Day 5 – Friday 12th October 2018
El Calafete – Perito Moreno Glacier
Distance travelled:-
By plane – 0
By foot – 15.86 kms/ 9.86 miles
By public transport – 70 kms/43 miles
Steps taken – 23,028
So one of the reasons for coming to El Calafate was to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier, a massive that’s actually composed of many other pieces of shifting ice. It’s one of two glaciers in all of South America that is growing – yes I said growing!
This phenomena baffles scientists as most of the world’s glaciers are shrinking because of climate change.
We took an enjoyable bus ride, approximately 90 minutes to the park. It was a scenic journey.
Views from bus window
Among the Earth’s most dynamic and accessible ice fields, Glacier Perito Moreno is the stunning centerpiece of the southern sector of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares.
It measures 30km in length, 5km wide and 73 metres high (approximately) but what makes it EXCEPTIONAL in the world of ice is its constant advance – up to 2m per day, causing building-sized icebergs to calve from its face.
Many people think it’s due to global warming, but it’s not. It’s actually as the size increases, the front of the glacier gains large cracks and crevasses that eventually calve off creating an exciting natural show.
In the past when I’ve saw this happen a part of me felt sad as the glaciers I’ve seen before have all been retreating, but not this one, so I was able to totally enjoy it for what it was.
However it is sadly thinning which means it’s volume is on a downward trend.
But what a sight she was!
The sun was beaming down hard and there were few clouds in the sky. The glacier shined bright against the torquoise lake and distant peaks.
There are viewing platforms in which you can get up pretty close and personal.
There are also around 5 different walking circuits, on boardwalks, that you can do that allows you to check out the glacier from different advantage points….we did the lot and were there the whole day, morning until night! It passed by so quickly.
Some might say really…a whole day at a glacier, but believe you me, it was truly special, I didn’t want to leave!
We found a large rock to set ourselves up for lunch. ‘Cracking’ open a bottle of wine we sat in almost silence observing the glacier and icebergs.
If you only get to visit one glacier in your life, Perito Moreno would be a good one to pick.
This glacier is the largest glacier in the world outside Antarctica and Greenland and one of the few that regenerates itself.
It was discovered and named on 15th February 1877 by Perito Francisco Pascasio Moreno.
As I stood in awe of this most incredible jagged piece of ice, I could hear creaky eerie noises of the glacier. Then cracking and booming, like a gun shot or canon being fired and then, huge chunks of ice weighing tens of thousands of kilo’s periodically breaking away, crashing into the water creating thunderous sounds.
This has to be arguably one of the world’s most mind blowing glaciers.
Words cannot do this justice…infact photos cannot either but I’ve tried…here are several more photos of mother nature at her best doing her thing!
And by the way I was so overwhelmed by this phenomena that it even started to make me see double! Not you too?
Mary's Outdoor Adventure's 
That really is spectacular Mary. Pits the few glaciers I’ve seen imto the shade. Your Dad would probably do something silly like going for a walk across it. That’s what he did when we were in Switzerlannd…enough said!!!😬😬. I’m forwarding your blogs on too uncles Mike and Tony so yo have quite an audience now. Look forward to my next armchair trip. Love /God Bless Auntie Alice.xx. By the way agree with Auntie. Lena Where’s Andy or is he the projects phootographer? He’s very good at seeing double😄
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Amazing isn’t it! Lol, my mum was actually just talking about ‘that famous trip and my dad with the glacier’ 🙈😂 before we left….I’ve heard it several times now and each time it makes me smile…that was just him alright! 😊
Lol…re the Andy comments, I may need to put him in my blog JUST TO PROVE that I’m the better photographer actually and most of these pictures are mine😋😉😂….and of course to keep the Aunties happy…..watch this space….it will happen 😁 xxx
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What views to waken up to this morning. Magnificent photographs. Almost leaves me speechless! Well…not quite but you know what I mean? By the way the seeing double …was that not more to do with the bottle of wine!! The photo of the bottle of wine with the glacier as the backdrop would be worth trying to sell to the wine producers….it’d make a good advert….don’t you think? Well, I hope you have another exhilarating adventure today. We’re off to do a bit of shopping then some gardening. Don’t think I’ll be able to cope with all this excitement!xx
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I took as many photos here as each view you looked at was a ‘wow moment’ utter stunning! Lol re the double image…could well have been after the wine and now that I come to think of it I did need to delete a few blurry photos 😂…but we are in Argentina, the wine needs sampled!
Least your getting the weather for gardening, I’ve heard Scotland’s is not good 😒….enjoy xxx
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You wouldn’t have smiled if you’d been there Mary. We were about to phone for a search party . At least he behaved himself on the Athabasca glazier. In Canada 😉 Trying to find out if Lenin (not your nephew) ever visited BA….HAPPY TRAVELLING XX
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My mum said that too 🙈🙈😳😂!!! He maybe behaved himself there as he knew he’d get another telling off from his big sister 😂😂😂….The list of things like that though that he used to do are endless, there are many stories! X
Yes please do as I never had a chance to check that out…I meant to say I thought the dude outside the coffee shop was meant to be the owner?
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Yes it has been unseasonably warm here. Very windy though. Your doing not bad for weather either. My BBC App says your in the 50s there about the same as Kelty so you should feel at home (except for the Glacier) xx
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Excellent stuff …you guys sure seem to get lucky with the weather compared to poor us up in Scotland 😉….I’d say Patagonia weather has been hotter than Kelty…imagine that 😂😂😂…out of the wind hot for sure…Andy got a good licking of the sun yesterday!
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Another full day exploring and taking pictures of this magical glacier such a beautiful sight. The natural beauty of the glacier the colour of the sky amazing. It is quite overwhelming.
Theresa xx
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It was a great day for sure…the colours were so amazing and the size of that glacier awesome! Takes your breath away! X
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Decided it’s not Lenin but someone dancing the Tango. At least you’re making my brain work doing all this research .Looking forward to next blog. Hope weather keeps up for you.Love/God Bless and good night
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Lolol….yeah I think it’s just a waiter 😂…but glad your taking it seriously 😉 …thank you and sleep well x
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Hi, great pictures today, especially the one with the picnic, that was the one i zoomed in on to see what kind of wine it was 🤣😅😁😀
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I might have guessed you would have picked that photo as you favourite 😄…you went for the wine, not the view 🙈😂…if I’m being honest we had a bottle each, small bottles though, we especially bought them for hiking 😂. I’m sure you would like it here as every wine Ive had has been amazing…and I know you like your wine…you may like the scenery too 😂🤭 xxx
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Only joking, pictures were stunning, colour of glacier was amazing. Perfect picnic, red wine, a bonus xx
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Lol…I know you were 😘😂
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