Glaciar Martial

From the car park at the end of Luis Fernando Martial road, 7 km above the centre of Ushuaia, the Sendero del Bosque climbs through lenga and coihue forest beside the Arroyo Buena Esperanza. It comes out at the Mirador del Glaciar, the first view up to the ice, then the Sendero del Glaciar climbs on up the open valley, over grass and stony ground, to the foot of the frontal moraine below the Martial Glacier. Turn round for the view down the valley to Ushuaia, the Beagle Channel and the mountains of Navarino Island. Return the same way.

It is 5.4 km there and back with 458 m of ascent; allow about 3 hours. The grade is Moderate: a steady climb on a good path, rougher and stonier in the upper valley.

The area is run as the Parque del Fin del Mundo, open daily from 9:00 to 19:30, with a visitor fee for non-residents. In winter the valley is a ski area and the paths lie under snow. The steeper paths up the moraine, towards the ice, are loose and not part of this walk. Fires are banned throughout the province.

Cafés at the car park are open all year. A taxi from the centre of Ushuaia takes about 15 minutes.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.