We’ve got the tour to Perito Moreno for this day.
We’ll be
picked up in our hotel for our trip to Perito Moreno through route 11
until reaching the incredible views of the front of this glacier from
the platforms. Then, we’ll sail along one of its side to reach the
glacier itself for a trekking on it.
After
We’re ready at 8:30 AM as planned. It’s just a bit
after that we’re picked up and, with some more stops by some hotels
until getting the coach full, we leave El Calafate to Los Glaciares
National Park.
It’s about one hour through these Patagonian landscapes
improved by the Lago Argentino. The first stop is by the gates of the
National Park to pay 800$ for the access. We’re amazed by the shape of
the clouds in the sky.
There is one stop more in an area with toilets
before reaching the jetty. We could have our first views of the glacier
from the bus. The boat sails directly to the jetty at the other side
but we’re getting astonishing views of the South wall of the Perito
Moreno.
Once in the other side there is a short stroll to
the refuge, where we’re leaving the back packs with the lunch we’re
bringing from the hotel and everything we don’t need for the trekking
on the glacier.
The way from the refuge to the place with the equipment for the glacier
is longer and goes through platforms and a big beach. We’re gathered
for the helmet delivery and they attach the crampons in our boots.
After this we’re ready to go to the glacier.
We have a short walk along the glacier on gravel
and we get on the bright ice. We can walk surprisingly easy on the ice
with these metal spikes in our feet.
It’s a one-hour trekking on which we’re doing
several stops for pictures. At the end we’re offered a glass of whisky
on glacier ice and a chocolate. Just after the drink they take the
crampons and helmet back and come back to the refuge for our lunch. In
the way, we pay attention to the calafates, the bush that gives name to
the town, full of little yellow flowers. It ends by giving purpled
sweet berries.
When we finish our meal, while waiting for the
boat to come, we enjoy the great views to Perito Moreno’s wall when,
suddenly, a huge crack sounds like coming from the sky and makes us
look to the place where a column of ice is falling from the wall. The
view of this is amazing, but the sound is even more. This is
magnificent but we were not expecting it and couldn’t get any picture
of it.
When the boat arrives, it goes slowly all along
the glacier wall this time so we can enjoy a close view of it and wait
for another ice fall, which doesn’t happen.
After disembarking, the coach is waiting for us.
It takes us, in a short ride, to the popular platforms in front of the
Perito Moreno. They give us one hour to explore the place at our will.
We’re amazed with the views and spend most of the
time waiting in front of some ice blocks that look like they’re about
to fall but, on despite of hearing strong cracks here and there we
don’t manage to see another ice falling. These ice falls to the lake
are part of the normal life of the glacier: the snow is continuously
coming from the mountains and being accumulated at the top until the
pressure is enough to make the entire block of ice that is supporting
it to fall. They’ve explained Perito Moreno has the particularity of
keeping its size along the years because it’s receiving a similar
amount of snow than the one falling to the lake, keeping this balanced.
We’re back at the coach by 5 PM, as we were told,
and we leave to El Calafate with no stops. We reach the hotel at 6 PM
and we’re so tired that we stay in the room until tomorrow.
