viedma ice trek

The Viedma, Much More than A Glacier

Túnel Bay lies just a few minutes away from El Chaltén and it is the starting point to navigate across Lake Viedma on a modern catamaran. Passengers may land on the shore and walk on the glacier bearing the same name. The firm Patagonia Aventura has launched this modern watercraft for visitors to have the chance of coming close to the glacier in order to behold the colors, cracks, formations and listen to the sounds made by this wonder of nature. At the Tourist Information Office in El Chaltén, Patagonia Aventura offered three tours. They could be done in half a day, all day or adventurers might choose to spend the night.

To see the glacier from a different perspective

Navigate Lake Viedma

To behold the colors, cracks

Walk on it with the aid of crampons

Light-blue and even blue

A really memorable adventure

Viedma Light consists in a two-and-a-half-hour navigation across Lake Viedma. It takes visitors down to the glacier and its 40-meter-high walls. Viedma Ice Trek consists in navigating only to land on the Viedma Glacier and walk on it with the aid of crampons. This hiking tour on the ice takes two hours and a half. The other tour has been specially designed for physically fit travelers. It takes nine hours and it is called Viedma Pro. We chose Viedma Ice Trek. According to our guide Juan Aguada, this is the most popular excursion among tourists who wish to see the glacier from a different perspective. We landed on an area with large rocks that looked burnt and washed out. Our eyes were not wrong. “These rocks were occupied by glaciers for thousands of years; their colors give proof of the cold temperatures as well as of the pressure of the ice”. After walking for a while, we reached the spot where the rock meets the glacier and it was at this moment when we started to put on the crampons in order to go up and climb. We started to walk in a single file. Juan was leading the small troop. “The secret is to open your legs wide and take short but firm steps. This way, it is impossible to get tired or to be in risk of getting hurt with the crampon edges. This is essential to keep the excursion going.” White, light-blue and even blue walls followed one another as we discovered the different parts of the glacier and even appreciated some we just dared to behold without getting too close to the dangerous sections. Juan is one of those guys who is full of peace and that is evident both in the way he talks and walks, as well as in the way he moves through life. Not anyone can climb the Fitz Roy on its most difficult side. He had. He had a surprise for us. Holding his pick axe, he started to break up the ice and got a bottle of Baileys from his backpack. We need not tell what happened next. The glasses cheered up the moment as we all had a well-deserved rest in order to keep on discovering some really magical areas on the glacier. Ice ridges, deep blue cracks and frozen ice ponds appeared on the last segment of this wonderful tour. There is no doubt that the Viedma Ice Trek is one of the best excursions to choose at El Chaltén. Ice scenes. Hues ranging from white to extreme blue. A really memorable adventure.

Contact of the excursion or tour

Patagonia Aventura S. A.

San Martín 56, El Chaltén, Santa Cruz, Agentina

Things to do in El Chaltén

Tourism in Santa Cruz

The Wonders of Mount Torre

Untamed Beauty

Walking around the Hiking Capital of Argentina

Parque Nacional Los Glaciares

Lake Torre, a Really Special Lake

Fabulous Huemul Glacier

Searching for Lago del Desierto

Capri, A Magical Lake

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Ice Climbing On Viedma Glacier, Glacier National Park

Hiking & Trekking | 10 comments

Viedma Glacier is a part of the Southern Ice Field between Chile & Argentina. I found the glacier quite impressive as it is not only the largest glacier within Los Glaciares National Park , but also the second largest in the southern hemisphere. We chose to head out with Patagonia Aventura who specialized in activities on the glacier. They offer three main adventures:

• Viedma Light : Set off on a catamaran ride across Lake Viedma to the terminus of the glacier. Riders get to see the glacier in all its glory and travel up and down the 2km terminus before returning back to the port.
• Viedma Ice Trek : Adventurers set off on the same catamaran ride but get the opportunity to throw on some crampons and go on a guided glacier walk.
• Viedma Pro : This adrenaline packed glacier experience takes the first two activities and adds in some rope for repelling and ice axes for climbing.

Wanting to kick the adventure game up a notch and test my limits I selected Viedma Pro . Check out the ice climbing adventure here.

ICE CLIMBING IN PATAGONIA

After an early rise a group of us made our way over to the Patagonia Aventura office in El Chaltén. After checking in we boarded their bus and headed south about 17km to the Bahía Túnel harbor. We hopped on the catamaran which took us south on a scenic trip across Lago Viedma. Regardless of the amount of time you have spent around the El Chaltén area, the views on the lago of Huemel and Fitz Roy mountains are always a sight to see.

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10 Comments

Adventures on glaciers, ice-picking and narrow crevices…wow. We all travel and experience the world so differently! Patagonia has some super stunning landscapes. I would be happy just photographing them 🙂

This is gorgeous! I’m really hoping to get to Patagonia at some point. Your photos are awesome and really make me want to prioritize a trip there ASAP.

I always love your photo’s! Guy you really do get around and are so adventurous, I love reading about the different stuff you do it makes me realize that I am pretty boring… hahah. Very awesome stuff!!

Your photos are absolutely amazing! Patagonia has been on our mind for a while now and we’d definitely love to give it a go. Good tip to plan the activities with an experienced company, we’re noting it down because we’ll feel safer knowing it’s tested already!

Reading this post really makes me laugh – at me, not at you. You I admire. I’m just comparing your way of travelling with mine – and realize what a bore I am. Instead of crossing ice gaps I enjoy ice cream. When I read that it was difficult to sink an ax in an ice wall…well, that has never been my problem on a trip. I simply refrain from sinking axes and I’m good. No, seriously, again I’m very impressed; very, very impressed!

What an incredible adventure out there, we are very much looking forward to visit this region and it looks well worth the wait!

Going to Patagonia and trekking across a glacier has been near the top of my bucket list for some time now. I am very jealous that you were able to do this!

Ok, I never tried Ice wall climbing with a axe before but would love to try this out someday. Loving the photos and looks like you had an amazing time doing this. Love following your adventures. Keep it up and keep on smiling 🙂

This place looks amazing, I cannot believe how beautiful everything is. Sounds like you had quite the adventure for this! Thank you for sharing this.

Oh my goodness, this is absolutely stunning! I adore icy landscapes, and would LOVE to try this out!

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Ice Climbing the Viedma Glacier in Patagonia

By Sydney Tong on January 15, 2017 . Read time: 7 mins .

Using all my strength, I thrust my ice pick into the dense, glossy wall. Some of the ice chipped off and fell into my mouth. It tasted slightly sweet, which I wasn't expecting.

Booking a tour

The glacier.

At this point, all of my senses are involved at this moment. The cold air coming off the glacier smells fresh, and I can hear the rivers around me carving out new paths in the ice. The Viedma Glacier commands my attention as I pull myself out of the bottomless crevasse and feel the warm sun hit my face.

We wanted to take on the challenge of ice climbing the Viedma Glacier in the small Patagonia village. Second, to the Brüggen Glacier, the Viedma Glacier stands tall among the others in the park.

El Chalten is also home to Monte Fitz Roy which is one of the most technical climbs in the world. El Chalten is extraordinarily remote and about a 3-hour drive from the more commercialized, El Calafate. The 360 degrees of mountains that surround the village rise so tall that they pierce the sky. This small village offers authenticity to those who make it this far north in Patagonia.

The prices of accommodations and food are low and remain immune to price gouging. Everything must be paid in cash as wi-fi and credit cards are scarce. There is a small bank at the entrance to the village, but it's hours are subject to change. If you need to fill up there is a small gas station near the entrance to the village, and they only accept cash.

Hiking inbetween glacial crevasses

Some of the people on our expedition

The only way to get on the glacier is by joining an organized tour. Going solo would be dangerous, as glaciers are constantly moving. Glacier Viedma moves at a rate of 1 meter per year and pieces larger than semi trucks fall off on a daily basis. Using a guide familiar with the terrain is for your safety. Getting to the glacier involves an hour-long boat tour that can only be arranged through a company.

There are hiking tours available if you are not interested in climbing.

We booked our tour through Viva Patagonia (also known as Patagonia Adventures) and met our group in El Chalten. If you are staying in El Calafate, they can arrange a transportation service to get you to El Chalten. It is a 3-hour drive be prepared for a long day if you choose this route.

The tour price does not include the transportation cost, but they can set it up for you no problem. Everyone on our tour was staying in El Calafate except for us. We had been camping and driving through Patagonia on our own, and had camped at El Relincho the night before.

View from a top of the glacier

At 8:30 am we met our group at the dock on Lake Viedma. As we boarded the boat, the bad weather from the night before was still lingering. Freddy, our main tour guide, assured us that the weather would clear up in the hour it would take to reach our destination, and he was right.

I enjoyed looking out of the window as our boat took us towards the glacier. As glaciers move they grind the rock underneath into a fine powder which makes the lake a milky turquoise color. Glacial lakes are colors unlike any other lake in the world.

When we got off of the boat, we hiked up a rocky hill towards what would be our base camp for the day. We got fitted for our harness, helmets, and crampons.

Some of our mates hiking up steep hills

Hiking carefully around deep holes

Our hiking mates hiking along a small spine

After we acquired all of our gear, we began our journey on the glacier. Hiking on this giant was incredible, and we saw all different shades of blue that we didn't know were natural. Our guides; Freddy, Esteban, and Austin carefully led us around the glacier. They were excellent and pointed out unique formations or offered interesting facts about the glacier.

We hiked 30-minutes towards our first wall of the day, side-stepping crevasses and working our way up steep hills. Some parts of the hike were incredibly steep and narrow, so I was grateful for the added traction the crampons gave me.

When we got to the first wall our guides showed us proper techniques for climbing, handling the picks, and how to find our rhythm on the wall. The eleven of us took turns climbing and practicing our form. We stayed at this wall for 2-hours, and everyone picked it up fairly quickly.

If you go on this trip to climb you need to bring a pair of boots that have a stiff sole.

The warm up wall

Gabe topping out on the warm up wall

Sydney warming up on the wall

The other guests on this excursion were incredibly friendly. Some people had experience with climbing while others wanted to get out of their comfort zone and try something new. One man had signed up for this tour to conquer his fear of heights. He was terrified, and everyone in the group was supportive of him. He did wonderfully, and it was inspiring to see a bunch of strangers support one-another.

