La liberación del cóndor “Coirón”

El 18 de Diciembre de 2013 fue liberado un ejemplar de esta especie en la localidad de 28 de Noviembre  al sur de El Chaltén, Provincia de Santa Cruz.






COIRON es un macho adulto, rescatado el 13 de Agosto de 2013, el cual había colisionado contra un cable de alta tensión, luego chocado contra el arco de entrada de Río Turbio y tras caer en la ruta lo atropelló una camioneta en horas de la noche.
Rápidamente la Dirección de Fauna Silvestre y Áreas Protegidas Río Gallegos – Delegación Río Turbio y la asociación Huellas Patagónicas le brindaron los primeros auxilios comprobando que no levanta bien la cabeza y regurgita constantemente
Una vez estabilizado, gracias al apoyo de la Fundación Aerolíneas Argentinas, la Fundación Bioparc, Grand Parc Puy du Fou de Francia y SOS Faune Sauvage, fue derivado para su rehabilitación al Zoo de Buenos Aires, en el marco del Proyecto de Conservación de Cóndor Andino.






Las múltiples afecciones sufridas a causa de una intoxicación por medio de la ingesta de un animal muerto, el cual tenía una perdigones de plomo y pólvora, lo que hizo que el cóndor sufriera una intoxicación y, en vuelo, perdiera el conocimiento y se estrellara.

El ave, al que bautizaron “Coirón”, regresó a la provincia y a la localidad traído por el Lic. Luis Jacome. De la ceremonia realizada en el Mirador del Cóndor Andino de la localidad de 28 de Noviembre participó la comunidad Mapuche Lof Millanahuel.






Hubo una gran concurrencia de vecinos de Río Turbio y 28 de Noviembre quienes esperaban ansiosos este magnífico e histórico acontecimiento en la Cuenca Carbonífera.
Previo a la liberación se formó un semicírculo entre los presentes y se pidió silencio al público presente para transmitir tranquilidad al ave que, al ser abierta la jaula, caminó frente a la gente unos 15 minutos, desplegando sus alas y regalando así un espectáculo majestuoso, hasta que finalmente tomó envión y alzó vuelo ante la emoción y regocijo de todos.

El ave lleva en una de sus alas un chip que brindará información de su ubicación, información muy valiosa para los especialistas y científicos que estudian y cuidan de esta especie, de la misma forma que se realizó con KatenKe, el cóndor liberado en el año 2007.

Transfers con Walk Patagonia

Walk Patagonia le ofrece su exclusivo servicio de transfers






Walk Patagonia cuenta con una flota de vehículos propios indicada para todos los requerimientos en nuestra zona.

Nuestros servicios son generalmente para servicios PRIVADOS para asegurarles un servicio personalizado y profesional.

Contamos con vehículos 4x4 y minibuses de hasta 15 pasajeros para satisfacer la demanda de Agencias de Viajes, viajeros individuales, parejas, grupos de amigos, etc.

Contamos con trailers apropiados para el traslado de equipaje voluminoso o especial.

Nos ajustamos a sus necesidades.




Nuestros servicios en El Chaltén

Transfers para realizar actividades desde El Chaltén a: 
  • Hostería El Pilar (Para iniciar el Trekking a la Laguna de Los Tres).
  • Puente del Río Eléctrico (Para iniciar el Trekking a Piedra del Fraile/Glaciar Pollone/ Paso Marconi/Hielos Continentales).
  • Bahía Túnel (para realizar navegación y/o trekking Glaciar Viedma).
  • Estancia Los Huemules.
  • Estancia Ricanor.
  • Lago del Desierto (Para realizar el Trekking a Glaciar Huemul, Navegación en el Lago del Desierto, Cruce a Villa O'Higgins -Chile-).


Transfers dentro de El Chaltén: 
  • Transfer in/out a la Estación de buses.
  • Traslados a restaurantes.





Transfers de El Chaltén hacia: 
  • Aeropuerto de El Calafate.
  • Hoteles de El Calafate.
  • Estancia La Estela.
  • Estancia / Parador La Leona.
  • Estancia Helsingfors.
  • Río Gallegos.

Consultar otros destinos.



Servicios especiales:
  • FOTÓGRAFOS y OBSERVADORES DE AVES: Contamos con unidades apropiadas para grupos de intereses especiales con servicios en horarios particulares.
  • GRUPOS CERRADOS: Si Ud. Pertenece a un grupo de familiares, amigos o clientes puede solicitar nuestros servicios con exclusividad para recorridos y horarios a medida de sus necesidades. Consulte.
  • AGENCIAS DE VIAJES. Servicios y convenios especiales para satisfacer las necesidades y exigencias de su empresa.



