patagonian glacier

aerial view of glacier

walkways to glacier

the north face

glacier calving creating waves

thousands of years in the making

blue steel

the glacier meets its match

if a tree falls...

laurel says:

patagonia is a special place.  and its marquee attraction, the perito moreno glacier is a stunner.  wedged between blue mountains and turquoise waters lies one of the only advancing glaciers in the world and the 3rd largest ice mass on earth.  it takes your breath away.  watching the ice alone could fill an entire day.  but luckily, we were able to take our glacier experience to even greater heights with a crampon enhanced glacier trek.  it was a whole different perspective from atop the cracking ice floe.  the blues looked even more vivid, the crevasses even more treacherous and the peaks even more jagged.  this is mother nature at her fiercest.  and a humbling exhibit of nature prevailing.

crampons await

the trek begins

best water ever tasted

glacial stomping

argentina love

beware of angry school children with lunch box weapons (emil made me add this)

pink flamingoes live in patagonia, who knew?

emil says:
this was an emotional place, the (still) advancing glacier of perito moreno in el calafate, patagonia.  like watching time move before your very eyes and ears. obscenely loud cracks, and even moans, across the distant valley of prehistoric ice. 120 foot glacier walls moving forward 6 feet per day generates quite the friction and the thunder is absolutely ear popping at times. huge ice blocks fall from the wall (called calving) like bombs, displacing monstrous volumes of water.  we stare in awe at the semi-circular concentric waves that are formed from the calving for hours. more viciously loud cracking. ancient sounds and a growing moving breathing glacier right before you. when looking at the stars one is often humbled and left wondering more than knowing about the heavens, but here there is a sense that you are part of time, you stand before it and watch the world grow. just vivid stuff. inspiring place. i will never forget this glacier and aim to come back.