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Visit one of the largest Glaciers
National Park in the world declared a natural heritage by the United
Nations.
Walk on the imposing Perito Moreno Glacier, one of largest and few
active glaciers in the world. Once you hear the crackle of breaking
ice and see the immense sheets of ice walls plunging precipitously
into the waters, you will realize that you're witnessing one of
the most impressive spectacles in the world.
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Read below to learn about our suggested El Calafate tours and our useful insider's
tips for having the best time in The Glaciers Region!
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click
on photos to enlarge
Crampons
South Wall of The Perito Moreno Glacier
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Multi
Adventure on the Perito Moreno Glacier
Part 1: Glacier trekking on the Perito
Moreno Glacier
Prepare to experience a one of a kind adventure trekking
on the mighty Perito Moreno Glacier, located in the Glaciers
National Park. The UNESCO declared this site a natural heritage
in 1981 because it harbors the longest existing glaciers outside
of Antarctica (covering 75.3 square miles or 195 square kilometers).
You will have your own private vehicle for the transfers and
the assistance of a private guide for the visit to the Perito
Moreno Glacier.
After 1 hour and forty minutes we arrive to "Bajo
las Sombras" (beneath the Shadows) port.
We prepare for a 15 minutes sailing bordering the
south wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier, in the Rico branch
of Argentino Lake. You will admire it's 262 feet (80 meters)
height, which is only 1/7 of it's total height! The full height
of the south wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier is approximately
1834 feet (560 meters). An iceberg only displays 1/10 to 1/7
of its entire mass above the water, being the biggest portion
of these "ice giants" under water.
After crossing to the opposite shore, our guides who are
specialized in glaciology, will welcome you. Groups of 10
to 15 travelers are defined. Our guide will give you an informative
explanation about Glaciers and an introductory lesson to glacier
trekking. We will provided with snow treads (sort of crampons)
that the guides will attach to your boots or trekking shoes.
Although it is not strictly necessary, if you request them,
our guide will provide you with pickets (poles) to make your
trek over the glacier easier.
This trek lasts about an hour and a half, and it doesn’t present
any serious difficulty at all. The crampons are specially
designed to make you fell as stable on ice as you would be
walking without them on a regular not slippery surface. Remember
that this activity was designed and planned for beginners
with no experience at all, not for experts. Moreover, strict
and high security measures are involved throughout all the
activity.
Unfortunately this tour cannot be done by people who have
problems with motor skills.
The trekking is divided in 2 parts. The first one is done
in an easy path and does not require any strong effort at
all. The second one (which is optional because you will be
given the choice to continue or return with one of the guides
to land surface) requires a bit more effort and will take
you to discover the more inner secrets of the glacier. We
strongly suggested engaging in both trekkings.
As we plod along the Perito Moreno Glacier we discover
cracks and notice the different shapes that the glacier adopts
because of climactic factors, as well as the distinct tones
and colors of the ice itself. These latter can range from
an intense white to a dark blue. These color changes are due
to the pressure of different layers of ice, a pressure that
over the course of thousands of years changes the tonality
of the ice. By analyzing their colors, scientists can determine
the ice age.
After this pleasant outing on Patagonian ice we will engage
in a short trekking in a Magellan forest, which will take
you to a splendid lookout station situated above the forest.
Here you will have lunch while you admire the Perito Moreno
Glacier right in front of you!.
We recommend preparing your lunch at the hotel or local
food shops during the day before the tour because there are
no places to buy food at the glacier refuge. The hotels and
local food shops are used to prepare lunch boxes, which are
of very good quality. They cost approximately from US$ 10
to US$ 15.
After lunch we will cross Argentino Lake again until arriving
back to the initial port. However, on the way back our boat
will stop 985 feet (300 meters) away from the south wall of
the Perito Moreno Glacier so you can take beautiful pictures
of this amazing and unique natural attraction. This transfer
back to port takes 30 minutes.