There were eleven people in our group, and everyone got plenty of action time. We had three guides in our group, so there was plenty of hands-on help.

After everyone felt comfortable with their newly found skills, we headed back to base camp to enjoy lunch and rest before we started our ascent to a more challenging wall.

It was relaxing to sit on rocks that had been warmed by the sun while eating my smashed sandwich and looking out on the lake. Some people socialized with other group members, some took naps on the rocks, and other enjoyed their lunch with the view.

The hike back we took a different route that led us to a bottomless crevasse. I would guess that it was 70-100 meters deep, but I could not see the bottom from any angle, so I am unsure of how deep it was.

We set up two ropes and took turns going up this incredibly vertical wall. It was much more difficult than the first wall because the ice was densely packed, so I had to put my whole weight into getting my pick in the wall. I had to kick with all my might to get my crampons to hold. It was a full body workout and exhausting, and I consider myself to be fairly in shape.

Gabe climbing in the crevasse.

The experience is one that I will never forget. All of my senses were on edge. I could hear the rivers moving through the glacier; the sound was so pure and gentle. I have never smelled air as fresh as this glacial air. Something about it was so crisp and youthful despite the fact that the ice had been here for a couple of decades or longer.

My face could feel the coldness coming out of the glacier, and it kept me alert. As I swung my pick over and over into the wall small chips of ice fell into my mouth, and it tasted sweet. I couldn't get enough of it.

A few times in my life I have felt completely and utterly in sync with Mother Nature, and this was one of those times. As I came out of the crevasse, the sun-kissed my cheeks. By this time the muscles in my hands had cramped up from over-gripping the pick. I have climbed rock walls in the past, but I had never felt so humbled than when I climbed this glacier.

Bring cash to El Chalten, credit cards are rarely accepted. Banks are open when they want to be and ATMs work when they feel like it.

A friend getting ready to descend into the crevasse

Our guides letting loose

After everyone had a few turns on the glacier, we started our hike back towards base camp. Freddy led us through an underground tunnel/cave. The colors were so brightly blue. These colors that you see in these glaciers seem so unreal that sometimes I felt like I was in a dream. They are unlike anything I have seen before, and it is unlikely that I will see them anywhere else.

When we got out of the tunnel, we entered a clearing. The guides poured us some of Tia Maria's Coffee Liqueur cooled by glacial ice they had chipped off. We toasted to a successful trip. The hike back was light-hearted as everyone was still riding the high from the incredible day.

Everyone was exhausted but very happy with how our day turned out. The boat ride was calmer this time around, and everyone seemed at ease.

As we arrived at the dock, everyone got onto their bus to head back towards El Calafate. We hopped in our Suzuki Jimny and headed back towards the village in search of something to eat.

Waterproof pants and jacket are a must!

Our whole group

We recommend this to anyone who wants to try something new or challenge themselves. We are avid rock climbers, and this trip was right up our alley. We liked that the group size was small and that everyone had a turn. The tour never felt rushed, and our guides were excited to share the wealth of knowledge with us.

There were varying levels of athletic ability in our group, and everyone did well. I would not recommend it to people who are completely out of shape or elderly. I do not think it is a good activity for children, maybe the youngest I would recommend would be 12 or 13 years old. The hiking excursion might be a better option, but I wouldn't recommend anyone younger than 8 or 10 years old. We met an elderly couple (the late 60s, early 70s) the had hired a private guide to take them on an easy trail. They were able to go at their own pace without feeling rushed or slowing anyone down.

Patagonia Adventures Tour - Check it Out Here

Our hike back to the boat for the end of the day

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Contact of the excursion or tour

Patagonia Aventura S. A.

San Martín 56, El Chaltén, Santa Cruz, Argentina

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El Calafate

• Tours & Activities

Trekking in front of Viedma Glacier from El Chalten

We have two daily departures so you can choose between a morning or midday tour. Depending on the time you select, you will approach the offices of the agency located in the center of El Chalten and from there you will depart by bus to the Bahía Túnel port.

Once on board, you will sail South across the bay. The lake’s depth allows for a pleasant cruise near the shoreline, permitting the observation of the mountains Fitz Roy and Huemul. Approximately after 1-hour navigation, during which you will observe large icebergs, you will disembark on a rocky promontory area- facing the Viedma glacier- to start trekking. The trekking on the promontory area will allow you to appreciate the history of the glaciations, the movement of large ice blocks smoothing the rocks, and to acknowledge nature as the main modeler of the landscape that you enjoy today. This promontory area is a terrain rarely seen and it is the ideal point for the Glaciology talks offered by our guides. During this journey you will approach the glacier to observe it from different heights and natural viewpoints, appreciating its immensity and the play of colors. Return to Bahía Túnel for the disembarkation and back to El Chalten by bus.

• Itinerary 1

- 08:15 Meeting point at San Martín 56, El Chalten

- 08:45 Embarkation at Bahía Túnel harbor

- 09:00 Departure from the Bahía Túnel harbor, heading for the Viedma glacier.

- 10:00 Disembarkation on the promontory are and trekking

- 13:30 Embarkation and cruise.

- 14:30 Arrive at Bahía Túnel harbor.

- 15:00 Arrival at El Chalten

• Itinerary 2

- 11:15 Meeting point at San Martín 56, El Chalten

- 11:45 Embarkation at Bahía Túnel harbor

- 12:00 Departure from the Bahía Túnel harbor, heading for Viedma glacier.

- 13:15 Disembarkation on the promontory area and trekking

- 16:15 Embarkation and cruise.

- 17:30 Arrive at Bahía Túnel harbor.

- 18:00 Arrival at El Chalten

• Information & Tips

The activity Viedma Pro is a combination of both excursions, the “Viedma Light” and the “Viedma Ice Trek” . It is mainly practicing climbing on the ice, an activity where tourists will be delivered technical and safety material for a safe climb.

• Description

The descriptions of the excursions in each destination appear on our website as information for our clients. We organize comprehensive trips, which include hotels, excursions, transfers and flights if necessary. We do not sell individual excursions. If you would like to get a customized quote for your trip, please contact us at [email protected] .

Always accompanied by a mountain guide and his assistants, the group of passengers will go on board at 8:45 am at Puerto Bahía Túnel to the Viedma Glacier, navigating the Lago Viedma, where it is possible to see icebergs. At 10:30 am, arrival at the glacier, where you will be given crampons to start the trek on the glacier, until you reach the ideal wall for the climb. At 4:45 pm we return to the vessel, and arrive at Puerto Bahía Túnel at 5:30 pm, ending the activity. There isn’t an age limit for this excursion, but the minimun age is 12 years old and you must be in a good physical condition.

Each passenger must take his/her own trekking footwear, warm clothes, gloves, scarf, sunglasses, sun protector and lunch box.

A lodge where tranquility and nature find its utmost expression. An exclusive and secluded place in El Chaltén, on the Lake, in the heart of the majestic Patagonian Andes and with absolute privacy for the guests.

This 5 star hotel is emblematic in El Chaltén, strategically located in a natural viewpoint, with fantastic views of Mount Fitz Roy and the surrounding lakes and valleys. Located 8 minutes on foot from the commercial center and 200 km from El Calafate International Airport, it has a wonderful infrastructure.

Chalten Suites is located in one of the most spectacular places of Patagonia, surrounded by Mount Fitz Roy, hills and lakes. It offers a personalized service in very comfortable installations designed exclusively for those who love tranquility, good food and the unbeatable view of the Andean mountains.

Chaltén Camp is located only 3 km from El Chaltén, the ideal place to enjoy the best glamping experience in Argentina. You can sleep and wake up in a large dome equipped with everything you need to enjoy nature and the panoramic view of Cerro Fitz Roy.

Lodge Explora has a privileged location, being a perfect place to discover the wonders of the Argentinean Patagonia. Offering high standards of comfort and spectacular views of the Marconi Glacier and the Eléctrico River Valley, its philosophy is aligned with a style of sustainable luxury.

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Glacier Trekking & Boat Tour to Viedma Glacier

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Glacier Trekking & Boat Tour to Viedma Glacier By: Serge Pikhotskiy December 28, 2015 A large glacier floating in the lake We typically try to avoid big tours when we travel, as we like flexibility of being on our own schedule. But for this time, we decided to go with Patagonia Adventura to experience the lake side views of the Viedma Glacier from the boat and later explore the opportunity to actually walk on the glacier. I must say, we were not disappointed! There are 3 types of tours:

• Boat Tour Only (Viedma Light) 3Hrs Roundtrip
• Boat & Glacier Trekking Tour (Viedma Ice Trek) 6Hrs Roundtrip
• Boat + Ice climbing tour (Viedma Pro) 6Hrs Rondtrip

We opted for the Boat & Glacier Trekking Tour. And let me tell you, I did not think once about the $300 that we spent on this excursion while we were out there. This is what I call getting your money’s worth.

Dash is getting ready to board the boat that will take us Glacier Trekking

Once you purchase the tickets, you will be given instructions on when to arrive to their pickup location so you could get on their shuttle bus and be taken to the Boat Terminal. It’s about 30-45 minutes ride. One you arrive at the boat terminal, it would take another 30 or so minutes to board one of the boats.

After about 45 minute ride, you will get very close to the Viedma glacier. There were few times when we heard a loud cracking noise and witnessed huge chunks of ice fall into the water. A very sad but also a very unique experience.

Dash is on top of Viedma Galcier

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• Perito Moreno Vs. Viedma Glacier Tour

April 18, 2018   27 Comments »

Home » Blog » Destinations » South America » patagonia » Perito Moreno Vs. Viedma Glacier Tour

March 26, 2013 27 Comments »

In this corner – we have the world champion Perito Moreno Glacier known through out the world for it’s heavyweight size and knock-out calving punch. In the other corner we the Viedma Glacier – a scrappy new opponent offering a powerful one-two punch of adventure and crevasses.

Lets get ready to rumble!

Two Glaciers, both in Los Glaciares National Park , both offer ice trekking, both marketed to adventure travelers – but which one should you choose? I was lucky enough to set foot on both Viedma Glacier and the Perito Moreno Glacier – but not everyone is that fortunate. I decided to compare my experiences based on some criteria that I deem relevant for adventure travel seekers. You can go through this and determine what’s important to you and choose for yourself. And if you have the chance to go to both…do it!

