The Patagonian ice fields are very difficult to access. As a result, they remain largely unexplored by climatologists. Today, a scientist and two extreme mountaineers are venturing into this difficult-to-access area, in search of new data for climate research.

Even after 15 years of research in Chile, scientist Tobias Sauter says that for him, many questions remain unanswered. To clarify them, he decides to venture into areas that are difficult to access. Mountaineers Robert Jasper and Jörn Heller agree to help – and thus put themselves in great danger.

The two ice fields of the Patagonian Andes, which lie on the border of Chile and Argentina, represent the largest mass of ice outside the polar ice caps. However, due to climate change, the ice is losing mass. In some regions, ice fields are losing up to 20 meters in height per year.

Little is known about these dramatic developments and their specific causes. Until now, the northern ice field in particular has been mainly studied using satellite data. Extreme weather conditions and the great remoteness of the region make field research difficult.

Tobias Sauter from Humboldt University Berlin is one of the few researchers taking on this challenge. He and a small team of German and Chilean researchers have been studying developments at the southern tip of Latin America for years. Until now, researchers lacked data and samples from the higher, hard-to-access regions.

With the help of professional mountaineers Robert Jasper and Jörn Heller, Sauter now wants to change that. The two German mountain guides have been searching for new routes and unconquered peaks in the Patagonian Andes for 30 years. The expedition takes the team through magnificent landscapes. It's a battle against unpredictable weather, but also a test of their own limits. A film crew accompanies the group to one of the most remote regions of our planet.

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