A watched glacier never falls
The Perito Moreno Glacier, near El Calafate in South Argentina, is one of the few glaciers in the world to be moving. It descends 30 km from the Southern Patagonian ice field, where it collides with the western end of Lago Argentino, leaving an impressive frontage 60m high and 5km long.
The north face, Perito Moreno Glacier
The south face
Ice cave and Icebergs
Perito Moreno Glacier
Full extent of Perito Moreno Glacier
Perito Moreno south face
As the glacier advances parts of its frontage sheer off and crash into the lake below, causing a thunderous roar and a mini tidal wave. We stood on the viewing platform for almost an hour, video camera in hand, waiting for our turn to see this amazing spectacle, and nothing! We then took a boat trip to view the less accessible south face of the glacier and again nothing. Then, just as the boat was turning round to head back, we saw this:
While at the glacier we couldn´t resist the opportunity to try out ice-trekking. We strapped some crampons to our shoes and walked out onto the glacier. As we walked up and down the hills of ice, avoided deep crevasses and looked down into perfect blue sink holes, we felt like we were in some kind of wonderland. After the exertion of the trek we enjoyed a whiskey “on the rocks” with ice cut straight off the glacier!
Perito Moreno Wonderland
Us, Ice-trekking
Water filled Crevesse
Whiskey on the rocks!
We were a little disappointed we didn´t get to trek for longer and get further out onto the glacier, in our 1 ½ hours on the glacier we never lost sight of the edge. We´ve already checked though, and there are plenty of glaciers in New Zealand, so we are going to try and have another go there!
OMG those photo’s don’t look real at all!!! Your mention of New Zealand makes me think you must be near to the end of S America – that right?
By the way, i finally have something to make you jealous of… we’re off skiing on Sat woo hoo!!
Wow – that’s like a David Attenborough film! Stunning pics. Hope you had a nice hot cup of tea and the end of it!
Obviously meant to type ‘at’ the end of it. Call myself an editor…
This looks quite surreal – like you are walking on meringue! What an amazing place. I think you must have needed the whiskey to warm up.
Wow, that looks stunning. Sure it must have looked even better actually there.
Looking forward to seeing you both back here in the summer – don’t know how you’ll ever adjust again to the hum-drum of normal life when you’re back.
Cheers Nick. We are starting to look forward to a few things back home, but it will definately be a bit weird to have to go to work everyday again.