Hooray for Glacier Hiking.

After arriving in El Calafate post 28 hour bus ride, I promptly signed up for the full day glacier trek on Perito Moreno glacier the next morning; it had been strongly recommended by two people I know that had done it in the past few weeks.

So I got picked up around 7am for an hour and a half ride to the glacier. It was just in time to catch the sunrise, probably the best I’ve seen on my trip so far.



We first headed to view the front of the glacier for about an hour, which has the famous flat face that drops off into the lake. This is one of the few glaciers that is maintaining if not adding ice each year. We saw a few ‘small’ chunks fall off into the lake, causing big ripples and some nice sounds. Every few years there is a massive chunk that falls off.

Anyways, we proceeded to the edge of the lake, where we took a boat across the lake fairly close to the side of the glacier. Walked about an hour on a trail (against a steep forested face!) to a point where we picked up our crampons and a put a safety harness on. I had to rent some hiking boots, sunglasses, and gloves for this trip, and needed all of them in the end (one person told me ‘they burned their eyeballs out’ from the ice glare, another said ‘sunglesses are a must’ haha!) I accepted the advice.

So we saddled up the crampons, got some instructions on how to use them properly, and were off. There were about 10 in my group and 2 guides. I got lucky and had clear blue skies. Its really not that dangerous, but if you don’t pay attention to where you walk and don’t step carefully, I could easily see people slipped, and even falling into wedges, breaking through patches of ice, etc. The guides do a good job, but still you need to pay attention.

We hiked on the glacier for a few hours, over holes and crevasses here and there, after which point I was fairly tired, and so the group broke for lunch. At this point I got to break a little hole in the glacier ice and fill my bottle up with some deeeeeeeeeeeelicious glacier water. Here’s to you, Aquafina! We stopped to individually view a massive hole in the glacier (aided by guides holding our harnesses), in which we peered over and could not see the bottom, I think they said it was 40 or 50 meters). The trek back was another 2 hours, and the guides really were moving this time. I got sick of the cumbersome crampons, and was sure I had a blister. But wow, that was one of the coolest, most amazing sceneries & experiences ever!

Two 5 hour bus rides in store tomorrow plus a 5 hour layover in Rio Gallegos, en route to Punta Arenas, Chile.

The lake and wall of the glacier:


A field of ice peaks:


Mid hike:


The midst of the glacier. Chile is in the distance, and we are also really close to the Pacific ocean over those mountains somewhere.

If you ever get the chance...

....to take a 28 hour bus ride in Argentina, you should at once. Sitting on a bus for 28 hours isn’t the most fun thing in the world, but the various landscapes are impressive.

Set out from Bariloche at 9 am Tuesday, arrived in El Calafate at 1pm the next day. We had 10 minute stops in Esquel, Rio Gallegos, Comodoro Rivadavia, plus a few Podunk gas stations and roads here and there.

The best (or worst) part of the bus ride was the occasional closed paved road in the middle of nowhere, which resulted in taking the dirt road right beside the unoccupied highway for 30 minute chunks. Nonetheless, a bit bumpy. Also, the 40 mph speed limit, and at time moving at 5 mph, made the journey a bit slow.

Supplies needed for 28 hour bus ride:
-1 bag of salami
-1 package of sliced cheese
-loaf of bread
-several handfuls of peanuts
-1.5 Liters of Argentinian Orange Soda
-2 Oranges
-Jam
-Patience (...an iPod and Spanish study Materials)



Another closed yet completely empty road making us take the dirt path:

Bariloche Update

Happy Easter! Here is a photo update from the last few days in Bariloche:

A view from Cerro Campanario outside Bariloche:


Making funny poses with my couchsurfers:


More funny poses on Cerro Campanario:


Making empanadas


My first empanada from scratch! You need to fold them just right for a nice seal and a pretty finish. We made empanadas filled with deer, onion, & tomatoes, peppers & others filled with egg, cheese, onion, peppers, and tomatoes. Yum.


Stewing the veggies and meat:


The empanadas:


With Couchsurfer hosts:


Heading to El Calafate, Argentina on Tuesday. Central Southern Patagonia. 26 hour bus ride hooray! Hopefully stay there 3 or 4 days, go to some Glaciers, maybe do some trekking, and then go further south to Punta Arenas, Chile, after.