Patagonia is home to the largest ice fields in the Southern Hemisphere outside of Antarctica, with 49 high-movement glaciers. In the ninth edition of the Pelayo Vida Challenge, five selected women will cover over 70 kilometers without external assistance, facing icy winds up to the Gorra Blanca Hill. Over 11 days, they will ascend the Marconi Glacier and cross the Marconi Pass. The expedition will pass through the “Cirque of the Altars” before heading to the Gorra Blanca refuge, where they will ascend 1,300 meters to the summit. The challenge will culminate with the placement of the Pelayo Vida Challenge flag at the Patagonian peak, promoting the importance of physical exercise during and after cancer treatment.

In a privileged area of Patagonia, the Pelayo Vida Challenge team will cross the Ice Field and camp at the Cirque of the Altars, 1,300 meters above sea level, with views of Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy. The goal is to ascend to Cerro Gorra Blanca (2,920 m), conquered 39 years ago, located near the Marconi Pass, the border with Chile. This region has been a magnet for explorers since the 16th century, when Juan Ladrillero first sighted it. The expedition will be the first on the continental ice sheet led by an exclusive team of women cancer survivors.