El Calafate

So I left behind the natural wonders of the living world and moved on to a monster.....the Perito Moreno Glacier. There are several other glaciers but this is deemed the most impressive (hence my reason for the visit and another 16/18 hours on the bus).

So the facts then: The Perito Moreno Glacier is a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park in the south west of Santa Cruz province, Argentina.

The 250 km² ice formation, of 30 km in length, is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field located in the Andes system shared with Chile. This icefield is the world's third largest reserve of fresh water.

The terminus of the Perito Moreno Glacier is 5 km wide, with an average height of 60 meters above the surface of the water, with a total ice depth of 170 meters. It advances at a speed of up to 2m per day (around 700 m per year), although it loses mass at approximately the same rate, meaning that aside from small variations, its terminus has not advanced or receded in the past 90 years. At its deepest part, the glacier has a depth of approximately 700 m. The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of only three Patagonian glaciers that are not retreating. Periodically the glacier advances over the L-shaped "Lago Argentino" ("Argentine Lake") forming a natural dam which separates the two halves of the lake when it reaches the opposite shore. With no escape route, the water-level on the Brazo Rico side of the lake can rise by up to 30 meters above the level of the main lake. The enormous pressure produced by this mass of waters finally breaks the ice barrier holding it back, in a spectacular rupture event. This dam/rupture cycle is not regular and it naturally recurs at any frequency between once a year to less than once a decade.

OK - there´s the facts...now what did I think of it? Well I have to say it´s one of the most impressive natural wonders I have ever seen, the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers in New Zealand whilst pretty damn cool just don´t compare. If ice is your thing then this is definitely the place to come.

Our trip was with a company who apparently do things an alternative way to the big tour companies - in practice that means we take the back roads and don´t have masses of people in each group (max 20 per bus). The back roads mean you get to spot a little more wildlife and again get to wonder at the miles and miles of tundra that make up this part of the world.

As you get closer to the Los Glaciares National Park the scenery becomes much more interesting - you get up and close to the Lago Argentina and feast on the views of the sparkling blue waters set against the back drop of huge snow covered mountains, very reminiscient of the South Island in NZ. As you go into the Park the road snakes and winds with the promise of getting closer to the Perito Moreno and suddenly, you round a corner and there it is in the distance, a snaking white river against a brilliant blue sky - in the true sense of the word....awesome! And it only gets better - as you get closer it draws you in and leaves you opened mouthed in wonder at the world around you.

I opted for a day that involved a little bit of hiking to get you closer to the glacier and sure enough after 2 hours of trekking along the shore and up and down a couple of gullies there we were just 50 metres from the monster. Its hard to describe it up close and personal.......the main thing that will strike you is the noise. It´s like a living breathing creature - constantly moving, it roars as even small pieces of ice drop off into the lake below. We were lucky enough to witness a large piece fall off - the sound of first the crack, and then what I can only describe as an eruption, is truly fantastic, if I can be given a little artistic licence here please......it sounds like what I´d imagine to be the beginning of the end of the world (if that´s not too dramatic!). The other interesting thing was the wave that it created - the boats arn´t allowed to get close for particularly this reason, its enough to capsize them. So after that it was back to the main area and time for a stroll along the terraces where particular view points have been set up for maximum viewing pleasure.....if you can manage to squeeze in past the other hordes of tourists that is!

After a spot of lunch it was time to hop on the boat and go take a look from a different perspective - again highly impressive. From the dock it was a half hour journey there and back but definitely worth it and makes for great photos if that´s what you´re after. Coming back in to dock was a Titantic moment - was expecting someone to start ringing a warning bell and screaming iceberg ahoy! Well maybe not that dramatic but was good craic anyway - an ice berg had managed to lodge itself against the dock barring our way....so what now I hear you ask? Well obviously you get a rope and sling it around it and then tow it out of the way trying not to capsize under the weight! An amusing finish to an awe inspiring day.

Now El Calafate itself - I think this is probably the most touristy place I have been too and the prices reflect that. There literally is nothing to do - one street worth walking up and down and that´s it! Not a place to spend a lot of time I´d dare say but definitely worth the trip for going to see the glaciers and the National Park.