Parque Nacional Los Glaciares * El Calafate * Perito Moreno
Finally, the weather is nice. We go to see the glacier " Perito Moreno ".
Before leaving, we make another attempt to buy the pass and still without results. We are obliged to buy the day pass.
It is the most famous and visited glacier. And for good reason, it constitutes a prodigious natural spectacle.
Unlike other glaciers, which are characterized by collapsing ice sheets, the "Perito Moreno" is constantly in motion. It moves between 2 and 3 meters of ice per day under the bluish waters of Lake Argentino. He breaks off huge blocks of ice by calving in the lake.
Today, the glacier front is approximately 5,000 metres wide and 170 metres deep, of which 60 metres remain above the surface. In some places, it is 700 metres thick
Walkways have been built to allow us to admire the "Perito Moreno" up close.
It’s an extraordinary spectacle ... All along the way we are on the lookout for a crack of a block of ice detaching from the glacier ... We will see only small ones.
Back at our bivouac we find that the annual pass is available on the internet .... No luck!!!
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares * El Calafate * Perito Moreno
Not having hep ase anual, we’ll visit the " Glaciarium "
The "Glaciarium Patagonian Ice Museum" is a huge educational, fun and interactive museum of 60,000 m2 dedicated to glaciers and more specifically to the interpretation of Patagonia’s glaciers.
This complex is the first glaciological centre on the continent. It was officially inaugurated on 15 March 2011.
Panels explain the formation of ice and the history of explorers and scientists, illustrated by photos of famous photographers. Interactive screens allow to visualize the regression of the Upsala glacier.
Return to our parking for the rest of the day.
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares * El Calafate * Perito Moreno
This morning the weather is as forecast .... Partly overcast, rain showers and sun
Today is not the day we will go to see the Perito Moreno glacier.
Still unable to buy the annual pass, we return to the parks office where finally we are received by a charming hostess who has no further information. Maybe tomorrow " !!!
The sun appears in the late morning which gives us the opportunity to go hiking in the " Reserva Municipal Laguna Nimez " that protects some 100 species of birds on the shore of " Lago Argentina " ....
It’s not the right season to see them!!! but it takes us out.
Change of bivouac to avoid the wind that still blows strong.
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares * El Calafate * Perito Moreno
The road between "El Chalten" and "El Calafate" is beautiful and of good quality.
We are in the middle of a landscape of pampas and very arid mountains with mineral colors.
The weather is rather grey and the temperatures are very low
On arrival we head to the office of nformation of the park where an unfriendly guard gives us information drop by drop.
Disappointed by this attitude, we go to the tourist office of the city, where there too, information is scarce but the attention is better.
Then we try to withdraw cash without results. Fanny and Pascal warned us that the offices of "Western Union" here refused our transfers.
Since November 1st the access price to the various parks has increased significantly and according to our calculations the annual pass is advantageous for us, unfortunately we can not buy it on the internet
The information centres cannot sell us this pass and they are unable to provide us with information... It becomes difficult knowing that the weather forecast for the coming days is rather rainy and that the only answer we get is : " It’s Buenos Aires that manages " !!!
We set up on the lake in a car park.
We work on our photos, films and the site. Evening rocked by wind and rain
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares * El Calafate * Perito Morino
El Calafate is a small town in the middle of the steppe of Patagonia.
It is the main access point to the National Glacier Park, one of the most spectacular landscapes in Argentina.
It has become in recent years a highly developed tourist destination while maintaining a relatively unspoilt landscape.
The "Glacier National Park" was created in 1937 on 724,000 hectares, it encompasses the two glacial lakes "Argentino" and "Viedma"and 47 glaciers including the Perito Moreno.
Part of the immense Patagonian ice field, the third largest ice sheet on the planet straddling Argentina and Chile, is protected.
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