Patagonia Glaciers

Enthusiastic for more glaciers a a result of yesterday's encounter with Perito Moreno, we boarded a boat to explore some of the other glaciers in the park.

We set out on Lago Argentino, apparently the largest lake in Argentina, and went up the north arm to the Upsala Glacier. This is the biggest in the park and we were lucky to be able to get up close - often floating icebergs make this glacier impossible to approach. Upsala is massive, 60 km in length, but (unlike Perito Moreno) is receding steadily.

Next was a quick pass by the Onelli Glacier, but we couldn't get close because navigation through the icebergs was too dangerous. So it was on to Spegazzini, the tallest and most spectacular of all the glaciers, descending steeply from surrounding mountains but stopping with walls of up to 130 metres above the water.

Finally we were able to see Perito Moreno from the water and observe some of its "calving" activity from very close by. Spectacular. Then back to El Calafate where it's still broad daylight after 10 pm.

Simon