Today's excursion was to the Perito Morena Glacier, which is about 80km from where we are staying in Calafate. This is one of the few glaciers in the world that is actually growing year by year, unlike the majority that are shrinking due to global warming. As our bus drew near to the edge of Lake Argentina we were treated to the impressive sight of the towering ice cliffs pushing into the blue water of the lake. The national park in which the glacier is located is very well organized, and there was an extensive network of walkways to allow visitors to view the glacier close up and form all angles, without disturbing the rest of the environment. At the closest point, we were only 300m from the face of the glacier, and we were able to see the blue color of the ice that had been under the greatest compression. We were also lucky enough to be able to see the glacier calving, which entailed a loud bang like an explosion, followed by the crash as a large chunk of ice fell into the lake to create an iceberg and a mini tsunami.
In the afternoon we were taken across the lake by boat to vice the glacier up close from the water, and then land on the opposite shore for the start of our glacier trek. We trekked up to the side of the glacier where we were all fitted with crampons so that we could walk safely on the ice. Then we were lead onto the glacier itself to view some of the more interesting features. If you saw the episode of Frozen Planet
that featured the Greenland glaciers, then you will have some idea of what we saw. Pools of meltwater flowed down channels carved in the ice and then plunged down into the depths though deep holes. Particularly impressive was the electric blue colour of the ice holes and crevasses, almost as if they were being lit up from below by some sort of glacial light show.
Of course, all that ice could not go to waste, so our trek ended with a whiskey toast to us intrepid explorers, poured over ice freshly carved from the glacier by our guides.
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