Nuestros servicios en El Calafate 
  • Traslados de El Calafate a El Chaltén (Hotel/Hotel).
  • Traslados para distintas excursiones al Glaciar Perito Moreno o a Punta Bandera para las navegaciones.
  • Traslados desde El Aeropuerto/Hotel (o inversa).

Consultar otros destinos.


Traslados internacionales (Chile)
  • Traslados a Cancha Carrera / Cerro Castillo.
  • Traslados a Puerto Natales.
  • Traslados a PN Torres del Paine.
  • Traslados a Punta Arenas.






Consúltenos a: transporte@walkpatagonia.com

Trekking to Laguna Toro


This past weekend, I had been assigned to help assist a group that went out on a camping trip called the “Chaltén Total”. Isabel and I carried the tents and all the food to the camp and then we prepared all the food. We portered/managed camp for the last 3 days and 2 nights of their 6 day adventure. It was a completely new experience for me because I had never carried a pack over 20 kilos and certainly not for over 20 kilometers. I was a little worried at first but I knew that this would be a good experience to see the different roles people participate in here in El Chaltén. 

The trek starts from town, near the National Park center, and trails all the way to Laguna Toro to see the Río Túnel Interior Glacier and the surrounding mountains.

We started off at 7 in the morning, just in time to see the last of the sunrise. It was a bit chilly when we walked to the trailhead, and I had a sturdy amount of layers piled on. The hike started easy; it was leveled and there was a small bridge to cross over. However, the trail suddenly started to ascend and before I knew it, I was peeling the layers off like an onion. The sun was beating down on us hard and so we slathered on sunscreen, knowing that we are in a part of the world where the sun is the most dangerous (There’s a hole in the ozone right above us!). 

We were ascending and ascending until we finally reached the top of the hill and then right in front of us in the distance, was the aquamarine water of Viedma Lake. 







The view of Viedma Lake at the top of the hill.



We stood in awe for a few minutes before trekking onwards. The view was amazing and the lake was so colorful. We entered into the newly awakened forest- all the leaves and sprouts from the ground were starting to  appear. There, I felt the most at home. It reminded me of the lush forests of the Appalachian mountains, where I live back in North Carolina. 


Shortly after, we bursted out into the open fields where you had the view of the valley, Laguna Toro, and the surrounding mountains. The closer we got, the more we noticed the contents of the valley. Half of a rainbow appeared at one of the sides of the lagoon and you could see it’s vibrant colors from a distance. It seemed to light up the entire valley with a kind of mystical presence. 





The rainbow in the valley heading towards Laguna Toro.


The trail from here was all downwards towards the campsite, which we were relieved to walk after having to walk through the tough terrain of snow and swamp. The field surrounding us was full of burnt tree trunks because many had died in a forest fire a few years back. Some of them were standing, some were decaying on the ground, and some were burnt to a crisp- with only ashes remaining in their place.

We reached the camp at the foot of Laguna Toro and ate a quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich (the typical American go-to sandwich) before setting up the tents for the campers. We started to warm up some hot chocolate for the campers just in time for them to roll into camp. They were thrilled to find a hot drink waiting for them after a long days hike from their starting location. 

 After, we turned the corner and took a quick walk to go stand on the shore of Laguna Toro and see the Túnel Interior Glacier. The wind was strong and there were a few times where it about knocked me over. After we were winded out, we headed back on the trail. 




The glacier water shore at Laguna Toro.


We made a dinner of ratatouille with noodles and sat around the campsite talking until our bellies were full and our eyes were starting to drop low. As soon as we cleaned the plates and made sure everything was put away, we headed to the tent to get a good nights sleep before the big hike to Paso del Viento in the morning.


DAY 2

We started off early in the morning in order to reach the top at Paso del Viento before the stormy weather rolled in. It was about 300 meters of walking until we reached our first challenge: river crossing. Luckily, the water was not too high and we simply had to take our boots off and walk across the freezing glacier water.

Soon enough, we were heading towards the Río Túnel Interior Glacier. The path was rocky  but pretty easy to find. Once we reached the edge of the glacier, Gastón the guide, helped each of us onto it and then we could enjoy a little glacier trekking. I had never been on a glacier before, and after looking at them around the National Park for so long you can imagine my excitement when I first stepped foot on it!



Gastón, the mountain guide, helping Sue onto the glacier.




The terrain was unlike anything I had ever walked on. You could see right through the ice, all the layers and rocks underneath it. It felt as if I was going to break the ice and fall many meters all the way down. We walked slowly on the glacier until we reached the path on the rocks and then we starting ascending all the way up to Paso del Viento. There were many miradors along the way, with amazing views of the south-east face of Fitz Roy. You could see both glaciers, Túnel Interior and Túnel Exterior as well as the Toro valley that went all the way to Viedma Lake. The view was truly incredible, it felt as if I was on top of the world. I was really excited to get to Paso del Viento and see the continental ice field and all its glory. 






