Home > Trips > Sea Kayaking >Expedition Steffen Glacier

	Trip Summary    Duration: 6 to 8 days Location: North Patagonia. Rate: US$ 1,300 per person (for two people) Difficult: Intermediate Season: December to March. Departure: Caleta Tortel Accommodations: camping Trip Activities: sea kayaking, hiking, wildlife watching. Dates: Trips Calendar Weather: see conditions in Balmaceda Other Trips: Descending Baker River, Expedition to Jorge Montt Glacier

Steffens Glacier is located at the southern end of the Northern Ice Field; to reach it demands perseverance and a great deal of energy, Not only must we paddle the 30 kilometers of fjords from Caleta Tortel, the starting point of the trip, but we must also paddle against the current of the gray Huemules River, which is the run-off from the small Lake Steffens, entry point to the Northern Continental Ice Field.

The magic of this route is the mix of the fierceness of the natural world with the harsh lives that the settlers here have had to endure in order to survive. They have chosen to live here despite great challenges. Their tragic and amazing stories could be taken from an adventure novel.

Here you will find the essential spirit of Patagonia, a spirit which is more and more difficult to find. It lives in the memory of the settlers who for years battled sickness and disaster, Patagonians who were born and lived in this land when the huemul (native deer) were tall and proud; when the condor dominated the sky; before glaciers were replaced by moraines and pastures; when trees like cypresses and coihues (nothofagus betuloides) grew to enormous sizes with no danger of being cut down; when going to a city meant a journey of weeks or months; when children were born into their parents’ hands from the mother’s womb, with no medical assistance except the care and love of parents and ancient medical traditions.

The scenic beauty of this route is matched by the beauty of its people.

Once you arrive at Lake Steffens, you will have earned the views which await you. Wherever you look, there is a view which natural forces have sculpted over thousands of years. Ice formations which dominate the scenery will change over just a few days. Photographs which you take in these places will be absolutely unique; the irreversible melting of the icebergs ensure that everything changes from one day to the next.

If conditions are safe, (low ambient temperatures and stable ice), we’ll have the chance to examine the icebergs and their formations more closely. To climb up on one of these giants is an unforgettable experience, and to enter one of their ice caves is to discover another world. In this ice-bound world, the shades of blue are infinite, and you can easily imagine another type of life, trapped in the crystalline and transparent ice, as yet undiscovered.

Trip Details

Includes

• Food in camps.
• Kayak equipment (double or single kayaks, lifejackets, paddles, spray skirts, safety equipment, dry bags).
• Camping equipment (tents, mattresses, pots, dishes).
• Bilingual guide.

Does Not Include

• Personal equipment (sleeping bag, camping clothes, and personal objects).
• Meals not mentioned in the program.

Requirements

• Over 18 years of age.
• Participants know how to swim.
• Participants should be in good physical and mental condition, and willing to work as a team.
• It is absolutely critical that participants follow the safety instructions and decisions of the guide in charge of the trip.
• Participants must read, understand and sign the liability waiver.

Tour Operator and photos

• Agua Hielo Sea Kayak Expeditions

Reservations

• If this trip interests you, make your
• Take a look at our Calendar of expeditions to see which date is best for you.
• Trip Terms and Conditions