Table of Contents

Perito Moreno VS. Viedma Glacier

A boat awaits to pick us up on Viedma Lake

Viedma – The boat was new and well maintained. You could ride on the top and get some great photos of the approach. The boat ride took about 45 minutes to get across the lake and to the glacier. The boat swung around and took us rather close along the base of the glacier

Perito Moreno – The boat was a bit older – but nice. The ride was much shorter – only about 20 minutes. There was also a top viewing area, but the boat took you straight to the drop off point and didn’t spend much time taking you past base of the glacier.

Viedma Glacier boat landing – a technical hike to get to the glacier

Walking to Perito Moreno glacier – an easy path to the base of the ice.

Viedma – once you got off the boat you still had to get to the ice. The Viedma landing was rocky. Clearly the adventure started the moment you stepped off the boat. You were deposited onto some harsh terrain – orange colored large rocks that you had to scramble across. Our English-speaking guide team met us and then led us over the rocks towards the ice. The rock scramble wasn’t easy – it was steep in areas, however the guides were like gazelles – they knew every hard part and ran out in front to offer a hand just when you needed it. Once near the ice we sat on the rocks and the guides helped us get outfitted in crampons. We then were able to step on to the ice. There were no bathroom facilities once you got off the boat.

Perito Moreno – The boat landing area was very nice with a dock and an easy disembarkation. They had a number of buildings located there where you could sit and eat lunch and look at views of the glacier and there were bathroom facilities. After a short talk we followed our English speaking guides along an easy walk which skirted the water’s edge. It was a well worn trail which deposited us in front of another little hut with benches. There was a team of workers there to outfit you in crampons. Everyone sat on a little bench and had their crampons put on then they followed the guides onto an easy entry onto the glacier. There was no scrambling required on this entry – extremely straightforward and easy.

Equipment/Guides

Crampons used on Viedma Glacier. Notice the front ice picks at the toe which make it possible to climb steeper ice.

The Viedma team served up Bailey’s with a bit of glacier ice…now this is happy hour!

Viedma – The crampons were good quality and they had toe picks which allowed you to go up steeper walls. They also furnished gloves for those who didn’t have their own. We had 3 English speaking guides for our group and they were the energetic, upbeat, and always there when you needed a hand. In fact they moved so fast on the ice that they snuck up on me many times! They encouraged you to try things slightly out of your comfort zone and would give you extra support if you looked nervous. They also took a lot of time to explain the history and geology of the glacier which I found fascinating. I was really impressed with how nimble and adventurous the group of them was. About ¾ of the way through the trek the guides surprised us with a bottle of Baily’s that they poured over glacial ice for a little celebration – a real treat!

Perito Moreno – the crampons were a step down from Viedma – there were no toe picks which pretty much immediately signaled to me that we wouldn’t be doing any real challenging hiking/climbing. The crampons were good quality, but more restrictive. We had two English speaking guides who were very nice and helpful. They also had some explanation of the glacier and the Southern Ice Field, calving, etc – but I didn’t find it as thorough. However I might not have been as attentive since this was my 2nd glacier trek. As expected from the crampons – the guides did not take us to very many adventurous areas. We stuck to a fairly well worn path and didn’t do any intimidating climbs or descents. They were there to lend a hand generally – or more often than not to tell you not to do something or get to close to things. Also at the end of the trek the guide took you to a little ‘bar area’ where they chipped off ice from the glacier and then poured people whiskeys over ice. A nice way to stay warm.

Glacier Tour Restrictions

Viedma –  My Adventure Life hiking group was older  – we had people in our group over the age of 65. However there were no upper limit age restrictions for the Viedma trekking so everyone was able to go (minimum age 12). This is where the guides came in though – they were extremely attentive to our group and made sure everyone was comfortable and watched over well.  Everyone in our group did the trek just fine!

Perito Moreno – the age restriction for the Mini Trekking was 10 to 65. This meant that half the people in our group were unable to even go on the Perito Moreno Glacier no matter how fit they were. I found it really ironic that one of the men in our group was 67 years old and restricted from being on Perito Moreno even though he was the most experienced climber in our whole group. After all – he actually climbed Everest when he was 65. But there were no exceptions to the restrictions – not even Everest experience.

Glacier Trekking Difficulty

Climbing up Viedma Glacier – nothing felt off limits to us!

Posing for the camera…they gave us the ice picks for the shots – but we didn’t do anything like this during the mini trekking. I believe it’s included in other trekking packaged though.

Viedma – the trekking was challenging – and it was really fun. The guides explained how to use the crampons well and we were off. I was really surprised at the things they were taking us through and on. We did some steep climbs and descents that I wouldn’t have sought out on my own! But they were there lending a helping hand and were generally confident in our ability which was nice. They would occasionally make some steps for us with their ice picks in a really steep area, but mainly they just taught us how to utilize the crampons in these more challenging situations. By the end I was exhausted and we still had to scramble back over the rocks to get to the boat at the end. It was challenging, risky, and well supported.

Perito Moreno – This was a well-traveled tourist path and because of that the whole trek was watered down. There were no steep climbs or descents and in fact I got reprimanded a few times for trying to go my own way (which I do greatly appreciate their concern with safety). The people who were on this trek were much more timid and out of shape too – so I understand that the guides had to account for that too. The guides would lead us to some crevasses and holes and let us walk up and peer over one by one with support – but that was about as daring as it got. We even had a photo session where everyone posed for a photo that made us look way more adventurous than what they were! There are more difficult treks you can do on Perito Moreno – but they cost much more money and aren’t as comparable with the Viedma prices any longer.

Views and Landscapes

Perito Moreno glacier – you can’t beat the views!

Viedma – the ice was gorgeous – however it was the overall setting that made it stunning. The bright orange rocks and blue glacial lake water were an beautiful against the ice glacier. I found the overall scenery to be stunning and colorful. It was also barren as there were no trees. Once you climbed up to a ridge you could see for a ways and take in the whole glacier. The glacier is a bit more remote so the only way you can get a good frontal view from the water is on the boat.

Perito Moreno – absolutely spectacular – it’s 3 miles wide at its front and over 20 stories high. The size is overwhelming – both while you are on the glacier and also while you are viewing it. Once you got to the top of a ridge on the glacier you could see for miles and miles. You could start to understand what being a part of the Southern Ice Field meant. The cliffs and valleys seemed larger than Viedma and overall you just felt small on Perito Moreno. In addition, you could view the whole glacier from an elaborate set of viewing platforms in front of the glacier. I easily spend 45 minutes walking around the platforms watching ice calving and trying to get a full picture of the glacier , which was about impossible even with my wide-angle lens. The viewing platforms and facilities were top notch.

Crowds and Price

The path was well-worn and easy to follow on Perito Moreno

Our much larger group on the Perito Moreno glacier hike.

Viedma – Aprox. $100 US (half day).  There were very few people on the glacier and since there only way to really get there and see it was by boat – it really did feel remote. There were two trekking groups when we went – only about 25 people overall. Once we got on the ice we never even saw the other group of people once. The two groups went their separate ways. Perito Moreno – Aprox. $140 US (all day includes the viewpoint & park fee of $20 is separate).   There was a constant flow of people on and off the glacier with much larger group sizes. Since the glacier is also viewable from the park on the viewing platforms – there were just more people in the park in general. More tour companies operated tours around the glacier so there was just more activity in general. It was never a real hindrance – but the experience didn’t feel as unique to me.

See my Essential Hiking Gear List

Now that you’ve chosen a hike, you need to know what gear to take with you! Don’t leave on your hike without these hiking gear essentials. !

Overall Glacier Tour Decision

Our guide peers at a small ‘baby’ crack in Perito Moreno. One day soon it will grow into a big crevasse.

Viedma – I loved the remoteness, the difficulty, and the organization of this trek the best. It felt more unique and the challenge was definitely greater which then left me with the real feeling of accomplishment when it was over. I also loved the fact that we had better crampons for doing more difficult climbing. Plus – for whatever reason – I connected with the guides more on this trek. Perito Moreno – the trek was ok – but I was a bit turned off by the fact that I was a part of this big tourist dance and didn’t feel nearly as unique or special. However the experience was safe, and well run without a doubt. In addition – I did really love the fact that the view area was included in the days activities. From a photography standpoint – Perito Moreno offered much more.

And the Winner Is…

If you have to choose just one – then I recommend the Viedma trek for it’s uniqueness and more adventurous trekking . Then I would recommend simply driving out to Perito Moreno and checking out the viewing area and setting your eyes on this large piece of moving ice – it’s a humbling experience to simply see it’s enormity.

How you can visit these two Glaciers

Complete tour including hiking and both glaciers 

Self Drive tour of the glaciers

Glacier only Options: Viedma Glacier Patagonia Adventure Perito Moreno Mini Trekking

Disclosure:

Disclosure: Adventure Life hosted my Patagonia travels. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own – as you know how I love to speak my mind!

27 Responses to "Perito Moreno Vs. Viedma Glacier Tour"

By Turtle March 26, 2013 - 10:48 am

Great analysis but it’s a big call to pass up trekking on Perito Moreno. I still remember how amazed I was to finally see it for myself. It’s one of the most incredible sights in Argentina! I didn’t make it to Viedma but I saw some other very cool glaciers when trekking around El Chalten. It’s such a beautiful part of the world!

By Sherry March 26, 2013 - 3:34 pm

True – I did enjoy Perito Moreno for the views – but if you can only do one trekking – in my opinion it should be Viedma – and then just go visit Perito Moreno – they have an amazing viewing area that’s totally worth it and only costs the park admission.

By Natasha von Geldern March 26, 2013 - 7:28 pm

Absolutely marvellous – crampons and Baileys, what a combination! I’d love to dig my crampons out of the garage and take them here 🙂

By Rocio March 27, 2013 - 5:15 am

Gorgeous pictures!!

By Red Hunt March 27, 2013 - 11:57 am

Super cool, I haven’t been down that way of Patagonia yet and hear about Perito Moreno non-stop…but this Viedma Glacier sounds much more my style….great comparison! (Although both still sound fun.)

By Laurence March 28, 2013 - 11:09 am

Sounds like the Viedma one is the one to go for, but they both sounds pretty awesome to be honest 😉

By Mark H March 29, 2013 - 11:04 pm

A bit of a David and Goliath comparison. One well known and one not so well known. Travel throws this conundrum up in several places around the world and the choice is difficult. NZ also has two glaciers near each other with merits to both. Great review of the two options.

