Trekking Deep into Tierra del Fuego

This trek covers 70km and involves 2,500m of elevation gain.

Day 1: Esmeralda Lagoon - Ojo del Albino Glacier - Beban Dome

You’ll be picked up from your hotel in Ushuaia at 8.30am and driven about 20 minutes to the trailhead.

From here you walk on an easy trail to the stunning Esmeralda Lagoon. You'll then follow a path that weaves in and out of trees to arrive at a rocky moraine from where you ascend through steep boulder fields for about an hour to the base of the Ojo del Albino Glacier.

After lunch here you’ll don crampons and a helmet to ascend onto the glacier. Crossing the ice will take about an hour, after which you’ll head for the mountain pass before descending the moraine onto a steep section of granite slabs.

Once at the tree-line you’ll walk for another hour to Beban Dome, the campsite for your first night.

Trek: 15km/9.3 miles, 8hrs
Elevation gain: 800m
Meals: Picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Camping at Beban Dome

Day 2: Beban Dome - Beban Pass - Los Renos cabins/dome

After breakfast the trek starts with a section across the turba (peat bog), criss-crossing a small creek in the valley before ascending a steep path up to the Beban Pass.

From the top you’ll have outstanding views and will be able to see the route you took the day before. On the other side of the pass you’ll enter a boulder field before a short ascent to a second pass.

Again, you’ll be treated to spectacular views, with a multitude of red, greys and golds in the landscape.

An unmarked, rocky trail descends over rough ground and dense forest into the valley where Lake Fagnano comes into view. After traversing a section of burnt ground, you pick up a trail and head towards the a sandy beach on the shore of Lake Fagnano where a small motorboat will be waiting to ferry you 20 minutes across the water to the secluded Los Renos cabins/dome where you’ll spend the night.

Trek: 18km/11.2 miles, 10hrs
Elevation gain: 350m
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Los Renos cabins/dome

Day 3: Bahía Grande - Los Renos cabins/dome

Today is a relaxing exploratory day, which will allow you to really connect with the pristine environment in which you're trekking. After a good breakfast you’ll take a boat ride with your guide and hosts on the immense Lake Fagnano to Bahía Grande - a large bird reserve.

Along the way you’ll see beaver dams, snow-capped mountains and virgin valleys. Perhaps you'll be able to spot some of the Patagonian endemic species of bird that call Tierra del Fuego home, such as magellanic woodpecker and austral parakeets.

You’ll have lunch on the lake shore, and take short exploratory walks where you and your guide decide. It will just be you and your group in the boat so there is no fixed itinerary, allowing you to take today at your own pace. In the afternoon you'll return to you remote accommodation, and enjoy some warm Patagonian company with your host family and simply enjoy the pristine end-of-the-world setting. This evening your hosts will prepare delicious home-cooked pizzas for dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Los Renos cabins/dome

Day 4: Los Renos cabins/dome - Seven Lagoons - Carbajal Valley

In the mid-morning you’ll take the motorboat back from Los Renos cabins/dome to the sandy beach from where you were picked up on day two.

From here it’s a short but intense ascent up to the first of seven incredible lagoons that you’ll pass today.

The trail between the lagoons isn’t marked and involves trekking through thick forests. You'll ascend to each of the large lagoons which sit on natural plateaus, sometimes connected by waterfalls.

After passing the seventh lagoon, you’ll descend to the Carbajal Valley to find a suitable place to wild camp in the forest.

Trek: 13.5km/8.4 miles, 8hrs
Elevation gain: 600m
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Wild camp

Day 5: Carbajal Valley - National Route 3

The final day of the trek starts early. You’ll follow a long, marked trail across the turba - the classic terrain of Tierra del Fuego - through the Carbajal Valley. The route is mostly flat, though there will be plenty of fallen trees to negotiate.

You’ll see the National Route 3 from a few kilometres away and should finally reach it in the mid-afternoon - it’s from here that you’ll be transferred back to Ushuaia.

Once at your accommodation in Ushuaia, you'll say goodbye to your guide and enjoy the evening on your own to reflect on a truly wild and epic trekking adventure at the End of the World.

Trek: 15.5km/9.6 miles, 8hrs
Elevation gain: 200m
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch