Schlink Attack: Perito Moreno Glacier

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Perito Moreno Glacier

Before our arrival to El Calafate, the only research I did was to secure a B&B for the week and vaguely remembered this was a hot spot for glacier viewing. So when we descended into the airport, I peered out the window to see an endless spread of 50 shades of tan. No trees, no grass- only dry shrubby terrain of plains and hills. We could easily have been in Wyoming. It was strikingly gorgeous. Then the airplane window offered a view of Lago Argentino: the biggest freshwater lake in Argentina born from glacier melt. It was the color of aquamarine and emerald jewels and the perfect HQ to Patagonian wilderness.

We loved the town immediately. It gave a laid back vibe of hippies and unfazed locals who didn't bat an eye with the hoards of inspired hikers arriving from all ends of the earth. After checking into our adequate South B&B we headed to dinner where I finally could gorge myself on carrot sticks. I know it's not a dream for everyone, but I'd been missing some vegetables in a major way. All week we ate salads, trout dishes, and lentil stews- for a price due to high season, but at least we knew it would be good.

With full bellies we moved onto planning our visit to see the famous Perito Moreno Glacier in the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. A tour bus charged around 120 USD per person, a rental car would cost around 220 USD per day but you needed more than 24 hours notice. However a taxi driver/guide would cost around 175 USD for the day for all four of us. Needless to say we didn't think too hard on the math and booked ourselves a private guide. He didn't speak English and we didn't speak much Spanish, but we understood enough to appreciate the scenery he described and especially appreciated his knowledge of the roads.

It took about 45 minutes after driving into the park to get to our first glacier overlook and we were not to be disappointed. 250 square km of sky blue ice, the world's 3rd largest reserve of freshwater and we could hear the crowds literally crooning over its beauty. I myself would have cheered if it weren't for my dismal clothing choice. The weather in El Calafate, 48 miles away had been cloudless and windless. In the park, it was humidly cold and raining. My jeans and tennis shoes did nothing against the biting wind. The kids were appropriately dressed but of course Margo picked up my distress and decided she was much too cold as well. She opted to harass the guide in the warm car while we ran around the overlooks like yetis, taking pictures of the looming fog. We drove down to the shore where you can pay for an hour long boat trip for a closer look from below... we waited in line to board, pretending the rain didn't matter. While I enjoyed this boat trip in general, I was not impressed with the pushy, elbowing crowd jockeying for their spots to take prime photos- particularly when my kids' safety is involved. I kept calm but that was probably because my hands were frozen stiff.

Floating from one edge of the lake to the other, we saw giant pieces of ice break off and crash into the water and we enviously watched day-trekkers explore the glacier. (This had been a trip in consideration for at least Mark and Deets but they have an age restriction: no kids younger than 10 and NO exceptions.) After 50 minutes of molecular drifting, it was time to return for the next batch of tourists. Piling back into the taxi, I thought our day was completed. But apparently the park saves the best for last: the catwalk. About 1.6km long, the catwalk/maze has thousands of steps ascending and descending the adjacent mountain for unobstructed views of Perito Moreno, both the north and south side.

I'm not going to lie. It continued to be windy as hell and downright miserable. I nearly gave up in defeat after our first descent, but realizing this trip was once in a lifetime, continued on. Well the gods must have been happy because at all once the wind stopped and the clouds scattered. No more forced appreciation! I was no longer cold and I could actually enjoy myself. Margo agreed with me despite slipping on the metal grates, cracking her knees a few times but we covered the entire catwalk and returned to the top just in time for the rain to fall again. Soaked and exhausted, we piled into the taxi for an uneventful ride home...