Glacier´s

Trip Start Sep 23, 2008
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Trip End ??? ??, 2009


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Flag of Argentina  , Patagonia,
Thursday, October 9, 2008

After another 20 hour bus trip to Ria Gallegos, then 5 hours on the road I arrived at El Calafate, Southern Patagonia. I bunked up at Hostel del glacier libertador, which is a very clean and comfortable hostel. Its more like a swiss resort set'up then the general backpackers. Here I meet a British couple Kim and Karen whom have been travelling for some time throughout the world. The night of arrival we had several beers in the common room and booked a tour of the areas most famous tourist attraction Glacier Perito Los Glacaires.
Any early rise after a late night we where on the bus heading out into the national park. Although not the biggest glacier in Argentina Im tellling you this thing is impressive. Standing at over 60 meters high from the lake below, and stretching over 3 km across and back into the valley for over 40kms its massive. Taking in views from different vantage points every which way you look at this glacier you are struck by its size. Getting up close at the viewing platforms the sound of ice breaking away is like listening to bombs exploding. Each and every crack had the crowds of tourist waiting in ore to see where the next chunk of ice the size of a house was going to crash into the lake below.
To get a better appreacation of the size of the glacier we went on a boat trip which takes you up to 300m of the galcaier face. Looking up all we could see the solid ice rising above us, even at a safe distance of 300m due to the risk of a collapse and wave action it was impressive. But our adventure didnt end with the boat trip. Returning to the dock the strong winds had blown the icebergs into the jetty thus making landing impossible. The boat first tried to ram the ice bergs out of the way, the sound of metal on ice is quite frightning, thoughts of the movie titanic came flooding back and that boat had steel reinforcing for such incounters, ours was just a large catamaran for viewing. Having no luck pushing it out of the way, the crew then throw ropes around the summits of the bergs and on the third attempt they where able to dragg the ice berg back out on the lake and before the wind had a chance to blow it back in the boat was docked and we where safely back on dry ground.

I will upload photos when back to fast internet speeds.
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