When we arrive in El Calafate we search a nice camping spot near the town, go shopping and book a trip to the world famous ‘Perito Moreno Glacier’ for the next morning.
Thereafter we want to visit the flamingo bay at the lake, but along the road we pass a small museum where we spent all our time. A couple of dinosaur skeletons and typical Patagonian history keep our attention for a while. In the meantime we also enjoy the book works of a photographer in Argentina.
In town there are that evening some festivities, we pass along but too loud music and a crowd of people can’t keep our attention for long…

Next morning we hop on a real tourist trap straight into the ‘Perito Moreno’ glacier, they charge once again entrance fee for the park! We decide to take a boat trip for a first viewing of the magnificent glacier. The viewing goes well, nonetheless all the tourists almost throw the others off board to get the best picture of the glacier…
Thereafter we go for a walk along the viewing platforms. The glacier itself stays impressive, despite all the people around. All the time we hear the cracking of the ice and now and then a piece falls into the lake, followed by many oohs and aahs.
That afternoon we already catch the bus to El Chalten, the trekking capital of Argentina… Despite its name, there can hardly be found trekking food. So we arrive in the village with a box full from El Calafate. Luckily the taxis can get us to and from the buses…

In El Chalten we prepare a 4 up to 5 day hike along some of the glaciers in the area… Since Calafate we’re in the Parque Nacional de los Glaciares. This park is located along the Campo de Hielo, a big ice field full of glaciers.
During the ice age nearly a third of the planet was under glaciers, now they only cover about 10%. Yet hundreds dot the Patagonian landscape. The most accessible can be found in Argentina’s Parque Nacional Los Glaciares (home of the famous Perito Moreno glacier), Chile’s Torres del Paine and Bernardo O’Higgins National Parks, along the Beagle Channel and Chile’s Patagonian fjords.
Glaciers are much more complex than simple mounds of frozen water. These rivers of ice flow downslope due to gravity, which deforms their layers as they move. Melted ice mixes with rock and soil on the bottom, grinding it into a lubricant that allows the glacier to slide along its bed. At the same time, debris from the bed is forced to the sides of the glacier, creating features called moraines. Movement also causes cracks and deformities called crevasses. As snow falls on the accumulation area, it compacts to ice. The ablation area is where all the winter snow melts revealing bare ice in the summer. When accumulation outpaces melting, the glacier advances; but when there’s more melting or evaporation than accumulation, the glacier recedes. Since 1980, global warming has contributed greatly to widespread glacial retreat. Currently, all the world’s small ice caps and glaciers, such as those in Chile and Argentine, contribute about 60% of the sea level rise caused by global ice mass loss.
So we really want to see a couple of theses seas of ice, now we’re that close… Glacier Grey (in Torres del Paine) and the Perito Moreno we’ve already visited, now it is time for some more remote ones.

In Chalten we need to register for the trek… We do so and in the afternoon we leave the town for a long hike. 7 hours later we arrive at the first campground. Here we’ll stay tonight and prepare for the early river crossing. The Rio Tunnel, which we need to cross, is lower in the morning than in the afternoon. During the day the glacier melts faster, so more water comes down. That is why we’re advised to cross early.
Together with Zenon we explore the area to find the best crossing place. Around nine – actually quite late – we’ve taken our spot at the beginning of the lake. Now we just have to cross 15m of ice cold waters… We loath this part, but it is a necessary one. Only the two of us cross, Zenon passes since the water is too cold. After the crossing we take one hour to warm up again and take some rest.
From here the way becomes gradually more beautiful, we arrive at the beginning of the first glacier. While we’re walking on the moraine, we find out that the glacier itself is well accessible. So we start an ice climbing adventure for a while. The further we advance, the nicer it becomes… Till we want to get of the glacier. At that moment we find out we’re really trapped in the ice. And then… we spot Zenon… who helps us out from the other side! He found a spot to cross without the need to wet your feet. The lucky bastard!
We continue along the moraine to a higher lake, where we camp between two glaciers. The weather has shown its best side today… sun, rain, snow, hail,… And when we arrive at the lake, all summits are bogged, hail and cold hinder our advance, so we decide to set up camp. When all is done, the sun comes again and gives us magnificent views over the glaciers! A marvellous camp site…

Next morning we reach the summit, in superb weather… We spot the immense sea of ice from the Viedma glacier and enjoy being there. Thereafter we continue all day along the glacier, until we pass a second summit. After that spot, we camp…
Now it is just the way back to El Chalten that lies ahead. However, a steep decent gives us some labour – but the viewing of a couple of condors makes it worthwhile! The rest of the day we have a hard time to find our way, since all paths have miraculously multiplied themselves. So we don’t manage to get out and camp with superb views over the Viedma lake. Next day we keep going, cross the Rio Tunnel six times… brrr… good cold, but now the sun accompanies us, what makes the warming up easier and finally we reach the end of the trail! Worthwhile, but demanding.
We celebrate our return with some empanadas in the local bakery.

We deserve a day off in the town, so we head to the bakery for a couple of fracturas and empanadas… We also try to surf the mega slow internet. Much more is not done today.
The day after, with a clear sky, we visit the iconic mountains of El Chalten… First the Cerro Torre, with his glacier and thereafter the Cerro Fritzroy, including glacier. A walk of some 26 km in total, mostly done in two or three days. But we’re short of time here…
On the last day I climb to the viewpoint with a good sight over the entire range, before we take the bus to Lago del Desierto to walk back into Chile…