A three hour flight from hot and sunny Buenos Aires brought us to windy and cold El Calafate in southern Patagonia. We weren't expecting such a large difference in temperature, but fortunately we were prepared for it anyway.
El Calafate is a small tourist town which services the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and, in particular, the Glaciar Perito Moreno, which is only 80 km away. We wasted no time in making our way to the glaciers and have already spent a full day on and around Perito Moreno. It is spectacular. It rises 50-60 meters high over a lake and stretches 30 km up into the mountains. It is one of the very few glaciers in the world which is not receding. In fact, it has remained "stable" since 1917 - which does not mean that it hasn't moved, but just that new accumulation keeps pace with ablation. All because of a unique combination of geography and weather patterns.
The glacier is an amazing sight. A white surface punctuated with deep blue sinkholes and caverns. And it is constantly active, as evidenced by the sounds of cracking wich reverberate every few minutes and, less frequently, the sight of ice chunks or walls falling away into the lake. We spent a lot of time watching and listening to the activity from scenic catwalks across the lake from the glacier. Almost transfixed, we could have stayed there for much longer. But, instead, it was onto a boat and across the lake to get right on top of the glacier. We pulled on crampons and went for a guided walk on the ice. Using crampons in these conditions was something new for both of us, but all part of the experience. We climbed up and down the ice slopes, peered into sinkholes and caverns, and generally had a blast. There can be no better way to appreciate the glacier.
Simon
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