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Published: January 23rd 2006
Me and the Perito Moreno Glacier
Exactly what it says on the tin!!!The main (only) reason for visiting El Calafate is to take a trip to the incredible Perito Moreno Glaciar. Unfortunately, the glacier is located 75km away from the town and no public transport runs out to it!! Therefore you need to book on a quite expensive tour, or use your wits to get there. Fortunately, as James and I don´t have much in either of those two departments, we found secret third option C, which was to bump into some Israeli guys that I had met in Buenos Aires and for them to have 2 free spaces in the car that they had rented for the following day - resulto!!
Thus we drove down to the Glaciar the next morning. About three quarters of the way to the glaciar, the road turned to winding gravel, and it was at this point the driver Laurie let slip that he had been up partying all of the previous night and hadn´t been to bed yet!! James and I had naively thought that his wandering from one side of the road to the other was simply part of his relaxed driving style. Anyway, I jumped behind the wheel and got us the last
Perito Moreno from distance
This was the first glimpse we had of the glacier as we approached it in the hire car few kilometres!!!
The glaciar itself was absolutely stunning. Fed by at least 5 or 6 glaciars that we could see high up in the mountains, this incredible mass of ice rolled down the valley until eventually coming to rest in the blue waters of Lago Argentina.
The size of it was hard to believe as well, the terminal face, (bit at the front that is in the lake), was 5km wide and 60 metres high. To try a gain a perspective of it was almost impossible because it was just so big. The glaciar is also very active with massive chunks of ice falling from the face with great roars and hitting the lake with huge splashes.
Anyway, it´ll be easier to see what I´m talking about when the photos are on-line which will hopefully be in 7-10 days time.
The plan is now to get the bus up to El Chalten, base for the 4 day Laguna Torre and Monte Fitz Roy trek.
Adios
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Lawrence
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Slow Down Marky - Save some sights for me!
Hey buddy, Loving your work, but i do have one concern. If you keep moving from place to placelike you have then i wont have anything cool left to see when i arrive! Save some of the best bits for me! (...end completely selfish request) How are we buddy. Loving the cold, wet and breezy surrounds? Bet the sight of the Galcier and Fitz Roy Massifs made it all worth your while. I look forwards to your photos with a real sence of anticipation. próspero año nuevo by the way. Hows the spanish coming? I look forwards to your next journal.