Difficulty: Moderate
Duration: Half day
Guide: shared English/Spanish speaking guide
Transfer: shared vehicle + shared motorboat. This tour is
done during the same day as the Perito Moreno Glacier Panoramic
Boardwalks.
Includes: transfer + guide + entrance fee to Glaciers National
Park (does not include lunch)
Part 2: Visit to panoramic boardwalks
which overlook the might Perito Moreno Glacier
After enjoying the trekking on the Perito Moreno glacier
we will head to the panoramic boardwalks that overlook the
Perito Moreno Glacier.
There are 7 different strategically located panoramic balconies,
with distances ranging from 460 to 2100 feet (140 to 640 meters)
from the starting point of the trail. Each balcony is situated
at a different height and distance relative to the Perito
Moreno Glacier. Except the trail to the southern balcony which
implies going down a long descendant path, all the trails
have an easy level of difficulty, but all balconies are worth
seeing because each of them will provide you a different and
unique view of this spectacular glacier.
The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the few active glaciers
in the world. Every now and then its 197 feet (60 meters)
face casts off entire walls or chunks of ice that fall into
the waters of the Brazo Rico or the "Canal de los Tempanos"
(Iceberg Channel), and then float along the channel towards
the main body of the Argentino lake. Smaller sections break
off constantly. Once you’ve heard the crackle of breaking
ice and seen the immense sheets of ice walls plunging precipitously
into the waters, you’ll realize that you’re witnessing one
of the most impressive spectacles in the World and a must-see
attraction of a life time.
The Breaking
of Perito Moreno Glacier
The phenomenon known as "the breaking of the glacier"
happens when the front of the glacier reaches the Magallanes
Peninsula closing the water passage towards the Iceberg Channel
originating a natural dam which stops the flow of the water
from the Rico arm to El Canal de los Témpanos. Therefore the
waters in the Rico Arm begin to raise their level pressing
against and eroding the ice that starts to weaken, and water
starts to filter through. The first ice detachments take place,
increasing with the water flow, until a tunnel is formed.
Finally, the tunnel falls in a wonderful spectacle separating
Perito Moreno Glacier from the Magallanes Peninsula. The volume
of water passing through during major breaks has reached 26.000
yd3 (20.000 m3) per second.
From the catwalks you will notice the different shapes
the glacier adopts because of climactic factors, as well as
the distinct tones and colors of the ice itself.
We
will then return to our hotel in El Calafate.
Difficulty: Easy
Duration:
one and a half hours
Guide:
no guide
Transfer: shared vehicle - approximate traveled distance: 100 miles
(160 kilometers). This tour is done during the same day as
the Multiadventure on the Perito Moreno Glacier.
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Insider's Tip: The first boat
crossing before starting the Perito Moreno Glacier trekking takes 15 minutes
and the return crossing after the trekking takes 30 minutes. In the return
navigation the boat will get closer to the glacier (a distance of 985
feet / 300 meters to the glacier) so you will be able to take great close-up
photos of this colossal ice giant. If you take a set on the inside of
the boat instead of in the outside, you will then not have a good spot
to take the best pictures when you get closer to the Perito Moreno Glacier.
Insider's Tip 2: Try to get a
seat next to the window on the tour vehicle. The views and landscapes on
the way to the Perito Moreno Glacier are awe-inspiring! This way you will
be able to take photos of these beautiful sights you will see along the
way.
Insider's Tip 3: You can (and
should!) take your camera on the glacier trekking. Don’t forget
to pack your color filters to filter off the intense glare and white lights
of the glaciers, to achieve more defined contours of the shapes in your
photos.
Insider's Tip 4: After enjoying
the glacier trekking you will have a short trek on the Magellan forest
up to the refuge where you will have lunch. There is no place to buy food
at this refuge, so you must order a lunch box at your hotel or prepare
your personal lunch box at the local grocery store at El Calafate the
day before this tour. You can leave your lunch box and some personal belongins
in this refuge before starting the glacier trekking.
