One of the highlights of any trip to Patagonia is a visit to the Perito Moreno Glacier. The glacier is huge – it’s face is over 5 miles long (Perito Moreno is one of the few glaiciers in the world that is not retreating). Fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field it runs 19 miles before terminating in Lago Argentina in Parque Nacional de Los Glaciares. We headed out to the glacier after picking up my good friend Wendi from the airport, on a beautiful cloudless Patagonian day. En route, we saw condors soaring surrounded by achingly beautiful mountains.
Condor Soars Above Lago Argentina
Deeanne & Wendi
Soon after entering the park, we came around a corner and there the glacier lay below. It is absolutely huge! I have heard that the entire city of Buenos Aires could fit on the surface, and I don’t doubt it. The scale is massive, and it is hard to appreciate until you stand in front of it.
Perito Moreno Glacier from Afar
Below the Glacier
We walked around on the excellent boardwalks and took in the sight of the glacier from every possible angle. The park has several kilometers of excellent boardwalks designed to let you get close to the glacier, but not too close. The best part of visiting the glacier is sitting and waiting for the glacier to calve, as it is one of the most active glaciers, moving up to two meters a day through the valley. Here is a video of one of the larger pieces calving; every few minutes ice would fall somewhere along the face.
We took a boat ride in order to appreciate the size and scale of the glacier. It really is a huge ice wall, with an average height of 240 feet above the surface of the water and reportedly another 558 feet hiding below the water. We were able to hang out up close for about an hour on the boat. Once, a very large piece fell, and the waves that reached the boat were nearly surfable, making us understand why the captain maintained the distance that he did!
Splendor!
Deeanne Enjoying the View
After the spectacular show we headed back to town for dinner and then bunked down for the night at America del Sur a very cool hostel overlooking Lago Argentina. The next day we headed out to El Chalten.
We arrived to El Calafate, the heart of Patagonia over the weekend. We flew up from Ushuaia, a short flight of about one hour, and landed about sunset; which seems to last over an hour at this latitude. The airport is about 15 miles East of town, so we enjoyed the countryside on our transfer in to our hostel, the I Keu Ken (highly recommended). The countryside reminds me a bit of Eastern Montana or Wyoming so far. This time of year is known for being particularly windy, and most of the short vegetation looks like it was built to withstand the constant barrage of wind.
Just Outside El Calafate
Walking Around the Bird Reserve at El Calafate
We’ve been waiting for a nice place to go horseback riding. I love to ride, but haven’t much since I was a teenager. We heard about Cerro Frias, a lovely place to ride on Estancia Alice, and decided to go. In the back of my mind, I was hoping that we would be able to ride somewhat freely; but of course it was a typical trail ride, where the horses have been carefully trained to fall in a precise line, and follow the one before them exactly. I fear that once trained to give trail rides, regretably horses are ruined for any other purpose. I actually didn’t mind too much, as my horse riding skills are seriously rusty, and the scenery was so lovely it was nice to not really have to think about controlling the horse, and just look around.
Horseback Riding at Cerro Frias
Garret Rides Like a Pro
Views Just Got Better as the Ride Progressed
The area was beautiful, and afforded views of several lakes, as well as condors and other bird life. Cattle grazed the estancia freely, and jack rabbits hopped around the scrub bushes. The wind was our constant companion, and the condors definitely took advantage of the strong currents in the area. We were told that on clear days, it was possible to see the Torres of Chile’s Torres del Paine, but this was as much of a view into Chile as we got; which wasn’t much.
Clouds Blocked Our View of the Torres and Chile
The Estancias are Incredibly Beautiful to Ride On
When we got back, we had a typical Patagonian lunch. This means lots of barbequed beef, lamb, and roasted potatoes and squash. I was surprised that they actually had vegetarian options, and I enjoyed a spinach pie with grilled vegetables, along with the very best calabaza soup yet. All too soon it was time to leave the estancia, and go back to town. If I wasn’t on a budget, I would stay overnight for a couple of nights here, because it was just really lovely.
We Warmed Up With a Typical Patagonian Lunch After the Ride
