Perito Moreno (Spanish Perito Moreno, scientist Moreno) is a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park, in the southeast of the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. It is one of the most interesting tourist sites in the Argentinean part of Patagonia.
The glacier is located 78 km from the village of El Calafate, which can be reached by plane.
Perito Moreno has an area of 250 km² and is one of 48 glaciers fed by southern part Patagonian Glacier, located in the Andes on the border of Argentina and Chile. This ice plateau is the third largest reserve fresh water in the world. 
The glacier was named after the explorer Francisco Moreno, who first explored the region in the 19th century and played a significant role in defending Argentina's territorial interests in a border dispute with Chile.
The width of the tongue of Perito Moreno is 5 km, the average height is 60 m above the water surface. The total depth is 170 m, the maximum is 700 m. The speed of its movement is 2 m per day (about 700 m per year). However, the mass loss is about the same, therefore (not taking into account small deviations) the tongue of the glacier did not retreat or advance for 90 years. 
The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the three persistent glaciers in Patagonia. Periodically, the glacier advances on the L-shaped lake Argentino, reaching the opposite shore and creating a natural dam that divides the lake into two parts. Without flow, the water in the southern part of the lake can rise up to 30 meters above the level of the main lake. The enormous pressure of such a volume of water as a result breaks the ice barrier holding it, which is a very spectacular event. The cycle of dam formation and rupture is irregular and repeats with varying frequency - from once a year to less than once per decade. 
On the first day of our stay in the cold South, a trip was planned to one of the wonders of nature - the Perito Moreno glacier.
It is located 80 km from Calafate. We throw things into the room and rush to the bus station. Basically, buses to the Perito Moreno glacier leave from 8.00 in the morning, they great amount, there are no problems with tickets. But we need the last flight at 13:45, back at 20:20. Here we have to catch it otherwise, we will need to take a taxi for AR $ 400. The bus station is one block from the hostel, 4 minutes walk, almost nearby, it was very convenient in the future. We arrived at the station at 13.20, after standing in line for a while, we bought tickets for AR $ 100 per person.
The road is striking in its picturesqueness. At the entrance to the National Park stop, employees enter the bus with a bundle of tickets. And they begin to pay everyone from both ends of the bus. Back in November, entrance to the National Park cost AR $ 75 for foreigners, we were unpleasantly surprised that they demanded AR $ 100 from us. As they explained to us, prices have increased markedly since January.
Shortly after this place there is a boat dock where you can ride on the lake and look at the glacier closer (but not too close). Boat trip 1 hour AR$50.
The glacier does not seem very high, but, in fact, the height above the lake is about 60 meters. In the process, we carefully photograph each more or less significant (more precisely, which seems significant at that time) ice block and admire the blueness of the ice.
The guides explained about blue ice like this. By itself, ice has no color, but retains all the colors of the spectrum, except for blue. Moreover, the older the ice, the denser it is, and the bluer it turns out. Because ice absorbs all the colors of the spectrum, with the exception of blue, which is reflected. The most saturated color can be seen on a cloudy day, even better - in the rain
Yes, here we were not very lucky with the weather. It was gray and damp, and by the end of the trip it started to rain.
After a boat trip, we finally got to the observation decks overlooking the glacier. What a stunning beauty he is!
Perito Moreno has an area of 250 km². This ice plateau is the third largest fresh water reservoir in the world.
The observation deck is located on Cape Magellan, crashing into the waters of Lago Argentino.
The glacier is within easy reach. But you can only walk on special footbridges.
Around very beautiful nature, insanely interesting forest,
lots of berries, flowers and hares…
And the water in the lake, although very clean, is opaque, like milk, only greenish. Glacier effect.
The width of the tongue of this glacier is 5 km, its average height is 60 m above the water surface, in its deepest part it reaches 700 m. All this mass of ice does not stand still. At a speed of 2 m / day, it creeps onto the Cape of Magellan, where we are. This is as much as 700m per year, but it melts at the same rate. When you stand in front of you hear crackling, and directly physically feel how this mass creeps up on you.
We are trying to catch the moments when ice blocks fall. Perito Moreno is just famous for this, and therefore you can’t drive close to it on a boat. Ice regularly creeps up to the cape, forming a natural dam in the lake. But water undermines this temporary bridge, as a result of which it collapses into the lake and the process starts all over again. When we were there, we were also lucky.
At some point, something significant starts to fall, we try to film the sequence as it happens. Although we shoot in raw, the camera copes, well done! Can see and photograph the fall a large number ice: But each such broken piece is a couple of hundred kilograms, if not tons. Of course, to see such a large collapse with your own eyes is great luck.
Since the glacier is very large, it seems closer than it actually is; however, when a block of ice falls, the rumble is only heard after a while. After that, there is a pile of ice in front of the glacier, and huge waves all over the lake. On average, an ice dam breaks every 4 or 5 years, but the last break happened 2 years ahead of schedule, and it happened in winter.
