Basic moments

The Patagonian Icefield covers much of Los Glaciares National Glacier Park. Second in size only to the ice surface of Antarctica, the Patagonian Icefield covers an area of ​​about 4,459 square meters. km, 350 km long and 50 km across at its widest part. It originates in the northern part of the National Park, on the slopes of the Fitzroy Highlands, rising just 1500 m above sea level. The three main tributaries of the primary ice fields: Perito Moreno, Uppsala and Viedma - all end at an altitude of 1300 m above sea level. Their melt waters fill huge lakes with water of an incredibly bright blue hue, from which the edges of glaciers rise like majestic icebergs. These sharp, jagged cliffs and ledges rise 60 m above the water. As befits real icebergs, the bulk of the ice, up to 130 m thick, lies under the surface of the water.

Perito Moreno is the largest of the glaciers located in Los Glaciares National Park. This ice giant is 60 km long and 5 km wide. Everywhere in the world, glaciers are shrinking due to slow (or rapid) melting of ice. On the contrary, Perito Moreno is the only glacier in the world that is diligently increasing its weight. Every day, heavy compacted snow on the ice fields that gave rise to it creates 1 m of new ice, moving forward 450 m every year.

Meter by meter the glacier advances on the nearest slopes. Having reached Lago Argentino, it already reaches a width of 2 km and rises above the surface of the water by no less than 60 m. Over the decades of such an advance, the glacier managed to divide the lake into two parts. Northern part The lake has a constant flow, while the southern one remains dammed by the growing mass of ice. The difference in water level between northern and southern parts in other years it reaches 30 m! There comes a moment when the ice is unable to hold this entire mass of water, which breaks free with primitive force. This one is unique natural phenomenon In Argentina they call it la ruptura, a breakthrough.

When this happens, blocks of ice the size of a multi-story building move at once. The bulk of the glacier literally flies into the air to fall with a terrible roar into the raging waters of the freed Lago Argentino stream. The water violently bites into the ice until there is a channel large enough to allow excess water from the southern half of the lake to flow into the northern half. From here the mass of water tends further towards Atlantic Ocean. This “performance” la ruptura is repeated every four years - and each time it stuns with its unexpectedness.

Heading here along the Brazo Rico, tourists pass more than 356 large glaciers with a wide variety of icebergs of all shapes and sizes.

Tourist ships ply along the icy waters of the lake, carrying tourists who want to observe the simultaneous creation and destruction of the continent as a result of completely natural processes. Travelers usually take with them the purest water and drink it at a festive ceremony, when, together with their companions, they will discuss amazing adventures in the prehistoric Arctic landscape.

Data

  • Name: National Park Los Glaciares Glaciers was founded in 1945.
  • Area: The 13 glaciers that make it up spread over an area of ​​4,500 square meters. km.
  • Uniqueness: The ice field formed here is the second largest in the world: only the area of ​​Antarctic glaciers is larger than it.
  • Origin of the name: The glacier was named after its discoverer, Argentine geographer and anthropologist Pascacio "Perito" Moreno (1852-1919).
  • List World Heritage UNESCO: Glacier National Park was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981.

And now, on the fifth day of our trip, we are in Argentina. We have 2 days planned on El Calafate - a catamaran on Lake Argentino with access to all the 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 has the third largest amount of ice in the world.


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48 glaciers flow down from it.


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Moreover, the glaciers here descend almost to sea level, into the forest zone. And they haven’t retreated anywhere for 100 years.


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From the Chilean side, glaciers are practically inaccessible.


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But on the Argentine side there is freedom.


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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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It comes almost close to the opposite shore of the lake.


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Therefore, paths were built here (some specially made in the form of ramps for the disabled) and observation platforms so that tourists could admire this amazing spectacle.


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The width of the Perito Moreno tongue is 5 km.


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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 thick ice!


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The loads from such a mass of ice - and glacial rivers flow into the Perito Moreno glacier from several valleys - constantly push the glacier down.


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The glacier moves at a speed of 2 m per day, which is a lot! (approximately 700 m per year).


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Therefore, huge pieces - blue icebergs - constantly break off from the glacier.

You can watch this live.


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We wander along the walkways for several hours.


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Small pieces of ice fall out 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.

24 (Photo from Wikipedia)
The Perito Moreno glacier descends into a narrow arm of Lake Argentino. Moving very quickly, it periodically bumps into the opposite bank.


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An ice dam is formed, blocking the lake. In this case, 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. The water gradually washes away the ice wall, and soon a grandiose ice arch forms.


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It's only a matter of time before it collapses. Sometimes the dam collapses every 2-3 years, sometimes once every decade.

At this point, crowds of photographers and cameramen flock to the Perito Moreno glacier to capture a unique moment. Of course, the arch does not collapse instantly. For example, this survey was carried out over 5 days - from February 29 to March 4, 2012, when the arch collapsed for the last time.


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In cloudier weather, the glacier is all blue. And when the sun comes out, it becomes whiter, but with deep narrow blue cracks that literally glow from the inside.