By Sherry April 4, 2013 - 2:41 am

Great point Mark – it is David and Goliath – and I always go for the underdog!

By Sam April 9, 2013 - 12:49 pm

Those are some great pics. Have no yet been to either Perito Moreno or Viedma Glacier yet but will have to give one of them a try next time I am in Argentina, thanks for the in depth article.

By Federico January 14, 2014 - 11:51 pm

You get the same crampons if you do the Big Ice trekking, but is a 2:30 to 3hs on the Ice, plus 1 hour (each way) to get to the glacier. The mini-trekking is just 1 to 1:30hs on the Glacier plus 15 min. to get to the glacier

By Phil July 31, 2014 - 6:38 am

Thanks for the info Sherry going to South America in February and was looking for good places to visit on my way from ushuaia to the caves at chile chico ,thanks again Phil

By Sophie November 12, 2014 - 9:27 am

That is a great comparison and I really enjoyed the article! Quick question: Is the Viedma trek available from El Calafate or only from El Chalten?

Thanks, Sophie.

By Sherry November 13, 2014 - 4:13 am

Sophie – I”m not sure. As I recall it’s about a 3 or 4 hour drive from Calafate – so not sure that they run a day tour out of there or note.

By Alejandra January 29, 2015 - 9:02 pm

Muy buen análisis! We will follow your advice!

By Toncica prosic February 4, 2015 - 6:36 pm

Hi, sherry, my decision is not ice trekking but 1 or 2 boat trips. 1st day Perito moreno walkways and/or no 1 hour boat trip. 2nd day el chalten with viedma boat trip. Should we take both? Are they different/equally stunning? Or just enjoy walkways and next day viedma?

By Sherry February 12, 2015 - 2:32 am

In my opinion the Perito moreno boat trip is probably better. The great thing about Viedma is the hiking on it! But if you can do both go for it!

By El Chalten<>Cuevas de las Manos-->Ushuaia Tips and Itinerary Feedback - FlyerTalk Forums November 19, 2015 - 9:51 am

[…] debating whether to do the self-directed tourist shuffle or a private tour on Moreno after reading this compare/contrast analysis. Did you book Viedma in advance or after arriving? All this talk about […]

By Sherry November 19, 2015 - 10:59 pm

I booked it after arriving.

By carol March 15, 2016 - 3:09 pm

Awesome post. Convinced me to do viedma and skip the trek on perito moreno.

By Sherry March 19, 2016 - 1:21 pm

Yay! How did you like Viedma?

By Carlota April 17, 2016 - 5:42 am

Hi Sherry! Excellent article and thanks for the input. I was wondering whether to do the hike in PM or Viedma. My incline is to go for the Viedma one, but I just realised the age restriction, my kids are 11 years old, so we’ll be restricted to Perito Moreno. I’m sure it’ll be wonderful anyway. Can you recommend any other hikes for adventurous kids in El Chalten?

By Aaron Johnson May 16, 2016 - 4:13 pm

I am planning a trip to this area in December and have been searching all over for good info on hikes, camping areas, and other experiences in Patagonia. When you did both Perito Moreno and Viedma, where did you stay? If I understand my geography right, Perito Moreno is closer to El Calafate and Viedma is closer to El Chalten and they are a few hours by bus from each other. Also, what company did you get your glacier trek through? I saw you said you booked it once you got there, but I would like to at least look at prices and whatnot online so if you have more info that would be really helpful. Thanks!

By Sherry May 17, 2016 - 2:31 am

I planned and booked my hotels and the glacier hike with Adventure Life – http://www.adventure-life.com/patagonia – I’ve used them again after that trip too in Belize and they did a great job. You can book when you get there too in El Chalten – or you can book in a package like I did. Adventure life booked the hotels and organized transportation between the two places – as well as hiking in the Area. They are an American company but they have been operating in Patagonia now for a while.

By VINICIUS DE CARVALHO FREITAS November 14, 2017 - 10:30 am

I could not find the same trekking that you did, they are offering only walking over the rocks at Patagonia Aventura, is there other companies/agencies doing this trekking?

By Sherry November 14, 2017 - 10:34 am

For Viedma Trekking You can try this company – Patagonia Adventures Avenida San Martin 56, El Chalten Z9301ABA, Argentina

By jojo March 11, 2018 - 11:55 am

Hi, just to update this blog post, trekking on viedma is NOT available for 2018. No walking on the glacier is allowed. We are here now and tried to book. Such a shame as we have already seen Perito Moreno and now have to go back to do the trekking if we want

By Sherry March 11, 2018 - 11:57 am

That’s horrible news. Do you know why they are discontinuing it? Is it a safety thing or environmental thing? Any info is appreciated and I’ll happily update the post. Thanks!

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Glaciar Viedma Ice Trek. El Chalten. - Patagonia Forum

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Glaciar Viedma Ice Trek. El Chalten.

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Hello, Does anyone have recent info about Ice Trekking on Viedma? It seems I read a post that ice trekking trips were a thing of the past because the glacier had retreated enough that it made the slope/scree approach not very safe. If I recall correctly, boat trips were still OK and being done. Any News. As Always, Thank you all in advance.

It seems you read a post? Well, either your did read a post or you did not. Can you please post a link to this post, because it contains incorrect information. Ice trekking trips on Viedma are still being done, as you can verify yourself by reading these recent reviews;

https://www.tripadvisor.nl/Attraction_Review-g316035-d3710333-Reviews-Viedma_Glacier-El_Chalten_Province_of_Santa_Cruz_Patagonia.html

Ahhh, for those golden days of yore when memory served impeccably and one could recall the 5 Ws of any read fragment. Alas, those days have sadly retreated much like our unfortunate glaciers. I thank you for your prompt response and precise information. Much useful. This forum is invaluable!

I thought the Viedma ice trek had been discontinued, too. I just checked Patagonia Chic and calafate.com (2 companies who previously offered this tour), and I don’t see this ice trek offered by either of these 2 companies. However, I see that Patagonia Aventura is still offering this ice trek. This is the website for their Viedma Ice trek in 2018:

http://www.patagonia-aventura.com/viedma-trek-excursion/

Here are Tripadvisor reviews of the Viedma ice trek:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g316035-d3710333-Reviews-Viedma_Glacier-El_Chalten_Province_of_Santa_Cruz_Patagonia.html

I remember reading this scary Tripadvisor post about Tyler P’s experience on the Viedma ice trek in October 2016 (see post number 8); I can’t tell which operator he used for this tour.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294276-i5357-k9611342-Two_week_itinerary-Patagonia.html#79275564

Thank you Elizabeth for your angelic intervention. You never cease to amaze those of us who depend on your vast wealth of knowledge and accurate memory. Thank you for posting.

I did the Viedma glacier ice trek in november 2016, so at the same time as Tyler P. When we made the booking at their office we were told and shown pictures of how far we would have to climb to reach the glacier. At no point did I ever felt unsafe because there were plenty of guides to help you. The only person that was pushing people to go faster was a fellow participant who thought he was some rock climbing champion. He had to be put back in his place several times by the guides to stop him from overtaking people or from pushing up to close to people in front of him.

By no means would I call myself an athletic or sporty person (quite the opposite haha), but I was able to do all the climbing without any problems. The climbing for me was just as much part of the experience as was the walking on the glacier itself.

Whoa, I'm no angel. I've just spent WAY too much time on Tripadvisor in the past 2-3 years. I think it's great that both Breda_Travelgirl and Tyler P can post trip reports on Tripadvisor about this Viedma ice trek. If you look at the Tripadvisor reviews of the trek in the link above. you can see that some people love it. Some people thinks it's harder than expected, and a couple of people thought it was potentially dangerous. It looks like this ice trek was not offered (at least temporarily) in November 2017, according to 2 of the trip reviews. By reading all of this information, people can decide if this ice trek is right for them.

I took the mini glacier trek with Patagonia-aventura in November 2015. Posts #11 and #13:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g312851-i6608-k9116989-o10-MiniTrekking-El_Calafate_Province_of_Santa_Cruz_Patagonia.html#71806219

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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Patagonia Hotels and Places to Stay

• El Calafate and El Chalten

Walking: El Chalten

The many trails and slopes around the mount fitz roy are a walkers' paradise.

El Chalten is , undoubtedly, the destination to head to in Argentina if you are keen on walking and would like something that is a little more taxing. The area around the town has a wide range of walking and climbing to choose from, ranging from technical to novice. The accommodation in the town is not as developed as the nearby El Calafate, but it is ample for resting the tired limbs after a long day on the trails.

As mentioned in the El Chalten overview, this area and the town are relatively new to the tourist trade and so there is a pioneer feel to the place. This, for us, is definitely one of its charms…it may be slightly tatty around the edges, but there is no doubt that it will just get better and better.

With a whole range of different walks to choose from, starting at around an hour and going up to a couple of days (for something like an attempt on the Fitz Roy), there is enough to keep most occupied for anything up to a week. Probably the most popular of these is the trail through to the Laguna de los Tres that sits right in front of the Fitz Roy mount, offering fantastic views of this famous landmark (the mount is at around 3,400m high). Just at the bottom of the final climb is a small campsite that, for the many climbers that come to El Chalten, provides an overnight stopping point before attempting the summit of the Fitz Roy the following day.

To the southwest of the Fitz Roy, and east of El Chalten, is the Cerro Torre. Between them, these two peaks are the most frequently climbed in Argentina, and probably most savage from a weather point of view, as climbers often have to wait days or weeks in order to get the timing right to attempt the summit. Quite often, as you are walking along, you will notice that the high clouds have been whipped into what look like flying saucers, due to the high altitude winds that streak through the skies.

There is a range of good accommodation in the area although, as El Chalten caters mainly to climbers who will be using their own camping equipment, there are only a few Accom that we recommend to clients…none of which afford views of the Fitz Roy itself strangely enough!

Click here to view some video footage of the El Chalten area.

Laguna los Tres Trail - 8 hrs - 12.5kms - moderate to difficult

One of the harder but also the more popular of the trails in the region, the Laguna de los Tres offers close and outstanding views of the Cerro Fitz Roy (3405m) and it’s two sister peaks. The first thing to bear in mind with this trail is that the final part climbs around 500 meters at a 45 degree angle and so, if the weather is either windy or wet then it makes things very difficult indeed. We rate this walk as a moderate to difficult and should only be attempted by people of a good fitness level.

