El Calafate, Argentina: Ice Trekking in Patagonia

Like yesterday, I could put up one hundred pictures of today, and it still wouldn't really capture the experience I had, but I hope that this small sample will give you a bit of an idea.  After taking the bus to Los Glaciares National Park, we began the day with two hours of free time near the Perito Moreno glacier to stretch our legs and eat lunch.  While I enjoyed it, it was very similar to yesterday, so I am going to start my photos where the main event of the day begins.  After lunch, we took the boat to the other side of the lake, and we landed in the spot above.  We then made the brief walk to the base of the glacier, where we got our cramp-ons, and then...

...we climbed Perito Moreno!  Being on moving ice, seeing all the crevices and little waterfalls, watching it fall and feeling it crack--the whole experience is really beyond words.  I think the craziest thing is that this glacier moves two meters a day in the center, so if I went back, even in six months, the trek would be completely different because the glacier is changing so fast.  It's really mind-boggling.  That being said, though everywhere I looked was a perfect picture, here are a few of my favorites.

Ice mountains.

Drinking water straight from the glacier.

The glacier, with the Andes in the background.  The Pacific Ocean is 40km away, directly behind me (and Chile is even closer).

The summit of our climb!

The Magellan Peninsula and Lake Argentino from Perito Moreno.

Just before the end of our trek, we went to the 'glacier bar', which consists of two tables set up on the glacier, where our guides proceeded to pour us each a double shot of Scottish whiskey (does that make it Scotch?) on the rocks...glacier rocks, that is :-)

Back on rock, just before getting on the boat to go home, with Perito Moreno, the Magellan Peninsula, and Lake Argentino in the background.

One of my last shots of Perito Moreno and the Andes.  The boat in the front really gives you an idea of how big the glacier is.  Exploring it for the past two days was incredible, and something I will never forget!