We saw a lot of glacial languages, and each time the way the "flowing" ice looks like caused associations with an eruption and lava (only the color is different). And on the left side (where we sailed today on a ship), cut off from " big water"The level was much higher. As I understand it, it is she who plays the main role in the process of destroying the dam - there is nowhere to go, it flows from the mountains, the lake fills up.
On Perito Moreno (well, or in El Calafate itself) you can still take a walk on the glacier, for an hour or a few hours, but for those who, like us, do not like to walk in a group or have already visited other glaciers, it is better not to do this, or leave this part on El Chaltén. In this photo, if you look very closely, you can see a group of people walking along the glaciers on the left, along the dirtiest part. This is exactly what walking on the glacier is.
It was getting dark, the weather changed, it began to rain, it became cold and dark, it was time to say goodbye to the glacier and go to El Calafate. Half a day was just enough to see the glacier. There are a lot of impressions, because we were lucky - we saw how huge blocks of ice break off from it and fall into the water with a roar, moreover, we managed to film it!
In El Calafate, not far from the bus station, there is a supermarket, but when we arrived, it was already closed, open until 21.30. We all stay tomorrow on the excursion without bread! But, Vlad saves us, hurrah!!! Having written off from home, we agreed to meet and spend some time in Patagonia together. We sat very sincerely over a bottle of Argentinean wine, remembering our joint African trip!!!
The bewitching glaciers of Patagonia will impress even the most avid traveler. This post contains advice for those who plan to go to Perito Moreno and see with their own eyes how ice floes break off from this giant!
Guarded by the muscular Andes, national park Los Glaciares ( Parque National Los Glaciares is deservedly considered one of the most visited in Argentina. Emerald fjords, sharp needles of snow-capped mountains and centuries-old glaciers attract travelers from all over the world like a magnet. We were no exception, and in December of this year we went to explore the most South Region Argentina - Santa Cruz.
As a starting point for this part of Patagonia, we decided to choose the city of El Calafate, located on the shores of Lake Argentino (Lago Argentino). When traveling, we always try to rent a car to make it easier to move around, and this time was no exception. I will say right away: it is better to book in advance. Especially if the trip falls on a weekend. It turned out that the demand is so great that the rental companies simply do not have free cars.
We drove from the airport (FTE) to El Calafate in about twenty minutes by car. The town is small and special interest does not represent, but it has many hotels, cafes and tourist centers. Leaving our bags at the hotel, we went to Los Glaciares National Park. From the city to the entrance to the park there are two almost parallel roads. We took scenic Highway 11 and drove to the park in about an hour. By the way, on the same road, 6 km from the city, there is the Glaciarium Ice Museum.
The national park has 47 glaciers, the most famous of which is Perito Moreno. This beauty is listed natural heritage UNESCO and is known as the "eighth wonder of the world". The third largest fresh water supply in the world is contained in it. This glacier is truly amazing in its size and power! He looks like huge wall ice, the length of which is 14 km. That "small" part that we saw above the water was 50 meters high. Just imagine, it's like a 15-story building! And another 180 meters is hidden under water.Under the weight of snow, there is no air left in the ice gaps, so it acquires shades from transparent bluish to deep blue.
Every day the glacier moves forward by about 2 meters. Huge blocks of ice break off and crash into the water, emitting a ringing roar. A spectacle of incredible scale and beauty! Park visitors who have witnessed this natural spectacle are jumping and applauding with delight.
There are three ways to get acquainted with Perito Moreno and its mesmerizing "performance": look at the glacier from the viewing paths, ride on the lake in a small ship, or walk along the glacier itself.
The first way is the most economical. There are no other costs, except for the entrance ticket to the park (about $ 40 per car). The observation decks are quite spacious and long. We spent about 2.5 hours walking around them. Walking paths are built along the glacier, so you can look at it from several sides.
A walk on the lake will cost an additional $20 per person. From the pier to a safe proximity to the glacier about 5-7 minutes. Then the boat passes once along the ice wall and the rest of the time (approximately 25–30 minutes) balances on one point. If you're lucky, you can see directly from the water how the ice breaks off and falls down. I think from the boat both the spectacle and the sound are much more powerful. We didn't know that the ships go to the glacier only until 16:00, so we watched the last flight from the observation deck.
There are also walking tours that allow you to walk on the surface of the glacier itself surrounded by massive mountains. This route is quite expensive (from $200 per person depending on the tour company) and takes several hours. Groups gather in the city and the tour company provides roundtrip transfers. All equipment is provided and briefing is given in advance. You can climb the glacier only in the most motionless and safe places, so travelers are brought to special sites. Therefore, such an excursion has its minus - it is impossible to see how the ice crashes into the water. For those who are going to walk on the glacier, I advise you to go to the park too. This is an unforgettable sight!
We left Los Glaciares Park just as it was getting dark. In the car, we vied with each other to discuss the beauty that we happened to see. It took time to realize all the incredible power of nature that Perito Moreno showed us.