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Why is the ice so blue?
When water freezes, white ice forms - it contains many air bubbles captured by the water during rapid freezing. The air bubbles scatter the passing sunlight and produce a white color.
The multi-thousand-year-old layer of ice on the Patagonian Plateau, due to its weight, presses and compresses itself, squeezing air bubbles out of the ice.
As the number of air bubbles decreases, 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 is why thousand-year 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 also stop at the lake to see other birds.
We change money in the city - because of the black exchange rate of the dollar, it was profitable to bring dollars to Argentina and change them on the spot. We changed money at a restaurant in the city center, where we were directed by a travel agency. The official rate was 1:8, black 1:11.5. Nice.
Then we look for a big super for half an hour. Tomorrow we need to buy food for 4 days - we will again move away from civilization. The super is hidden somewhere in the upper part of the city, where you can only reach it by plane...))) But we finally found it. A landmark for our followers is a large yellow store-hangar in the upper part of the city - this is some kind of home center, and above it is a large super.

In the evening we prepared wonderful lamb ribs - cordero - for dinner. Yum-yum... The day was a success.

To be continued...

general information about the attraction

The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of three growing Patagonian glaciers, its mass moves at a speed of up to 700 m per year. The width of the Perito Moreno ice plateau is 5 km, average height- 60 m above the water surface. Average depth equal to 170 m, maximum - 700 m.

The glacier is located in Los Glaciares National Park and is one of the most interesting tourist sites in the Argentine part of Patagonia. It is part of the Southern Ice Belt, whose glaciers stretch across the Andes along the border of Argentina and Chile and store in their depths the third largest reserve fresh water in the world! Not surprisingly, the area was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981.

Tourists from all over the world gather to watch the breaking off blocks of ice.

It is impossible to imagine the scale of this giant, given that the big Perito Moreno is just one of its many extensions - the so-called “tongues”! It must be said that its size inspires respect even when viewed from afar. The three main tributaries of the primary ice fields: Perito Moreno, Uppsala and Viedma - all end at an altitude of 1300 m above sea level. Their meltwater fills huge lakes with water of an incredibly bright blue hue, from which the edges of glaciers rise like majestic icebergs.

The Perito Moreno Ice Plateau is one of three unretreating glaciers in Patagonia. Periodically, the glacier advances onto 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 eventually breaks the ice barrier holding it, which is a very spectacular event. The cycle of dam formation and failure is irregular and repeats at varying frequencies, from once a year to less than once a decade.

If you take a closer look, you begin to notice the bizarre shapes of the glacier itself, its branches rushing upward to the very sky, slightly smoothed by the scorching Patagonian sun. The combination of colors is mesmerizing. Blue sky, white-blue ice and green leaves of the trees covering the Magellan Peninsula. It's impossible to believe that ice can be so crystal clear of blue color until you see it in person.

Los Glaciares Park - like all Argentine ones - is simply incredibly convenient and at the same time causes minimal damage to nature. Along the entire tip of the peninsula, which faces the glacier directly, special paths on poles have been built to prevent any contact with the ground by the numerous boots of tourists.

Small ships ply along the icy waters of the lake, carrying tourists who want to observe the simultaneous creation and destruction of the continent as a result of completely natural processes. Travelers usually take the purest water with them and drink it at a celebratory ceremony, when they and their companions discuss amazing adventures in the prehistoric Arctic landscape.

Data:

  • Name: Los Glaciares Glacier National Park was founded in 1945.
  • Area: The 13 glaciers that make it up spread over an area of ​​4,500 square meters. km.
  • Uniqueness: The ice field formed here is the second largest in the world: only the area of ​​​​Antarctic glaciers is larger.
  • Origin of the name: The glacier was named after its discoverer, Argentine geographer and anthropologist Pascacio "Perito" Moreno (1852-1919).

    • When to go to Perito Moreno

    The best months to travel to Perito Moreno are our winter and Patagonian summer. In order to get to the glacier, you need to fly to the village of El Calafate, which is located 78 km from the glacier plateau. You can get to Perito Moreno from El Calafate by bus or boat along Lago Argentino.

You know, there are places on the planet when the brain refuses to think rationally, and any logic crumbles before the greatness of real NATURE. This is one of the most beautiful places on Earth that I have seen from all my travels. This is the Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia, Argentina.

I first visited Argentina back in 2008, when submitting my passport for a visa at the consulate in Kyiv, my eye clearly captured a poster on the wall with this incredible glacier. Then I only saw Buenos Aires, but Perito Moreno was on my tourist wish list without any reservations.

The ideal roads of the steppe part of Patagonia are boring and monotonous, but once you get closer to mountain range, then you want to make photo stops literally every few kilometers. The name of the glacier translates as "scientist Moreno" or "expert Moreno" and is named after the explorer Francisco Pascasio Moreno.

Perito Moreno is the only one of the large glaciers in the national park that is ideally and easily accessible to visitors. Don’t be confused by the popularity of the place, because no matter how many tourists come there, all these people are just miserable specks against the backdrop of the huge mass of the advancing glacier!

The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of three non-receding glaciers in Patagonia. Periodically, the glacier advances onto 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 eventually breaks the ice barrier holding it, which is a very spectacular event. The cycle of dam formation and failure is irregular and repeats with varying frequencies - from once a year to less than once per decade.

