Ice Capades
Trip Start
Jan 20, 2004
1
62
165
Trip End
Ongoing
El Calafate,
Argentina
Thursday, April 7, 2005
Somewhat like a 200 ft high scintillating smile of a recumbent giant, the five km long wall of ice proudly displays its phenomenal beauty to all who come to admire it from far and wide. In the distance are the mountains whose formation causes an unusually heavy accumulation of snow on the east side of the Andes. Over millennia, the snow has compacted and recrystallized into ice which is pushed forward by the weight of the ice continuing to form behind. The constant movement and pressures causes stunning peaks (somewhat similar to piped icing on a cake), cracks and crevasses that take on a variety of incredible blue hues according to the density of the ice
01 First view of Perito Moreno
.Although spectacular as a sedentary structure, the glacier came especially alive for us when huge chunks of ice "calved" from the glacier's face and crashed into the Canal de los Témpanos (Iceberg Canal) below with resounding roars and crashes. Our heads were constantly moving back and forth in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the next break-away in action. Large sections of ice wall appeared to slide gracefully into the water, creating massive sprays and giant waves. Yet, what seemed to be only snowball-sized pieces of ice produced sounds resembling the firing of cannons - although the crack could only be heard seconds after the fragments hit the water, but then continued echoing around the peaks.
A series of stairs, walkways, and observation decks were constructed on the nearby Península de Magallanes to accommodate the thousands of visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Until 1988, tourists were permitted to descend to the shores of the iceberg canal. However, after 32 people were killed over a twenty year period by flying chunks of ice created by the calving, the auditory and visual experiences were restricted to the designated vantage points. Finally leaving after a full eight hour day, we found ourselves alone at a "no facilities" campsite just 7 km from the glacier
02 Can't get much closer
. Well, not entirely alone as we noticed dozens of Crested Caracaras perched in the trees above our campsite, presumably waiting for some delicious road-kill!Next morning we reluctantly decided to join about 250 other people on a 10 hour catamaran excursion to see the Spegazzini, Onelli and Upsala Glaciers. We were not particularly enthralled with the idea of being herded like cattle on a packaged "group tour", but there appeared to be no alternative way to experience this spectacular area. We were soon mesmerised as the vessel navigated its way around immense icebergs that were sparkling and shimmering in the bright sunshine. It was unfathomable to imagine that the monstrosities we were seeing represented only 15% of the actual size of the iceberg - while the remaining 85% remained hidden under the water. We sincerely hoped that the catamaran captain was familiar with the course that he was manoeuvring at rather brisk speeds!!
At 300 to 400 ft high, Spegazzini is the tallest glacier of the three, a fact that became real to us as the catamaran was dwarfed by the dazzling peaks. Upsala, although only 250 ft high, is the largest glacier in the National Park, covering an area of about 600 square km. Unlike the Perito Moreno Glacier, Upsala has retreated significantly during the last decade
03 What a way to spend the day
. By mid-afternoon, we had the opportunity to disembark and hike for half an hour through a typical Patagonian beech forest. Reaching a clearing, we found ourselves on the edge of Lake Onelli filled with countless smaller 'bergies' complementing the outstanding setting of the Onelli, Bolado and Agassiz Glaciers, all feeding into the scenic lake.Returning that evening to the same campsite, we couldn't stop talking about the beauty and diversity of our world, nor about how fortunate we are to be able to experience it all. With fall temperatures decreasing by the day, we knew that we should press southwards but couldn't resist spending another two days in such a spectacular area. Besides, as it is so late in the season we had failed to find and eat some of the succulent blue Calafate berries, so legend has it that our chances of returning one day are pretty slim!!