Helpful Hints:
Summer is the best optimal time to explore the glacier. Remember that Argentina is located in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth, so the summer months there are December, January and February.
For those who do not plan to rent a car. The airport has an inexpensive shuttle that goes to the city center. There are a million tourist stations in El Calafate itself, where you can check the schedule of buses to the Glacier. On average, they ship 4 times a day. The cost of one round-trip ticket is $15 per person.
Entrance to the park will cost about $40 per car. Entrance ticket for one person without a car about $18.
Despite the fact that there are several cafes in the park, the choice of food is very poor. Take a snack with you if possible.
In addition to the glacier, Los Glaciares Park has a remarkable Mountain peak Fitzroy. If you have time, I advise you to go to the town of El Chalten, from where it is most convenient to admire the mountain.
And now, on the fifth day of our trip, we are in Argentina. We have 2 days on El Calafate - a catamaran on Lake Argentino with an approach to all glaciers and the Perito Moreno glacier itself. We will sail on a catamaran tomorrow, and today we have a meeting with the most famous glacier in the world - Perito Moreno.
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Here he is.
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Majestic, huge and beautiful.
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The Perito Moreno Glacier is part of the Argentine national park Los Glaciares.
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The Patagonian Ice Plateau is the third largest ice sheet in the world.
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48 glaciers flow from it.
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Moreover, the glaciers here descend almost to sea level, into the forest zone. And they have not retreated anywhere for the past 100 years.
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From Chile, glaciers are practically inaccessible.
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But from the side of Argentina - expanse.
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Several glaciers flow into Lake Argentino, and several more into Lake Vedma.
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And to see the Perito Moreno glacier up close, you don’t even need to swim anywhere.
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He almost comes close to the opposite shore of the lake.
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Therefore, paths were built here (some are specially made in the form of ramps - for the disabled) and viewing platforms so that tourists can enjoy this amazing spectacle.
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The Perito Moreno tongue is 5 km wide.
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The height of the wall above the water surface is 60-80 m.
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The average ice thickness is 170 m, the maximum is 700 m. Imagine - almost a kilometer of ice!
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Loads from such a mass of ice - and glacial rivers from several valleys flow into the Perito Moreno glacier - constantly push the glacier down.
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The glacier moves at a speed of 2 m per day, which is a lot! (about 700 m per year).
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Therefore, huge pieces are constantly breaking off from the glacier - blue icebergs.
You can watch it live.
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We wander along the footbridge for several hours.
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Small pieces of ice fall very often.
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The glacier presses on itself, cracks, sighs, bursts...
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And periodically, huge pieces fall off the wall, forming icebergs in the lake.
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Melting ice floes create interesting ice sculptures.
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The Perito Moreno glacier descends into a narrow arm of Lake Argentino. Moving very fast, it periodically rests against the opposite shore.
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An ice dam is formed, which blocks the lake. At the same time, the water on the left (in the southern part of the lake) can rise 30 meters higher than in the main part of the lake. Water gradually washes away the ice wall, and soon a grandiose ice arch is formed.
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When it collapses is only a matter of time. Sometimes the dam collapses every 2-3 years, sometimes once a decade.
At this point, crowds of photographers and cameramen gather at the Perito Moreno Glacier to capture a unique moment. Of course, the arch does not collapse instantly. For example, this survey was made within 5 days - from February 29 to March 4, 2012, when the arch collapsed for the last time.
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In more cloudy weather, the glacier is all blue. And when the sun peeps out, it becomes whiter, but with deep narrow blue cracks that directly glow from within.
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Why is ice so blue?
When water freezes, white ice forms - it contains many air bubbles trapped in water during rapid freezing. Air bubbles scatter the passing sunlight and form white.
The multi-thousand-year-old layer of ice of the Patagonian plateau, due to its weight, presses and compresses itself, squeezing air bubbles out of the ice.
With a decrease in the number of air bubbles, sunlight begins to penetrate to a greater thickness. In this case, the red component of the light flux is absorbed along the path of penetration deep into the ice, and only the blue component of the spectrum returns back. That's why millennial ice have a blue, and sometimes almost blue, color.
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After the glacier, we return to El Calafate - on the way back we still stop at the lake to see other birds.
We change money in the city - because of the black dollar exchange rate, it was profitable to bring dollars to Argentina and change it on the spot. We changed money at a restaurant in the city center, where we were sent from a travel agency. official rate was 1:8, black 1:11.5. Nicely.
Then half an hour looking for a big super. Tomorrow we need to buy food for 4 days - we will again leave the side of civilization. Super camouflaged somewhere in the upper part of the city, where you can only fly by plane...))) But we did find it. A landmark for our followers - in the upper part of the city there is a large yellow store - a hangar - this is some kind of home center, and above it - a large super.
In the evening we cooked wonderful lamb ribs for dinner - cordero. Yum-nyami... The day was a success.
To be continued...