There are a couple of ways to approach the Campemento Poincenot, either string the trail at the northern end of El Chalten, or by heading further north to where the Rio Blanco meets the Rio Electrico. Often many will complete a full circuit by starting by one and finishing by the other.

Starting along the Rio Blanco valley, you wind through dense forests of Lenga trees, slowly beginning to wend a way up along the river valley. Most of the walking is fairly easy here with occasional breaks in the foliage to catch glimpses of the valley and the sleeping giants on the other side, with glaciers cascading from them.

Once at the top of the incline, the walking becomes a lot flatter again and meanders along the glacial valley floor with small Lenga and bushes punctuating the trail. To the right the peaks of the Fitz Roy are obscured, but it is a good chance to see the Glaciar Piedras Blancas from a distance.

On arrival at the Campemento Poincenot it is worth catching your breath and preparing for the steep climb to the mirador itself. This is approximately 30 mins of steep climbing up scree and so can be fairly challenging for those who are out of shape. The climb is, however worth it. At the summit, buffered by the inevitable winds, the view of the Laguna and the Fitz Roy from this distance are outstanding! If you still have the puff then descend 200 meters to the left for a glimpse of the Laguna Sucia that looks out onto the Glaciar Rio Blanco.

The descent back to El Chalten is a similarly beautiful walk, winding through the open grasslands and Lenga forests, past the Laguna Capri, Madre and Hija. As you turn round you are still afforded outstanding views of the Fitz Roy with the many clouds that are blown up over its back.

Laguna Toro Trail - 7 hrs - 15kms - easy

The last of the major walks in the area, the Laguna Toro is situated to the south of the National Park and is the only viewpoint that offers a view on both the Fitz Roy and the Cerro Torre. This is a fairly scenic trail on the whole that skirts around the eastern face of the Loma del Pliegue Tumbado peak (1490m) and runs west along the valley of the Rio Tunel. The walking is more of f a stroll than anything but, as it is quite far and also fairly exposed to wind and sun, it is worth preparing for and not to be taken too lightly.

The trail starts off from the visitor centre to the south of the main town and heads into fairly thick forest. From here it starts to meander up towards the peak of Pliegue (there is an option here to head up the peak that, while not being overly demanding, does offer a fantastic panoramic view of the area) and then branches left.

As you round the southern side of the mount the trail starts to descend gradually to the valley of the Tunel and heads west to the southern most edge of the Glaciar Tunel. As you arrive at the Laguna Toro there is also some very good climbing off to the right in one of the small crevasses that has been formed over the millennia.

Laguna Torre Trail - 8hrs - 14kms - moderate

Offering outstanding views of the Cerro Torre peak (3102m), the solitary and most jagged shard of the range, this hike is best attempted when the weather is fairy clear. Partly due to the fact that it can get windy along the trail, and partly as the Cerro itself is notoriously difficult to see as it is usually covered in cloud at all time.

The trail itself starts at the western edge of El Chalten town itself and meanders its way through large boulders and open grasslands typical of Patagonian steppe. From here you then wander on past open grassland marsh and more scrub bush land. After approximately 40 minutes of easy walking you will then arrive at a junction where a trail comes in from the south (this leads in from a different trail starting point). Once the two trails have merged it is a matter of walking up to the Mirador Laguna Torre that offers the first view along the valley to the Laguna and to the Cerro Torre itself.

Set in amongst glaciers the jagged tooth of the Cerro Torre truly is a sight to behold. Often, with high altitude winds constantly blowing, the clouds in the sky can be whipped into what look like space ships of some kind. The Torre itself is one of the meccas for climbers from around the world in part due to its accessibility, but also as it is a hard peak to climb due to the changing conditions.

From the Mirador, it is a matter of descending down to the edge of the Laguna itself and the Campamento De Angostini and the final stopping place for those climbers looking to attempt the peak. As you follow the lake along its northern edge you will finally arrive at the Mirador Maestri and a view of both the Torre and the Glaciar Grande.

Glacier Viedma Ice Trek

Viedma Glacier is located in Los Glaciares National Park and is the largest in Argentina, flowing directly from the Southern Patagonian ice field into the lake. It has some dark, deep lines on the surface that are volcanic ashes strips mixed with ice. Viedma Lake was “discovered” by Antonio de Viedma, in 1877. The ice in the Viedma Glacier is very well suited for real ice climbing due to its many crevasses and cliffs. This activity is suited for people with some walking experience, in good shape and used to practicing active-outdoor sports. The instruction includes basic crampon walking techniques, basic use of Ice axes, important safety knots, glacier travel, and ice climbing fundamentals. There is no upper age limit as long as you are in good physical shape and it's therefore a good alternative for those who are unable to do the Big Ice Trek at Perito Moreno.

When to go walking in El Chalten:

  = Yes   = No   = Maybe

At a glance…Western Patagonia

• Size: 250,000 sq kms
• Location: Southern Argentina
• Recommended time: 3 to 5 nights
• Time to visit: September to April
• Go here for: Walking, the southern ice shelf, The Perito Moreno glacier

Further reading...

• › Nature and wildlife
• › El Calafate and El Chalten

Our Top Five Walking Hotels in El Calafate and El Chalten:

Don Los Cerros Boutique Hotel

Hosteria Senderos

Hosteria El Pilar

Hosteria Los Notros

Hosteria Kaulem

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Excursión: Chalten Full Day: Ice Trekk

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• Chalten Full Day: Ice Trekk
• Excursiones en El Calafate

Excelente alternativa full day partiendo y regresando a El Calafate dirigida a aquellos que quieran disfrutar del trekking sobre el hielo en la zona de El Chaltén sobre el Glaciar Viedma , el más grande del parque nacional. La excursión se desarrolla en un lugar muy poco explorado y con pocos vestigios de turismo ya que este tour se encuentra fuera del circuito turístico tradicional. Después de trasladarse desde El Calafate, se navegará frente a la pared del Glaciar Viedma y se caminará por 3 horas sobre el hielo.

Posible fecha de inicio: Sin fecha prevista

PRECIO, DISPONIBILIDAD E INFORMACIÓN DETALLADA

• Descripción

La caminata sobre el Glaciar Viedma no está disponible este año por el retroceso que está teniendo este glaciar por lo que se decidió suspender la actividad para preservarlo. Excelente alternativa para aquellos que quieran disfrutar del trekking sobre el hielo en un lugar muy poco explorado y con pocos vestigios de turismo ya que este tour se encuentra fuera del circuito turístico tradicional. Alrededor de las 7:00 a.m. se comienza con el recorrido por los hoteles para salir en dirección a la zona norte del Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (aún sin explorar) y El Chaltén “Capital Nacional de Trekking”. En nuestro recorrido haremos varias paradas: en la cabecera del Lago Argentino donde podremos observar el lago más grande de nuestro país y la Cordillera de los Andes, cruzaremos el río más importante de nuestra provincia (Río Santa Cruz) y llegaremos al parador histórico la Leona donde podremos observar un pequeño museo y consumir algún refrigerio con las famosas tortas caseras del lugar. Continuando haremos una parada en la cabecera del Lago Viedma para poder observarlo, así también como algunas estancias típicas de la zona y el imponente Cerro Fitz Roy y Cerro Torre distantes a unos 90 Km. Ingresaremos hacia el Chaltén por la ruta Nº 23 y nuestra próxima parada será en Bahía Túnel en donde se embarca en las modernas lanchas para poder llegar al frente del glaciar Viedma. La navegación se realizará muy cerca del frente del glaciar y se desembarcará muy cerca del gigante de hielo para comenzar con el ice trek. Esta caminata sobre el glaciar tiene una duración de 3 horas. Es una expedición que se realiza sobre el Glaciar Viedma con crampones de seguridad. Después de haber disfrutado de este imponente glaciar se regresa a Bahía Túnel y se emprende el recorrido de regreso a la ciudad de El Calafate para llegar a las 8:00 p.m. aproximadamente. Es una excursión de exigencia alta por la cantidad de horas sobre el hielo. La navegación en el Lago Viedma y caminata sobre el hielo está sujeta a las condiciones climáticas del día por lo que en caso de cancelación de este servicio por fuertes vientos, se prestará la excursión Full Day Chaltén Trekking Libre y se hará el reintegro de la caminata sobre el hielo.

Los horarios, el orden y las actividades puede variar según la organización del día.

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Otras Excursiones de Trekking Sobre Hielo

Minitrekking Perito Moreno

ARS$ 210000

El Minitrekking es la excursión más completa para visitar el Glaciar Perito Moreno desde El Calafate al incluir el trekking sobre el hielo , la caminata por la costa del lago frente al glaciar y por el bosque, una navegación por la pared sur del glaciar y la visita a las pasarelas . Se podrán apreciar grietas, sumideros, lagunas y formaciones de hielo azul profundo. Durante el Minitrekking, disfrutarán de un vaso de whisky con hielo del Glaciar Perito Moreno mientras exploran y caminan sobre uno de los glaciares más famosos y hermosos en el mundo.

Big Ice Perito Moreno

ARS$ 600000

Excursión de exigencia física cuya principal diferencia con Minitrekking es que incluye una caminata sobre el hielo de 3 horas y un trekking de 4 horas por el bosque de lengas junto al Glaciar Perito Moreno, permitiendo llegar hasta su centro. Durante el Big Ice podrán observar increíbles lagunas azules, profundas grietas, eternos sumideros y, ocasionalmente, cuevas de hielo . Podrán disfrutar de un pic-nic rodeado de una belleza inigualable y finalizará con una medida de whiskey con hielo del glaciar durante la navegación frente al Perito Moreno.

Minitrekking Perito Moreno 2.0

No disponible

El Minitrekking 2.0 es una excursión con más exigencia física que el clásico Minitrekking al acercarse más al centro del Glaciar Perito Moreno. Visitarán este glaciar desde El Calafate haciendo trekking sobre el hielo , caminata por la costa del lago frente al glaciar y por el bosque llegando más cerca de su centro, una navegación por la pared sur del glaciar y la visita a las pasarelas . Se podrán apreciar grietas, sumideros, lagunas y formaciones de hielo azul profundo. Durante el Minitrekking 2.0, disfrutarán de un vaso de whisky con hielo del Glaciar Perito Moreno mientras lo exploran más en profundidad que en la excursión clásica y con mayor nivel de exigencia.

