We depart at 09.00 A.M, returning at 05:00 PM.
A tour organized having in mind all of us that like to walk the wild open outdoors of Patagonia, exploring a paleontological site packed full of large petrified tree trunks over 1,2 meters in diameter and heaps of fragments of dinosaur bones. A fair physical condition is required from our “explorers” due to the fact that the site is abundant of steep hillsides, broken terrain and loose soil, rating our walk from moderate to difficult.
Departing east from El Calafate following provincial route 5 for about 33 kilometers, we turn left at “highway” 40 and drive north other 67 kilometers.
We travel mostly trough open steppe with magnificent views of the valley of Argentino Lake, with a panoramic background of the Southern Andes, cross mighty Santa Cruz river, and coast along the valley of La Leona river with (according to cloud cover) chances to sight mount Fitz Roy. We reach La Leona Hotel (historical landmark) and stay for 15 minutes. Continue west for other 10 kilometers trough the southern shore of Lago Viedma until we get to the Los Hornos hill (Santa Teresita ranch)
Just about 12:00 A.M we reach the foothill of Cerro Los Hornos, near the stop starts a large depression formed by water erosion where most of the fossils can be found.
There is where our walk starts: we go down trough steep inclines of loose, dry claylike soil and explore a seemingly endless system of gorges and ravines almost saturated with petrified wood that “sprouts” from the soil.
After 3 hours walking (including the time for lunch) we return to El Calafate the same way with stopover of 15 minutes at La Leona Hotel.
