O'Higgins Glacier

The Ventisquero O'Higgins comes off the Southern Patagonian Ice Field into the northern arm of Lago O'Higgins, and it is one of the largest glaciers flowing from that ice field, with a tall calving face about two kilometres wide. It has also retreated more than almost any other in the region - measurements across the twentieth century put the withdrawal at well over ten kilometres, among the largest documented retreats of any Patagonian glacier. The boat from the end of the Carretera Austral takes several hours each way across water that is often too rough to cross, so trips are cancelled frequently.

The landscape

• A tall calving face - about two kilometres wide.
• One of the ice field's great glaciers - flowing into Lago O'Higgins.
• Retreat of over ten kilometres - among the largest documented in Patagonia.
• Hours of boat each way - across water that often stops the trip.

When to go

December to March, the only season the boats run. A full day.

Practical notes

Wind cancels sailings regularly and waiting days in Villa O'Higgins for a weather window is normal. The trip is long, cold and expensive. There is no land route to the glacier at all.

Nearby

Villa O'Higgins is at the road's end; the Argentine crossing runs from the same lake.

Key facts