Insider's Tip 5: It is very important
that you try to get to the refuge as soon as possible so you can get a
place in one of the tables outside the refuge which face directly the
Perito Moreno Glacier. Having lunch with this magnificent glacier view
in front is priceless, so hurry and don't delay on the forest trek!
Insider's Tip 6: This is an important
tip for your visit to the panoramic balconies which outlook the Perito
Moreno Glaciers. There are seven different balconies. Six upper balconies
and a lower balcony. Do visit first the upper balconies and leave for
the end the lower balcony. The way to the lower balcony (which most people
do first expecting a closer view to the glacier) is a long way down of
lot of stairs. Going down to the lower balcony and then returning takes
quite a lot of time and if you this first, you might not have a lot of
time left to visit the upper (and more impressive) balconies (the tour
companies take you to the panoramic boardwalks and balconies for one hour
and a half approximately when visiting them after the trekking on the
Perito Moreno Glacier).
Insider's Tip 7: In any adventure
activity how you dress can make a big difference on whether you have a
great time or not. If you feel uncomfortable, too cold or too hot most
probably your tour experience won't be as good. We suggest for this tour:
1. Bringing a waterproof windbreaker jacket. Not
only will you be protected from water, but you will also be able to stand
on the outer deck of the boats, take better photos, and enjoy better views
of the attractions without freezing or getting completely soaked. If it
rains during your tour, you will definitely be happy to have your waterproof
jacket.
2. Bring a small bag or backpack that you can
carry during the tours, where you can take your personal stuff.
3. Bring comfortable boots or trekking shoes,
with rubber soles. Do not bring brand new shoes to avoid blisters (or
use them for a couple of hours before the tour). Put some comfortable
and already worn trekking shoes in your luggage.
4. Wear your sun glasses while walking on the
glacier to avoid annoying light reflection, especially for light-eyed
people.
5. Bring your favorite pair of gloves while trekking
on the glacier. While walking on uneven surfaces or on glaciers it is
not unlikely to slip and fall. If you do, gloves will protect your hands
from ice or rough surfaces. Moreover, if wind is strong, gloves will keep
your hands warm. Although many people don't know it and many tour companies
don't advice about this, gloves are mandatory for the
trekking tour on the Perito Moreno Glacier.
6. Be sure to include a warm cap or hat (i.e.:
wool or synthetic fiber) to keep your ears warm when it is cold and windy.
7. You must wear comfortable and warm trekking
pants or even ski pants. You should not wear rigid type of pants like
jeans which limit your flexibility.
8. 30+ sunscreen. Your skin will be exposed to
the sun during the entire day. Also keep in mind that 15 minutes on the
glacier are equivalent to 1 hour of regular sun exposure because the sun
is reflected from everywhere around you.
9. It has proved very useful to dress in many layers of clothes to be
better prepared for sudden changes of temperature. Although usually temperature
is stable, the strong Patagonian winds can instantly start and end within
a 60 minutes period, making you very cold if you don’t have your
windbreaker jacket or any proper clothing with you. Moreover, while your
body temperature will rapidly increase while having fun in our outdoor
activities, it will go down as fast when you are relaxing afterwards.
We call this dressing technique the “onion technique” because
it is based on wearing several different layers of clothing that you can
take off and comfortably carry with you, and then put on again.
Insider's Tip 8: When
booking any tour in Los Glaciares National Park ask the tour company if
the entrance ticket to the National Park is included in the tour price
so to avoid any unexpected extra fee.
Need more travel tips and advice? Contact
us
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click
on photos to enlarge
Spegazzini Glacier
Icebergs
Can you see the 2 faces on the icebergs?
Gigantic Icebergs
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Navigation to Upsala, Onelli and Spegazzini Glaciers
We head in the morning to Puerto Bandera (Port of the Flag)
to board our boat that'll take us into the North Arm of Lake
Argentino to navigate among icebergs and to the front of the
imposing Upsala Glacier.
