evidence: The South Patagonian Ice Field remains one of the least-explored mountain areas in the world, and for good reason; it is a brutal and unforgiving environment which attracts only the hardiest of adventurers. The landscape is dominated by a central desolate icy tundra, becoming more mountainous around its perimeter, where glaciers have carved away the landmass. Climatic conditions on the ice field generate some of the strongest and coldest winds in all of Patagonia, influencing weather patterns along the length of the Andes. [...] The South Patagonian Ice Field traverse is widely regarded as the pinnacle of all trekking routes in Patagonia. Along the way, you will explore varied landscapes including the white horizons of the ice field itself, gigantic glacial moraines, mesmerising ice formations, dense lenga forests, turquoise lagoons and towering granite rock faces. It is hard to find a trekking experience that offers such visual intensity anywhere else in the world. [...] The main airports closest to the Southern Ice Field are in El Calafate on the Argentinian side, and Punta Arenas on the Chilean side. You can fly direct from Santiago to Punta Arenas (approximately 3.5 hours) or from Buenos Aires to El Calafate (approximately 3 hours, 15 minutes).