one of the world’s last Terra Incognita, a universe of ice and snow, and a place where few people have set foot. It is Earth’s third largest glaciated area, and it lies quite close to El Chaltén, at the west of Mount Fitz Roy. We offer you to join us on this expedition into the Ice Field, circle world-famous mountains such as Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. Walk all the length of Argentina’s biggest Glacier, Viedma Glacier.