The Upsala Glacier is the largest glacier within the continental patagonic
ice, even though it has suffered severe losses during the last years.
It owes its name to the Swedish city of Upsala, which university promoted
the first glaciological studies in the area. The height of its walls range
from 197 to 262 feet (60-80 meters) and its surface is of 232 square miles
(595 km2), it is 37 miles long (60 km), and 3-4 miles
wide (5-7 km). The
total basin surface of this glacier is of 390 square miles (1000 km2).
The dept of the lake at the front of the glacier is of about 3280 feet
(1000 meters).
From
there we will continue on the Onelli Channel and we will disembark in
Onelli Bay. Landing in Onelli Bay we find ourselves surrounded by forests.
A typical patagonic forest where "lenga" and "guindo"
are generally covered of "usnea" (lichens), commonly called
"old man's beard". Crossing the forest, through approximately
872 yards (800 meters), we reach Onelli Lagoon, where glaciers Onelli
(45 km2/18 square miles), Bolado (16 km2/6 square miles) and Agassiz (31
km2/12 square miles) meet. This lagoon is
usually full with icebrgs, detachments of ice from the glaciers.
Upon finalizing the crossing of the forest we
will find ourselves with the Onelli Lagoon where we will visualize the
Onelli, Bolado and Heim Glaciers, remaining there for about two hours and
a half.
At noon you will have free time for lunch. Then we will
embark and nevigate towards the Spegazzini Channel, to see
the Seco, Spegazzini and Heim South Glaciers.
Spegazzini Glacier was named after the botanist Carlos Spegazzini who
made the first studies of the local flora. This glacier has a surface
of 26 square miles (66 km2) and it is 15.5 miles
long (25 km), and 1 mile
wide (1.6 km). The height of its front (262-443 feet/80-135 meters) is
an outstanding characteristic. It is the highest glacier within the National
Park. Along the left margin of the glacier we find very little vegetation
due to a fire that occurred over 60 years ago.
The Seco Glacier's surface is of 1.5 square mile (4 km2) and clearly shows
the receding process of a glacier.
By the end of the afternoon we will return to Puerto Bandera (Port Flag).
If conditions aren't favourable
for us to enter the Onelli
area, we will disembark at Puesto de Vacas, a beautiful site where we find
a shelter formerly used by expeditions to the Continental Ice Cap.
Difficulty: low
Duration: full day
Guide: shared
English/Spanish speaking guide
Transfer: shared
vehicle and motorboat
Includes: transfers +
entrance ticket to Glaciers National Park
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Insider's Tip: This is a highly
complementary tour to the visit to the Perito Moreno glacier (which you
should do, preferrably with the glacier trekking included) as you will
see 3 different glaciers. There is another glaciers navigation tour which
will take you only to the Upsala glacier. We suggest that you take the
navigation tour which takes you to the Upsala, Onelli and Spegazzini glaciers.
Bear in mind that the Spegazzini cannot be visited from approximately
June to September.
Insider's Tip 2: Try to get a
seat next to the window on the tour vehicle. The views and landscapes
on the way to the poart are awe-inspiring! This way you will be able to
take photos of these beautiful sights you will see along the way.
Insider's Tip 3: The boat
does a stop in Onelly bay where there is a restaurant to have lunch. However,
we suggest that you order at your hotel a lunch box for this tours. This
way, you will be able to trek to the lake of Onelli bay and admire the
beautiful icebers and glaciers views (and have lunch in front of that
spectacular natural panorama) while the other tourists are in the restaurant
having lunch.