View of the valley from Toro.



The Patagonia Ice Field is one of the most fascinating things to me. It is a complete no-man’s land; full with the harshest weather conditions, no suitable way to live on it. It is the third largest ice mass in the entire world right behind Iceland and Antarctica. I just could not believe that I was finally going to see this wonder of the world that many people have died trying to navigate on. 


Once we got to the point where there was only a straight and short walk to the edge of the viewpoint, Gastón stopped and gave us a few words before we saw the view. “This moment is yours” he remarked and soon afterwards we started to run across the snowy field to witness the famous Continental Ice Field. As soon as I looked across the huge field of ice, my jaw literally dropped. It was so immense and I felt so small. You could see snow flying across the glacier Viedma and the ice seemed to stretch on forever. 



After staring in awe at the ice field for a while, we decided to have lunch at the top of the view point. The winds were super strong and we could only sit for about 10 minutes before we decided to head back towards camp. There was a storm coming on and to avoid getting rained on, we moved a bit more quickly on our descent. 







View of Glacier Viedma and the Patagonia Ice Field.

Patagonia Ice Field



Once we arrived at camp, we stretched our bodies after having walked the whole day and then proceeded to start making dinner. The dinner was rice with a rich mushroom sauce accompanied with some really nice Malbec wine. We shared stories and recapped on the hike today. It was the perfect end to a challenging hike, and a great last night of the trip for the campers. As soon as it turned dark, we all headed to our tents for a good nights rest. 

In the morning, everyone rose up early so that one of the campers could return to town to catch a flight. The hike back to town was about 3 hours and so it was best for them to move early and quickly. Isabel and I would be staying at the camp and packing up instead of hiking with them. We said our goodbyes and wished each other good luck on our journeys. I was glad to have met these people, if only for a short time. 

Packing up camp was difficult because the wind was extremely strong and every time we took one part of the tent down, it would go flying across the campsite. Finally after disassembling our camp and assembling our backpacks, we headed back to town on the same trail we arrived on.

This experience was one to share and to be remembered forever. I have always been fond of camping and think that it’s an experience that every one should give a try. It is the perfect example of simplicity- It clears the mind and soul and allows you to take time for yourself. While you’re out camping you only have to worry about the upcoming short-term goals like what is for dinner or where you are going to read your book for the rest of the night. Whenever I feel like my mind is cluttered, I take to the woods for a night or two in order to be refreshed. In this way, you are able to understand the importance of nature and appreciate what it has to offer us.



               Gastón on top of Túnel Interior Glacier.

A Day to Celebrate the Parks

The National Parks of Argentina make up a total of 30 national parks located around Argentina. They stretch all the way from Baritú National Park in the North which borders Bolivia to Tierra del Fuego National Park in the Southern part of the continent.

The creation of the National Parks in Argentina dates back to 1903 with the donation of 73 square kilometres of land in the Lake District of the Andes foothills by Francesco Moreno. In 1934, a law was passed creating the National Parks system which added many more new parks to the system.

The 6th of November has been declared National Parks day in Argentina. This is a day in which we celebrate all the great things that the National Parks have allowed us to enjoy. Without these protected areas, we would not have the wild spaces full of a rich variety of flora and fauna that we can admire and learn from. 







We celebrated Argentina´s National Parks day here in Los Glaciares National Park at the National Park headquarters. We arrived just on time, when everyone was passing around sodas and wine to drink. There were plentiful amounts of vegetables and chorizos on the grill and bread set out on the picnic table. It was a good thing I came with an appetite! Everyone was super friendly and I could tell that they were happy to be here. After a while of drinking and chowing down on the asado, the head boss of the National Parks Center in El Chaltén made a speech. He talked about the history of the Parks and how he full-heartedly enjoyed being able to work in Los Glaciares. We all applauded and continued to enjoy the sunny afternoon.





Along with the asado, there was a small fair held at the elementary school here in town. The opening ceremony began with a few students walking in with the Argentina flag and the Santa Cruz Province flag. Everyone sang the national anthem and then applauded the kids as they walked off the stage. Soon after came a play put on by the elementary kids about conservation in the national parks. There were many costumes- kids dressed up as owls, condors, huemul (some of the local animals inside the national park). They explained the importance of why we should always respect our surroundings and to keep the park always looking clean. They skipped across the stage and my heart melted. It was great to see the kids participate in this important day here in El Chaltén. 




This day made me realize how much of the life in El Chaltén revolves around the National Parks. I mean after all, the town is located in Los Glaciares National Park and so the people of this town know a lot about the natural surroundings of the place that they live in. In all, I would call the holiday a success in all the festivities that happened around town. The knowledge about the National Park from the people here is inspiring and encourages all who visit here to learn about the area.