Trekking on the Perito Moreno glacier

---

What to say about the Perito Moreno glacier? We decided to do a “mini-trekking” tour rather than simply make our own way to the viewing platforms. It turned out to be a good move, and the prices are the same (250 pesos) no matter who you book through.

Our day began with a bus journey into the National Park and then a boat trip across part of the lake. The views of the glacier were spectacular, but they got much, much better. Once back on dry land we had a short lecture about the formation of glaciers before being fitted with crampons. Then we took to the ice. For almost 2 hours we trekked up and down crevices (or were they crevasses?!) and had breathtaking icy scenery all around us in every shade of blue you could care to imagine. The trekking finished with a lovely glass of whisky chilled by fresh glacial ice - very refreshing!

We sat and watched the front of the glacier whilst waiting for our return boat. It was amazing to see enormous pieces of it collapse and fall into the lake, and the mini tidal waves this created.

Then we were taken to the viewing balconies where we could see both fronts of the glacier. This was where the noise was at its loudest and the glacier creaked, groaned and cracked with alarming regularity and frightening volume. We were mesmerized for an hour there before returning to El Calafate.

Before leaving for Rio Gallegos, we visited the Laguna Nimez nature reserve. There we saw quite a selection of birds including the strange looking Black-faced Ibis. We were followed around by three stray dogs that we couldn’t get rid of. They constantly irritated the birds, but for us it assisted our viewing. Seeing the dogs attacked by Southern Lapwings and also by a Cinerous Harrier protecting their nests was very entertaining for us, but probably frightening for the birds. Hopefully the 2 pesos each we paid to go in can go towards repairing the holes in the fence!!

---

Photos

Bits fall off all the time
but this was a large piece. Going, going, gone!

Keep off the grass!
But what grass?

Comments

[Ronnie]

wow!
These pics are spectacular

[Abbey]

Wow!! you guys are brave! I don´t think I would go anywhere where you have to use that type of foot gear! Looks amazing though!

[melvyn]

catching up
Hi Russ and Trish- just caught up with the last few months on the blog. great photos again, new camera?? explains the new quality!! You must smell bad most of the time as stray dogs keep sniffing around you,mm. Your blog world map shows that you have visited N Korea, or did you mean to tick the Laos box next to it! Have a great christmas in "Southern Wales" Whats next? Merry Christmas Santa melvyn and Menna

[Karen (from Santa Cruz)]

Happy Holidays!
Russ, Thanks for the holiday greetings! I'm so jealous that you two are still in South America. Give me a few years to pay off these student loans, and I'll be doing the same. I wish you both safe and happy travels. Keep up the blog; I love it!! Best in the new year! -Karen

[Jo]

Pretty god damn nice
How did you get your photo´s to do that on the blog? That big long one and the cropped ones. Very la-dee-da!