This video from 1988 shows an arch and a huge flow of water from one part of the lake to another and the destruction of the arch at the end of the video:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/Dfl4DAtHkYQ

First of all, I was pleasantly surprised by the infrastructure for tourists. Lots of paths and walking routes along the edge of the peninsula, but each angle is different from the previous one.

The ice mass looks different from above and below, and the main thing is the movement of the ice and the noise of breaking away ice blocks, it cannot be forgotten and cannot be reproduced in recording. The feeling on the spot is simply enchanting!

Perito Moreno has an area of ​​250 km². The width of the Perito Moreno tongue is 5 km, the average height is 60 meters above the water surface. The average depth is 170 meters, the maximum is 700 meters. The glacier is 30,000 years old. Its movement speed is 2 meters per day (about 700 meters per year). However, the mass loss is approximately the same, so (not taking into account small deviations) the glacier tongue has not retreated or advanced for 90 years.

Overall the glacier is very bright and white, not dirty gray like in New Zealand, for example.
And the color of the ice in places of fresh breakage is simply piercingly blue:

And the panorama, if you haven’t seen it, it’s clickable, look at the full screen (4500x1300 pixels):

Hirez 4500x1300px

To be continued...

My partner on this incredible journey:

All my reports are from Chilean and Argentine Patagonia.

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Perito Moreno is the most unique and beautiful glacier in Argentina. Due to its accessibility, it has become one of the most visited attractions in Patagonia. Hundreds of buses bring thousands of tourists every day. And there really is something to see there! Huge, 69-meter-high walls of ice hang right in front of you. It seems that all you have to do is reach out your hand and you will touch blue ice... It’s worth mentioning separately about the color - the blue shade of the ice is so bright that at first you simply don’t believe it. I even want to tone down the saturation)
This is a fantastic place and a must visit for anyone flying to Argentina!

2. You can get to the glacier, which is part of Los Glaciares Park, at tourist bus, who leave El Calafate in droves early in the morning. If you would like) A roundtrip bus (only such a ticket is fashionable to buy) costs 450 pesos. The drive from the city is 78 kilometers, the road is boring, you can safely sleep. At the entrance to the park they will charge you more 260 pesos entry fee. You will be given a brochure with rules of conduct. Separately, I will say that in Argentina it is pleasant to pay all the permits in the parks - it is clear that they really go towards the improvement and maintenance of a huge number of employees and rangers. Not like ours.

3. When you first look at the glacier, you are simply speechless. This huge ice block of bright blue color is stunning... It’s worth visiting there to understand my emotions...
There are metal walking trails and observation platforms along the glacier tongue. Everything is so convenient that you involuntarily gain respect for the Argentines. Even here there are marked routes, lower and middle balconies. And even an elevator for tourists, with disabilities movement!!!

4. For reference, here are some numbers from Wikipedia - “The width of the Perito Moreno tongue is 5 km, the average height is 60 m above the water surface. The average depth is 170 m, the maximum is 700 m. Its movement speed is 2 m per day (about 700 m per year). However, the mass loss is approximately are the same, therefore (not taking into account small deviations) the tongue of the glacier did not retreat or advance for 90 years."

5. And this whole ice colossus moves, breathes and lives. Pieces of ice constantly break off and fall into the water with an incredible roar. After a few moments they float up and turn into icebergs

6. We got to the glacier in cloudy weather, but the sun gradually began to seep through the dense veil of clouds. While we were waiting for weather and icefall, we sat on one of the observation platforms. A whole class of Argentine schoolchildren sat next to us. It seems that the entire population of this country is drug addicts who cannot live without mate. How many locals walk around with bags containing a thermos of boiling water and a mug for mate with bombilla? And they constantly drink this bitter drink. and disgusting is disgusting)

7. Despite the spring, a cold wind blew from the glacier. And the weather wasn’t very conducive to tanning)

8. Equipped trails allow you to see the glacier from all sides, from above, below, from the side. True, we will have to work a little with our feet - during this day we covered quite a few kilometers on these stairs

9. The sun came out and everything around was transformed. The shade of the ice changed from inky blue to piercing blue. It seems that in cloudy weather the color was much brighter.

10. The light was dramatic) It’s a pity there was no opportunity to stay at sunset - the bus left back at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. And in the morning we had to leave for Chile.
If you get hungry, at the beginning of the route there is a large cafeteria with completely inhumane prices. I highly recommend buying food and drinks in El Calafate and bringing it with you

11. We were in Patagonia in November - and this is the height of spring in the Southern Hemisphere. The bright flowers looked very beautiful against the blue ice

12. Such a mixture of seasons) There were really no snowdrops)

13. The sun did not please us for long, and again disappeared into the clouds

14. Panorama of Perito Moreno

15. Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the three unretreating glaciers of Patagonia. Periodically, the glacier advances onto 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 eventually breaks the ice barrier holding it, which is a very spectacular event. The cycle of dam formation and failure is irregular and repeats at varying frequencies, from once a year to less than once a decade.

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