Lago Viedma

Full day excursion to discover the Viedma Glacier, the largest of Argentina.Starting from El Chalten, after 10 kilometers along Provincial Route 23 and then taking the road to Tunnel Bay after 8 kilometers you will reach the port from which the vessel departs towards the front of the glacier. The boat sails across the lake passing infront the Viedma Glacier.There are two guided tours, called Viedma Ice Trek, which allows hiking with crampons on the Surface of the glacier and Viedma Pro, for those who wish to pursue a more demanding physical activity incluiding ice climbing.Once you get to Bahia Tunel by car or bus, where you embark and after half an hour of navigation, ship will reach the Icebergs Bay , later you disembark near the glacier, to start trekking for a few minutes since you arrive to the glacier.

Viedma Ice Trek: Total duration of the tour 6 hours. (2 hours of navigation). Physical demand low. Technical difficulty Low.

Viedma Pro: Total duration of the tour 9 Hours. (2 hours of navigation). Physical demand medium. Technical difficulty Low.

Lago del Desierto You can take a navigation on the lake spotting different glaciers of Vespigniani Range (two hours approximately) or cross to the north bank with the boat, where there is a delegation of Gendarmeria Nacional (Border Police) , from this point starts the trail by foot or by bike to Lake O ‘Higgins in Chile, via Laguna Larga and then the Laguna Redonda, reaching the Chilean border at milestone IV, open from November to March.

After continuing a stretch more (13 kms.), you get to Lake O’Higgins (Chile) where you ll find border police checkpoint ( Carabineros) , who will require passport or ID to carry out customs procedures ; this hike demands six hours, approximately.

Already at the shores of Lake O’Higgins is allowed to camp or stay overnight at Candelario Mancilla, that also provides food. There is a ship crossing the lake once a week, allowing to get to Villa O’Higgins where the Carretera Austral begins.

This interesting tour allows adventurers to cross into Chile from El Chalten ( and viceversa) , and continue their journey. This circuit, attracts an increasing number of tourists, who cross it by foot or bicycle every year.

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Lago del Desierto Se puede hacer la navegación en el lago avistando diferentes glaciares del cordón Vespigniani (de dos horas de duración aproximadamente) o cruzar hasta la margen norte con la embarcación, donde se encuentra el destacamento de Gendarmería Nacional, para luego seguir camino a pie o en bici hacia el Lago O’ Higgins en Chile.

Cruzando el mismo en una embarcación se llega a la margen norte, donde se encuentra un destacamento de Gendarmería Nacional. Allí se puede acampar, para continuar la caminata al día siguiente bordeando la laguna Larga y luego la Laguna Redonda, llegando así al límite con Chile en el paso fronterizo hito IV, abierto de noviembre a marzo. Luego de continuar un tramo más, se llega hasta el Lago O’Higgins (Chile) donde se encuentra el retén de carabineros, quienes le exigirán pasaporte o DNI (para los argentinos) para efectuar los trámites de aduana correspondientes; esta caminata demanda seis horas, aproximadamente. Ya a orillas del Lago O’Higgins se permite acampar o pernoctar en la estancia El Candelario, y también proveerse de comida. Hay una lancha que cruza una vez por semana el lago, permitiendo llegar al pueblo de Villa O’Higgins donde comienza la carretera Austral. Este interesante recorrido permite a los aventureros cruzar a Chile desde El Chaltén, y así continuar su viaje. Dicho circuito, atrae cada año a un mayor número de turistas, que lo transitan a pie o en bicicleta.

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Rancho Aparte

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Viedma Glacier: Tours to Take

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• ~ mins read

While the Perito Moreno Glacier might be the most famous of Argentinian Patagonia's glaciers , the Viedma Glacier holds the title of largest. The enormous glacier has an area of 977 km² and dominates the ice field of Southern Patagonia. But, the Viedma Glacier is not just something to look at — it is an interactive experience. Visitors to Patagonia can organize expeditions that will allow them to delve deep into the icy crevices of the glacier. It’s an exhilarating journey but one that will stay with you forever. Here is everything you need to know about the Viedma Glacier and how to get the most out of your visit.

• Edward Nicholas Li

How to experience the Viedma Glacier

Depending on how much time you have on your trip to Argentina and your level of fitness, there are various different ways you can experience the Viedma Glacier. Each Viedma Glacier tour has its advantages and disadvantages so weigh them up and work out which option suits you best.

Ice trekking

If you really want to get the most out of your trip to the Viedma Glacier then you should consider doing an ice trekking tour across its surface. Tours usually last around two hours and include a drink filled with ice from the glacier. The crowds at the Viedma Glacier are much smaller than those at the Perito Moreno Glacier. This means you can have a much more tranquil and intimate experience.

Guides help you strap on crampons before you set off to explore icy caves and climb snowy slopes. Bear in mind that the Viedma ice trek tour is difficult. Participants should have a good level of fitness and preferably some previous ice trekking experience.

Ice trekking is certainly not for everyone and if you want to see the glacier in a more relaxed manner then a boat tour is definitely a better option. From El Calafate or El Chalten, you will drive to the harbor on the edge of Lake Viedma and board one of the boats. Once everyone is on board, the boat will embark on its journey across the beautiful Lake Viedma.

The boat trip in itself is spectacular as the vessel weaves through mini-icebergs that sit in the water as you approach the glacier. The views of the Viedma Glacier from the boat are incredibly impressive and the tour usually lasts just under three hours.

Attractions near the Viedma Glacier

While you’re visiting the Argentinian section of Patagonia , you might as well cram as much in as you can. First, if you’ve got a taste for glaciers, you would be crazy not to check out Perito Moreno Glacier . There is a reason this glacier is so popular — find out why for yourself. Boat tours and ice trekking excursions are both available for the Perito Moreno Glacier. Note that if you go in summer, you may have to share the experience with quite a few other people.

Viedma and Perito Moreno are located inside the famous Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina. And while the park is known for the glaciers, they are just a part of what makes this park so great. There are dozens of hiking trails that visitors can take on solo. These routes and circuits will take you through some of the most beautiful parts of the park, past lookout points, and through miles of rugged wilderness.

Finally, if you want something a bit more peaceful during your trip, you should check out an es tancia . These are lodges that are surrounded by natural beauty in the heart of Patagonia. They are usually the only buildings to be found for miles on end and offer weary travelers comfortable accommodation as well as a number of activities. Guests can choose from horse riding, hiking, wildlife spotting, and more.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit the Viedma Glacier is from November to March . This is the warmest time of the year in Patagonia. December through to February is summer in this part of the world and can get a lot busier than the shoulder months of November and March. Do not visit outside of this window as extreme weather conditions make many of the attractions inaccessible.

Good to Know

Before you head off on the adventure of a lifetime, it is worth taking note of the following things:

• The Viedma Glacier is a challenging trek. If you are nervous about whether you can cope, do the Perito Moreno Glacier first as it is an easier climb.
• There are not very many ATMs in Patagonia so make sure you load up on cash before you go.
• The weather in Patagonia is unpredictable and can change multiple times within a few hours. So, pack for every possibility. Check out the best time to visit Patagonia for more information.
• Be respectful of nature here.

The Viedma Glacier is a natural wonder unlike any other and is capable of completely taking your breath away. If you are planning a trip to Patagonia , the Viedma Glacier will make a fantastic addition to your itinerary.

If you are looking to explore more  destinations in Argentina , there are abundant opportunities to venture out. You can check our guide on  things to do in Argentina  to find activities that best suit you. For a seasonal overview of the country, you can read our guide on the  best time to visit Argentina . 

You customize your tour of Argentina ;  Get in touch with our local travel experts in Argentina the best of the country. You can create a tailored tour based on  how many days you want to spend in Argentina , including Viedma Glacier.

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• May 9, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Gets Cool Under Pressure In “Erigah”

Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Gets Cool Under Pressure In “Erigah”

| May 9, 2024 | By: Anthony Pascale 26 comments so far

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 7 – Debuted Thursday, May 9, 2024 Written by M. Raven Metzner Directed by Jon Dudkowski

You can cut the tension with an Andorian Ushaan-tor in a taut episode full of political intrigue, heartbreak, and even a few laughs.

I’m back!

WARNING: Spoilers below!

“Never turn your back on a Breen”

The Disco rendezvous with the USS Locherer which has captured Moll and L’ak. Captain Burnham is briefed by her old friend Nhan who has the former couriers in custody and she also has Vellek’s original diary, which may have more hidden secrets. Book wants to help but the security officer only sees him as a “security risk,” for that whole betraying the Federation thing last season. L’ak is beamed to sickbay and he is still in bad shape from that knife wound Michael gave him two episodes ago. Dr. Culber is no expert but they figure an old Breen refrigeration unit in storage at Starfleet HQ could help. When they arrive Admiral Vance won’t let them in. For the first time since the Dominion War, the Breen have entered Federation space… and they want L’ak and Moll. Worried the baddies will find out about the whole Progenitor tech thing, Vance wants the Disco to skedaddle, but Burnham successfully argues they should make their stand here instead of letting the Breen cause havoc chasing them around the quadrant. The stakes couldn’t be higher… so I guess this isn’t a “ filler episode .”

President T’Rina is in charge of negotiations (Rillak is away and so is Saru, sadly) and leads a crisis meeting at HQ. No one has talked to the Breen since before The Burn, but people are scared as they still remember their brutal Dominion War history. Rayner makes his view plain with “All the Breen are the same” (can he say that?) arguing they should prepare to fight. However, it’s curious why a Primarch would come all the way to Fed HQ, so it must be tied into the Breen’s civil war. While T’Rina, Burnham and Vance try to figure out how to buy time until more Starfleet ships arrive, Rayner’s anti-Breen tirade escalates to get him booted from the room. Burnham is tasked with getting info from L’ak to find out what they can use to negotiate, and to get her XO “in line.” As she wasn’t privy to all those flashbacks from two episodes ago, Michael needs to drag the whole royalty story out of L’ak while he is barely holding on in sickbay. Turns out he is next in line for the throne, “Scion of the Breen Imperium.” He wants nothing to do with it and asks the captain to spit in his uncle’s face when he shows up. That’s cold, even for a Breen .

