The Travel Chica

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One for the Bucket List: Trekking on a Glacier

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If I had a bucket list, trekking on a glacier would be on it.

It should be on yours!

The first full day of the Patagonian Trails Tour started things off big.

I mean really big.

In addition to seeing incredible views of Perito Moreno Glacier from the lookout point, we took a boat ride over to the Aventura y Hielo (Adventure & Ice) camp to do a guided mini-trek on the glacier.

Walking on a Glacier

This was the real thing.  They got us geared up with crampons.


Our guide taught us the proper way to walk without falling over.

Greatly appreciated.

And we were off.

Be careful!

Although this is a safe activity, you do have to follow the guides’ instructions and be careful when crossing giant crevasses or walking on a ledge.

This is a really deep hole (and wide enough for humans) where glacier meltwater flows.  You really do NOT want to fall in while taking a photo.

I ignored the instructions and jumped in a pool of water.

Nice little trick, huh?

Perito Moreno Fun Facts

This is inside Parque Nacional de Los Glaciares.  This glacier is part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, which is like a glacier factory.  This ice field is the third largest in the world (300km long and 50km wide).

The Perito Moreno Glacier is 31km long and 6km wide.  It is 40-60 meters above the water and 100 meters below.

Seriously, it’s huge.

It is one of the few glaciers in the world that is in balance.  It is not growing or retreating.  (Note that 98% of the world’s glaciers are retreating.)

This glacier advances about 2 meters a day.  That is A LOT for something so large.

70% of the glacier is developing ice constantly, and 30% of it is melting quickly.  Every 4-6 years the glacier moves down far enough to touch the Magellan Peninsula and cuts off the lake.  That is where it is right now.

There is something really incredible about being on a natural wonder of this size.

It is unimaginable until you see it for yourself.

I heard loud noises that sound like a rifle firing.  This was  the glacier moving… as we were walking on it.  Pieces of the glacier fall off all the time.

This boat got lucky and saw a huge chunk of ice fall.

I missed the splash, but you can see how far the wave went.


A Surprise at the End

Sometimes “putting it on” for the tourists can be fun.  At the end of our trek, we got to have a whiskey made with ice chipped off of the glacier.

I never drink whiskey, but this was a whiskey on glacier ice.

I had to have a few sips.

(Note: They are smart and do this at the end after you walk back down the glacier. Probably a good idea, since you already a little wobbly wearing the crampons.)

Have you ever seen a glacier?

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This post is part of a series about my experience on the Patagonian Trails Tour with Adventure Center.  I was very impressed by their range of tour options from light to extreme adventure all over Latin America and the rest of the world.  There really is something for everyone.  Adventure Center handles all bookings with Peregrine for North American clients.

Comments

  3. So cool!! (literally, huh?) We did two glacier hikes in New Zealand so we ended up skipping the actual walk on Perito Moreno but I can only imagine how awesome that was since we saw it – such a huge glacier! Everything in South America is such a spectacle, isn’t it? The natural wonders really do astound!
    Andrea recently posted..Do Travel Service Providers “Get It?”

  7. Right before college my parents and i went to Alaska. While there we rented a plane and flew over their glaciers. I was shocked to see how the ice flowed like a river. It had “white caps” and you could see the ebbs and flows.

    I took comfort in seeing the consistency between fast (river @ liquid state) and slow (river running @ solid state).

    • Caroline, this was arranged through my Patagonian Trails Tour with Adventure Center (www.adventure-center.com) It includes Perito Moreno and hiking in El Chalten, but they have a lot of options in this area so check out their website.

      If you choose not to do a package tour, it seemed like you could organize a trip to the glacier including the mini-trekking from the hotels/ hostels in El Calafate, but it gets really busy during certain times of the year. I met a few people who arrived and could not book the tour for a few days.
      Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..How To Survive a 28-Hour Bus Ride

  9. Love the photos Stephanie. I haven’t done trekking at a glacier yet, but I will have to do after looking at your photos! And that’s a great idea about the whisky. I think I’ll have to take my own bottle thou, just in case they don’t serve any! as I really have now set my eyes on some whisky with glacier ice!
    Jarmo @ Arctic Nomad recently posted..Island Hopping at El Nido

    • What a wonderful place for a honeymoon! As you have probably seen from my recent posts, yes, I did hike in El Chalten. So beautiful!

      I have had “cordero patagonico,” which I assume is the same.

      Very cool that you’re coming back next year. I think this is a place I could keep coming back to.

      Next up is Chilean Patagonia!
      Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Eating Like a Queen in El Chalten

  11. Amazing!! I remember the deep hole, and the little table with whiskey was so funny! I was around 16 years old at that time. Nice pics Steph, keep traveling safe. besos

  12. OMG Stephanie!!!!!! These are some of the best glacier shots I have ever seen. I can’t wait to go. Been on a glacier in Alaska and recentl one in Montana which is featured in the blog post I strted writing yesterday (2/3 done). But the enormity pictured here is hot (wel maybe hot is not the appropriate term). And it is growing, not retreated. Love it!
    Philip recently posted..My 2011 Travel Review from A to Z

  13. Wow Stephanie those are just awesome pix. I enjoy seeing you in your photos. The fun & excitement shows on your face : ) What a cool experience. I never had a bucket list but I’d like to start one – do you think I’m too old to do this? of course not right now but maybe next year?
    Love Mom

  14. Nice pics. I loved hiking on glaciers, and would love to do Patagonia! So far, I have done Alaska and New Zealand.

    Someone earlier asked about the deep blue color – it’s not the lack of oxygen, but rather the ice being exposed to oxygen, after years of being under the compressed ice pack.
    Don Faust recently posted..Japan in Jan: Eating Tokyo, Sushi & Wagyu

  28. This looks like so much fun. I’d really like to visit this part of S. America. I love the glacier photos and it’s really cool you got to see it “calving” and hear those crazy noises!
    Laura recently posted..Eat and Drink in Rome

  30. Stephanie, I was so thrilled when you wrote that you did this mini-trekking, I can’t believe all these days have gone by before I got to read your post and see the photos. The post definitely brought mega smiles to my face. I probably already said it, but this mini-trekking was my favorite experience of my entire trip! It’s also the only memory card (or 1 of 2) I lost out of an entire pile, so I know I must return and I was so happy to see your photos. I spent a total of 3 days at that park and could have stayed way longer. Hope you’re enjoying your time while you’re there :) Looking forward to reading what other tours you did in the area. Are you getting more glacier experiences?
    Ayelet – All Colores recently posted..When Life Gives You Lemons, Go to Boston’s Beacon Hill and Public Garden

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