Insider's Tip 4: In any adventure
activity how you dress can make a big difference on whether you have a
great time or not. If you feel uncomfortable, too cold or too hot most
probably your tour experience won't be as good. We suggest for this tour:
1. Bringing a waterproof windbreaker jacket. Not
only will you be protected from water, but you will also be able to stand
on the outer deck of the boat, take better photos, and enjoy better views
of the attractions without freezing or getting completely soaked. If it
rains during your tour, you will definitely be happy to have your waterproof
jacket
2. Bring a small bag or backpack that you can
carry during the tours, where you can take your personal stuff.
3. Be sure to include a warm cap or hat (i.e.:
wool or synthetic fiber) to keep your ears warm when it is cold and windy.
4. It has proved very useful to dress in many layers of clothes to be
better prepared for sudden changes of temperature. Although usually temperature
is stable, the strong Patagonian winds can instantly start and end within
a 60 minutes period, making you very cold if you don’t have your
windbreaker jacket or any proper clothing with you. Moreover, while your
body temperature will rapidly increase while having fun in our outdoor
activities, it will go down as fast when you are relaxing afterwards.
We call this dressing technique the “onion technique” because
it is based on wearing several different layers of clothing that you can
take off and comfortably carry with you, and then put on again.
Insider's Tip 5: When
booking any tour in Los Glaciares National Park ask the tour company if
the entrance ticket to the National Park is included in the tour price
so to avoid any unexpected extra fee.
Need more travel tips and advice? Contact
us
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click on photos to enlarge
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Perito Moreno Glacier's
Exciting Close-Up Navigation
This
boat excursion which departs from the Puerto Moreno pier,
opposite to the glacier
and about 1 quarter mile (2 kilometers) from the boardwalks,
is a spectacular and unique way to
get
as
close
as
possible the mighty Perito Moreno Glacier.
We start
navigating
through the "Canal de los Témpanos"
up to the glacier and in front
of the north wall of the glacier,
which is also called the "rupture
wall", where you will see some ruptures of the glacier.
From this close-up view you will enjoy the Glacier Perito
Moreno at water level, allowing you to see the gigantic magnitude
of its peaks and towers (180 feet - 60 meters over the lake
level).
After our
navigation we will return to the panoramic boardwalks that
overlook the Perito Moreno Glacier.
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: 50
minutes. This tour is done with the visit to the panoramic
boardwalks that overlook the Perito Moreno Glacier.
Transfer: shared motorboat.
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Insider's Tip 1: Try to get a
seat next to the window on the tour vehicle. The views and landscapes
on the way to the Perito Moreno Glacier are awe-inspiring! This way you
will be able to take photos of these beautiful sights you will see along
the way.
Insider's Tip 2: In any adventure
activity how you dress can make a big difference on whether you have a
great time or not. If you feel uncomfortable, too cold or too hot most
probably your tour experience won't be as good. We suggest for this tour:
1. Bringing a waterproof windbreaker jacket. Not
only will you be protected from water, but you will also be able to stand
on the outer deck of the boat, take better photos, and enjoy better views
of the attractions without freezing or getting completely soaked. If it
rains during your tour, you will definitely be happy to have your waterproof
jacket
2. Bring a small bag or backpack that you can
carry during the tours, where you can take your personal stuff.
3. Be sure to include a warm cap or hat (i.e.:
wool or synthetic fiber) to keep your ears warm when it is cold and windy.
4. It has proved very useful to dress in many layers of clothes to be
better prepared for sudden changes of temperature. Although usually temperature
is stable, the strong Patagonian winds can instantly start and end within
a 60 minutes period, making you very cold if you don’t have your
windbreaker jacket or any proper clothing with you. Moreover, while your
body temperature will rapidly increase while having fun in our outdoor
activities, it will go down as fast when you are relaxing afterwards.
We call this dressing technique the “onion technique” because
it is based on wearing several different layers of clothing that you can
take off and comfortably carry with you, and then put on again.
Insider's Tip 3: When
booking any tour in Los Glaciares National Park ask the tour company if
the entrance ticket to the National Park is included in the tour price
so to avoid any unexpected extra fee..
Need more travel tips and advice? Contact
us
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