I may not know anything about Breen philology, but I have my concerned caregiver face down.

“Wow, you really got around”

While everyone is running around thinking they are all about to die, Stamets remembers the season arc, talking Tilly out of leaving the ship so she can help find the last piece of the map with “the most important thing in the Federation right now,” specifically a piece of metal they found in the clue from last week. He is going to team up with Book to work on tracing the metallurgy while Tilly teams up with Adira on the inscription. The Academy teacher is impressed with how the young ensign is coming along as they sort out how the clue points to the original Betazed manuscript for “Labyrinths of the Mind,” location unknown, naturally. Zora points them to the one person on the ship with a background in antique books: Commander Reno. Really. Turns out the acerbic engineer “padded” her resume, but she used to be a smuggler for “a shady antiquarian archivist” amongst other colorful jobs. She does figure Dr. Derex would have wanted to protect the next clue so they should look into something called the “Eternal Gallery and Archive,” a space library that keeps on the move and uses little metal library cards… ding ding ding! SIDE PITCH: Sitcom of Reno’s time as a bartender on Alshain IV… Call it Jett’s Treks . Make it so, Alex.

The Breen Dreadnaught finally shows up, and it’s redonculous. It’s so big, you got to think Primarch Ruhn is overcompensating. T’Rina buys them four hours, but they need something to use to negotiate besides handing over the fugitives. L’ak is no help, telling the captain she will never understand the Breen, so he busies himself working on an escape plan with Moll. Michael looks to her xenophobic first officer for help as it turns out his home world was once occupied by the Breen. He opens up on the painful memories of a Primarch Tahal showing up at Kellerun to use it as a supply depot in a war, enslaving the people, destroying the environment… all the usual evil occupier stuff. They fought back, but he was his family’s sole survivor. His advice: you can’t negotiate with the Breen, his tragic backstory gives her an idea. Rhun beams in at HQ with a small army and rudely refuses T’Rina’s counteroffer of a bunch of dilithium, “The only payment for a blood bounty is blood”… this guy’s a barrel of laughs. T’Rina surprises him by not only showing she can understand Breen, but she has decided to hand the prisoners over to Primarch Tahal. Burnham and Rayner help sell the ruse with the Kellerun’s knowledge of the rival Primarch. And they know Rhun can’t afford to blast his way through the station to get to L’ak because he can’t risk killing the Scion. The Breen came to play checkers and T’Rina is playing 3-D Vulcan Chess .

You are going to need a bigger boat.

“This isn’t how our story ends”

T’Rina makes her diplomatic checkmate move, suggesting they keep the prisoners. With no Primarch getting the Scion, the Breen Civil War will stay status quo. Rhun reluctantly agrees… warning they better keep L’ak alive. Um, well, in sickbay, L’ak starts the escape plan by injecting himself with a whole day’s worth of drugs as a distraction. Culber rushes in to save him and Moll makes her move, fighting off the guard and Nhan, escaping into the ship. Meanwhile, Book is in Paul’s lab and he really wants to join the search but Stamets talks him into staying to use his glowy forehead empath powers on the little piece of metal… and it works. The Kwejian picks up images of a huge plasma storm and something about “eternal,” before he can’t wait any longer to go find Moll. After the big win at HQ Burnham beams into sickbay to find things falling apart, with L’ak fading fast. Her only option, get a Breen medic. The Primarch shows up with a doctor and “If my nephew dies, the Federation will pay.” Like, does this guy practice villain talk in front of the mirror?

Book helps Nhan track down Moll, who has taken a hostage and is working her way to the shuttlebay. He convinces her to stay, telling her she may want to return to sickbay before it’s too late. She arrives just in time to have final words with the love of her life and it’s actually really sad. The Primarch blames Starfleet and prepares for battle as four more Starfleet ships show up. His new plan: a war to avenge L’ak would unite the Breen behind him. Now Moll drops the bombshell, she and L’ak were married so she is part of the bargain. She also reveals the Federation is hiding info on powerful tech that she knows how to get, so Rhun demands they hand her over or shooting starts, sparking another HQ debate. Book is incensed they are considering it even though Moll wants to go, figuring the Breen can help find the Progenitor tech to resurrect L’ak, a possibility mentioned in Vellek’s diary. T’Rina makes the call and beams the former courier to the Dreadnaught and it warps away. Vance points out they are now in a race with the Breen, but thanks to Stamets the research teams put the pieces together to sort out their next stop: The Archive… in the Badlands! With the next episode’s destination set to another canon connection, Michael and Rayner play us out with a nice quiet bonding moment before she orders black alert… and fade to black.

I’m just a Breen country doctor.

A dish best served cold

This excellent tension-filled episode keeps you on the edge of your seat. There is a lot going on in “Erigah” but good pacing weaves the drama, action, character exploration, worldbuilding and even humor together into a tight, entertaining package. Returning to a focus on the season’s big story, the episode evoked the high-stakes drama of some of the more martial Trek episodes, especially from the Dominion War arc of Deep Space Nine , which got plenty of nods throughout. The full ensemble of stars and guest stars elevated the material with a few standouts, especially Tara Rosling as the effective president T’Rina, Eve Harlow as the anguished Moll, and Tig Notaro as the always hilarious Jett Reno. Instead of taking the lead in every situation, Sonequa Martin-Green’s Captain Burnham was the glue holding it all together, with an assist from Anthony Rapp’s Stamets, the guy keeping his eye on the big Progenitor prize. The political maneuvering and debates in “Erigah” are some of the best of a franchise tradition as the episode asked big moral questions, but didn’t force a single point of view, leaving the viewer to ponder their own path… again, very Star Trek.

The plot-heavy episode finely wove several character stories into it, mostly seamlessly. From little beats like Tilly mentoring and encouraging Adira, to Michael pivotally getting Rayner to reveal his vulnerabilities. Callum Keith Rennie was superb and it was a nice touch drawing a parallel from Rayner’s shoot first idea to the callback to Michael’s series premiere mutiny. Throughout there were emotional stakes equal to the political, without taking unnecessary character sidebar distractions. A good example of this was Book’s ongoing redemption, with the smart return of Rachael Ancheril’s Nhan providing the perfect foil to his arc since last season. L’ak’s death was poignant and emotional and even though he and Moll began the season as the main antagonists, the work done in this and previous episodes earned its way to making us care… something no other Discovery season has pulled off. On the other side of the tonal coin, not enough can be said of the Adira/Tilly/Reno story that laid the foundation to set up the next episode with a surprising amount of humor, yet it also nailed the stakes in between the snappy dialog. Besides the delicious backstory, Reno is always great for little moments of meta-commentary, like her “truncheons, jackboots, where’s the nuance?” take on the Breen.

Stop pointing that at me, I’m trying to help!

Ice in the veins

The world-building in this episode was rich and rewarding, as the season pivots to the Breen and Primarch Rhun as the real big bads. He may be mustache-twirly, but it works in this case. The Breen Civil War plot allowed us to learn more about them through learning more about Rayner and the Kelleruns, effectively layering plot and character stories. Although, it may not make sense that T’Rina – who amazingly could understand Breen – was not already briefed on all of that. But it does appear that Kelleruns are still not part of the Federation, so perhaps her files didn’t have that key intel. Together, like they were in the 24 th century, the Breen are still a mysterious and very credible threat… with the gigantic ship driving that point home. However, this episode did raise the question of how the power of empires outside the Federation should be limited in the post-Burn era without their own supplies of dilithium. Speaking of interesting backstories, Reno’s resume was full of little bits, even how she used to work at a bar on Alshain IV , the butterfly people planet from the season 4 opener. Does her 23rd-century cocktail named “Seven of Limes” make sense? No? Was it funny? Yes.

One curiosity is how DS9 established Breen do not have blood ( reconfirmed to TrekMovie by Disco writer Carolos Cisco), but an Erigah is a “blood bounty,” which can only be “paid with blood,” because L’ak is part of the royal “bloodline.” One can only hope something is being lost in translation. Also, it isn’t entirely clear why L’ak never reverted to his gelatinous state when unconscious and even after death. Blood and jelly nitpicks aside, fans of Deep Space Nine should have been doing the Pointing Rick Dalton meme all episode long. There were several references to the Dominion War and the Breen attack on Earth resulting in the destruction of San Francisco, which seems to ring through Federation history like Pearl Harbor or 9/11. Little canon callback moments like “ Never turn your back on a Breen ” are woven in seamlessly to serve the plot and characters, not just fans. And deeper cuts such as references to Thoron Fields and Duraniam Shadows may go unnoticed by most, but surely bring a little delight to hard-core Niners. They even cued the next episode’s setting in the Badlands , with an impressive peek at what it looks like in the 32 nd century. It’s so welcome how Discovery has rediscovered it is part of the rich history of Star Trek.

Which one of you made that crack about Jello?

Final thoughts

A fantastic episode tied up and built upon plot and character threads that have been building all season long, and even some from past seasons and the franchise as a whole. The excitement level is really ramped up now for this best season of the series, with only three episodes left until it is all over.

Tilly and Adira after drinking a few Seven of Limes.

• For the fourth episode in a row, Doug Jones is not credited and does not appear, although T’Rina did mention some intel Saru provided that helped the plot… In case you missed it, Jones recently explained his absence and confirmed his return.
• L’ak overdosed on Tricordrazine , a potent stimulant used during the TNG era, derived from Cordrazine , introduced in the classic TOS episode “City on the Edge of Forever.”
• T’Rina mentions considering using a tribble infestation as a ruse to buy time with the Breen, as Discovery needs a nod to tribbles every episode or two.
• When the Breen show up the Discovery is set to “ Code One Alpha Zero ,” which was used to signify a ship in distress, first seen in TNG’s “Relics.”
• Moll sarcastically mentioned Book should try to sell her “a goat farm on Bopak III ,” referencing a Gamma Quadrant planet from the DS9 episode “Hippocratic Oath.”
• Apparently, Betazoids can imbue an object with information telepathically.
• Nhan’s eyes weren’t bright blue in this episode, it was established back in season 3 that when outside their native atmosphere Barzan’s eyes change to bright blue.
• Could the “shady antiquarian archivist” Reno used to work for be Pelia ?

Do either of you know what the hell this thing is?

More to come

Every Friday, the TrekMovie.com All Access Star Trek Podcast  covers the latest news in the Star Trek Universe and discusses the latest episode. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts ,  Spotify ,  Pocket Casts ,  Stitcher and is part of the TrekMovie Podcast Network.

The fifth and final season of  Discovery debuted with two episodes on Thursday, April 4 exclusively on Paramount+  in the U.S., the UK, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, and Austria.  Discovery  will also premiere on April 4 on Paramount+ in Canada and will be broadcast on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada. The rest of the 10-episode final season will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays. Season 5 debuts on SkyShowtime in select European countries on April 5.

Keep up with news about the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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I really enjoyed this episode and i am always up for watching some good diplomacy scenes. That Breen dreadnought was awesome looking i hope someone ends up releasing a model of it.

I did find Book a bit annoying in this episode as it has been pointed out he has spent very little time with Moll and with L’ak ‘dead’ i don’t think Book is going to be able to get through to her.

Since she wants to try and use the Progenitor Tech to try and bring L’ak back enough though it’s obvious that if primarch Ruhn gets his hands on the Tech he won’t need Moll or want to bring L’ak back. Then again grief for one can make one blind and it’s obvious it’s blinding Moll and Book for their own reasons.

That Breen dreadnought was awesome looking i hope someone ends up releasing a model of it.

This was my exact thought the moment that ship appeared. They’re knocking these Breen ship designs out of the park imo.

Back to something more interesting this week, and the show is better off because of it. . I’m now buying into Mol and L’ak. Action Adventure is working for this season, and I really liked this week’s episode. It’ll be interesting to see where they go and I think we haven’t seen the last of a certain character. Raynor is easily my favorite character this season. The only thing I’m a little worried, is they’re going to blow the mystery they’re building up to. That it won’t be something compelling.. it’ll just be a disaster thwarted. I hope we get something cool relative to the mystery.. just don’t want to get my hopes up.

Well, for sure L’ak and Moll are not typical bad guys. The tension built as the episode unfolded, intensified by several surprises (at least to me) along the way. This was great Trek of a very high quality.

The episode wasn’t that bad like the first ones, but the plot is so stupid sometimes, every problem is artificially created from nonsense through lazy writing just to move the story along.

Can someone explain to me how the Breen (or anyone besides the Federation) is a major power given “The Burn” and the scarcity of dilithium?

The Emerald Chain was running out of dilithium to pillage and steal in season 3. That’s the reason Osyraa was even contemplating a union of the Emerald Chain and Federation. And the Federation presumably controls the only major source of dilithium left in the galaxy (i.e., the planet where they found the source of “The Burn” with the Kelpian child).

So how exactly are the Breen building supercarriers and being villains when they should be affected by the same scarcity of dilithium the Emerald Chain was facing? The previous episode even acknowledged the Breen were dependent on couriers for dilithium, since that’s how Moll and L’ak met.

Is it established that Breen ships are dilithium dependent?

In the episode the Federation offers them a lot of dilithium in exchange for the erigah to be lifted so they must have some dependence.

So, at least from articles I’ve seen on other sites, the Breen are being established as having used these city ships even during the DS9 era. We’ve also seen that they appear even more conquest driven than the Chain based on Rayner’s comments and history about what happened to his people, so they probably just took what they needed from others. We also saw in the episode that showed how our ‘big bads’ met that the Breen seemed to get regular dilithium shipments from couriers.

Another interesting aside is that prior Breen vessels have had some degree of biological basis, so their ships may grow like a living organism.

Thanks, William. I had wondered whether The Burn had simply made dilithium exceedingly rare and so super valuable, a rare commodity that all kinds of criminal activity multiplied, even if the Breen didn’t use it for a matter-antimatter propulsion system.

Which raises a question about the Romulans whom we know in the Picard era used an artificial singularity for propulsion. Did The Burn put them in a very advantageous situation compared to other spacefaring species? Or had they abandoned that tech before their reunification with Vulcan so that Nivar was also devastated by The Burn?

Probably overthinking this stuff.

Personally I’ve always thought that dilithium played a part in Romulan Warp Drive as well. The dilithium mines on Remus were very important to them. Some have said the Romulans probably traded their dilithium, but then why would the Praetor in Nemesis have been so worried a out the Reman output being low and needing to import dilithium from a colony world? When they were discussing other propulsion systems that were theorized before the Burn Ni’var was testing a new design, but we don’t know if it incorporated a singularity.

Ni’var appears to have been impacted by the Burn just like the rest of the galaxy. I recall from an episode an aside comment by Admiral Vance that Ni’var only had 75 starships and they were described as small. That seems a little low for a government that covered a large territory.

I do wish they would give a little information on the Pathway Drive, but I doubt that it’ll be explained this season.

Thanks. That all makes sense.

This episode had some great stuff in it, but for the second week in a row we have someone pointing a phaser at someone and trying to convince them to surrender. It doesn’t work and there’s a big shootout. You have a stun setting! Use it the instant you enter a room, dropping everyone there if necessary, bad guys, good guys, whoever. Then sort them out later.

Well, the finale can’t get here fast enough. Once again Discovery gets itself sidetracked with momentum killing random subplots. It’s as if the hunt for the clues leading to the Progenitor tech has taken a back seat to less important stuff. The sense of urgency in finding the Progenitor tech now feels like it isn’t even urgent at all.

Hopefully next week will be back on track.

well, every mid-season since season 2 felt like this – a lenghty and sidetracked mixture of redundant dialogue and unnecessarily prolonged confrontations.

once again: no saru. dispapponting. only the scenes with reno were funny and had the right timing.

Another entertaining episode. Also it seemed like they were experimenting with some very dynamic camera movement during some of the action sequences.

On a different note: Some people have noted in previous review threads that there has been less comment activity and speculated that interest in Discovery must have plummeted. However, the show has actually made it into the Nielsen streaming Top 10 (Nielsen just released the numbers for the week of April 8-14 and DSC is on #10). So the reduced comments do not necessarily indicate reduced viewership.

Another strong outing for Discovery this season. They are really knocking it out of the park. The writing, the acting and the story is top-notch. Martin-Green is really fantastic in her role as Captain now. You can see how her character really evolved through the series. Callum is a fantastic add to the series, it’s just too bad it is the final season. Hopefully, he will be going over to the Academy series – would love to see him shine there as well. Another episode that feel really Star Trek. Love the throwbacks to DS9 in there. Anxious to see what happens in the badlands next week!

Do we know why Owo and Detmer have disappeared? Were the actors too busy filming something else or what? We got a quick “taking the ISS Enterprise back to HQ” and that was it.

So, I know I have to watch this episode again because it feels a lot like “But to Connect” – the episode last season where the Federation voted on how to react to the 10-CC. Last year I was bored, but on rewatch before this season, I thought it was kind of brilliant. Is this really the same? But… I am annoyed.

In this episode, Vance and the team agree to Michael’s suggestion: keep Discovery where it is. As a result, almost everything that can go wrong goes dangerously wrong. What’s wrong with following orders? Michael does not need to be there to confront the Breen. And since when do the Breen have tech to follow Discovery which can hop everywhere? Isn’t this one of the tenants of the show? And if that is the case, wouldn’t it be exciting to see that the Breen can follow Discovery? And that Stamets still has purpose, and Book can help?

And I do feel like Rayner was dealt dirty here. He has the experience with the Breen, which I am sure informed his entire career. There is no way Vance didn’t know about it in a way that could have been overtly useful to their entire plan. The entire episode for him does not need to devolve into a teachable moment from Michael, or anyone . He has a teachable moment for them, and he probably has had a way of using it his entire life . Maybe he’s not xenophobic, maybe he’s a very smart tactician, and still, probably, a great captain.

This is the risible thing they did to Book last season, which fakes a naiveté. Rayner can’t be that unaware. It’s also how they are treating Gray. So, even when this show is finally delivering a plot, and episodes that are exciting, they are also abusing the trauma the characters experience — for the sake of fitting into juvenile plot points.

Yes, I’m a little bit grouchy. I enjoyed every other episode this season, almost wholeheartedly, but this one – not so much. Maybe that will change when I see it again.

The fed????

Why was SMG pronouncing sentences weird this week? Or more than usual anyway. So smug and terribly acted.

I’d have enjoyed DSC rather than enduring it if it wasn’t for her and one or two others.

The handle checks out.

Ha-ha… you beat me to it.

Another episode that once again seems to exist in a recognizable Star Trek universe. I’m not sure what changed this season, but I wish it happened sooner! Bravo and thank you! The episode was strong thanks mostly to some great character moments and performances (especially T’rina and Moll), although I found the Breen succession story less compelling because it’s all expository. If the writing in this season is what Kurtzman means by “Authentic Star Trek”, then I get it.

Great episode!

Discovery found the right formula mix in the 5th inning. Especially with fleshing out the Breen and putting their participation in the Dominion War in to a new context (especially why the Changling leader loved the Breen so much and why the Romulans didn’t like the Breen at all… the Breen come off as lethal/ruthless). Paramount we know money is tight, but how about one more season with a similar tempo to this one.

“sounds like something out of a holodeck adventure for the littles”

Sure does Jett

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Carvana saw used EV sales grow as average prices drop

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The significant, multi-year growth in new EV sales is a leading indicator of the potential of the used EV market. As a larger selection of EVs makes its way into the used fleet, prices normalize, and tax credits become available, more used car buyers will have the opportunity to access the EV category. Carvana has always sought to build an inventory that matches the tastes and preferences of our customers. While we maintain a diverse selection across all fuel types, we are proud to now offer more than 50 different models of EVs at a wide range of price points.

As you can see from Carvana’s graphic above, BEV sales have demonstrated encouraging growth in the US in Q1 2024. Florida joined the 4%+ threshold, as 5.2% of Carvana’s sales in The Sunshine State were BEV.

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Of those qualifying vehicles, Carvana points out the Nissan LEAF was the top seller, followed by the Tesla Model 3 , and Chevy Volt (PHEV). The ill-fated BMW i3 and Volkswagen e-Golf round out the top five.

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Scooter Doll is a writer, designer and tech enthusiast born in Chicago and based on the West Coast. When he’s not offering the latest tech how tos or insights, he’s probably watching Chicago sports. Please send any tips or suggestions, or dog photos to him at [email protected]

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