Big Ice: Trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier
I spent a day exploring the Perito Moreno Glacier west of El Calafate. It was expensive, $247 CAD, but all of the excursions were expensive, so I figured I may as well spend a little more to really see it up close. And I’ve always wanted to walk through an ice field, so this seemed like the time to do it. I’m not getting any younger.
And in terms of the “Big Ice” excursion on Perito Moreno, I really was running out of time to partake: the cut off age for the trek is 50 years old, and that is just around the corner for me. When signing up, there was a huge checklist that was a little intimidating: only physically fit people between the ages of 18 and 50 can participate, no pregnant women or people with heart conditions. They also said that BMI (body mass index) must be below 30 (I’m not sure what mine is, but I never had to get on a scale) and they had a huge questionnaire about joint problems, vertigo, medications and previous injuries. Other than allergies, I was in the clear. Oh, and they wanted to know my blood type, and it's terrible, but I don't actually know mine. And I tried to find out, but my doctor didn't know either. So I lied. (Spoiler, I didn't require a transfusion). We needed to bring hiking boots, a waterproof jacket, a warm hat, gloves, sunscreen, sunglasses and food and water. I’d read a little bit about the hike online – the glacier is only about 100 meters above the water level and the total hike was about 8 km. To me, that sounded very doable, and reasonable given the trekking I’ve done over the past two months. So, I signed up!
I won’t lie, I was a little nervous about how strenuous the hike might be – not because of the distance or length of time I’d be out there, but because of the pace. I didn’t want to be the one slowing the group down.
The night before the hike, I ate well and rented some waterproof pants for the trek.
I was up early the day of the hike. It wasn’t hard to get out of bed, I was excited. I had wisely purchased the special coins for the coffee machine the day before so that I could have some coffee. But… I stupidly didn’t realize the coffee machine wasn’t on when I put my coins in, so I lost my coins and got no coffee. They had free tea though, so I had some of that.
A van picked me up at my hostel a little before 7 AM. It took me to a bus where I was apparently the last person to arrive. There were only 2 aisle seats left at the back of the bus, both covered with junk that belonged to the young men fast asleep in the window seats. One of them woke up enough to begrudgingly move his stuff off the seat for me before resuming his sleep state. He had pulled the curtain closed, sadly. What I could see through the gap in the curtains was that there were a lot of flamingos close to the lakeshore at that time of the morning. I really wished I could have seen more.
An hour later we were in Los Glaciares National Park and the tour guide told us about the flora and fauna and climate within the region. And then we got our first glimpse of the glacier. Well, I did. Lots of the young people on the bus were uninterested and still sleeping.
And in terms of the “Big Ice” excursion on Perito Moreno, I really was running out of time to partake: the cut off age for the trek is 50 years old, and that is just around the corner for me. When signing up, there was a huge checklist that was a little intimidating: only physically fit people between the ages of 18 and 50 can participate, no pregnant women or people with heart conditions. They also said that BMI (body mass index) must be below 30 (I’m not sure what mine is, but I never had to get on a scale) and they had a huge questionnaire about joint problems, vertigo, medications and previous injuries. Other than allergies, I was in the clear. Oh, and they wanted to know my blood type, and it's terrible, but I don't actually know mine. And I tried to find out, but my doctor didn't know either. So I lied. (Spoiler, I didn't require a transfusion). We needed to bring hiking boots, a waterproof jacket, a warm hat, gloves, sunscreen, sunglasses and food and water. I’d read a little bit about the hike online – the glacier is only about 100 meters above the water level and the total hike was about 8 km. To me, that sounded very doable, and reasonable given the trekking I’ve done over the past two months. So, I signed up!
I won’t lie, I was a little nervous about how strenuous the hike might be – not because of the distance or length of time I’d be out there, but because of the pace. I didn’t want to be the one slowing the group down.
The night before the hike, I ate well and rented some waterproof pants for the trek.
I was up early the day of the hike. It wasn’t hard to get out of bed, I was excited. I had wisely purchased the special coins for the coffee machine the day before so that I could have some coffee. But… I stupidly didn’t realize the coffee machine wasn’t on when I put my coins in, so I lost my coins and got no coffee. They had free tea though, so I had some of that.
A van picked me up at my hostel a little before 7 AM. It took me to a bus where I was apparently the last person to arrive. There were only 2 aisle seats left at the back of the bus, both covered with junk that belonged to the young men fast asleep in the window seats. One of them woke up enough to begrudgingly move his stuff off the seat for me before resuming his sleep state. He had pulled the curtain closed, sadly. What I could see through the gap in the curtains was that there were a lot of flamingos close to the lakeshore at that time of the morning. I really wished I could have seen more.
An hour later we were in Los Glaciares National Park and the tour guide told us about the flora and fauna and climate within the region. And then we got our first glimpse of the glacier. Well, I did. Lots of the young people on the bus were uninterested and still sleeping.
The glacier’s edge is beautiful, even from a distance. It is nearly 4 km wide along the front where it descends into the water of the lake: more than 100 meters below the water level and about 75 meters above. Most of the ice along the front edge breaks off and forms small icebergs, but near the center, the ice will move until it hits the rock on the other side of the water. When that happens, it creates a dam that can cause a difference in water level from one side to the other by up to 30 meters. That buildup of water can then cause the ice dam to break, but sometimes an arch will form. It’s a cycle that repeats over and over again over the course of many years.
Our first stop was at the viewing platforms on the mountainside opposite the glacier. There are winding pathways and stairs that allow people to view the glacier from different angles and altitudes. We only had about 45 minutes at the viewing platforms, but I enjoyed that time a great deal. It was raining a bit, and it was cold, but the views were amazing. I was a little surprised that most of the young people stayed at the bus, not interested in seeing the glacier.
Then the bus took us to the boat where we crossed to the other shore where we’d begin our hike. The young, grumpy, sleepy people were finally waking up and starting to talk amongst themselves – speaking English! The boys were talking about workouts and marathons and the girls were talking about their hair (not kidding). They were a large group from New York traveling together. I was happy that we split up into two groups – the New York kids in one and the rest of us in another. My group was awesome; full of people eager to see the glacier. And - two people in my group were from Edmonton!
Our first stop was at the viewing platforms on the mountainside opposite the glacier. There are winding pathways and stairs that allow people to view the glacier from different angles and altitudes. We only had about 45 minutes at the viewing platforms, but I enjoyed that time a great deal. It was raining a bit, and it was cold, but the views were amazing. I was a little surprised that most of the young people stayed at the bus, not interested in seeing the glacier.
Then the bus took us to the boat where we crossed to the other shore where we’d begin our hike. The young, grumpy, sleepy people were finally waking up and starting to talk amongst themselves – speaking English! The boys were talking about workouts and marathons and the girls were talking about their hair (not kidding). They were a large group from New York traveling together. I was happy that we split up into two groups – the New York kids in one and the rest of us in another. My group was awesome; full of people eager to see the glacier. And - two people in my group were from Edmonton!
We walked about a kilometer on wooden walkways to a place where we put on climbing harnesses and helmets. This is also the place where the “mini trekking” excursion happens. It’s a lesser excursion where you get to put on crampons and walk onto the glacier for a little bit. It’s still fairly expensive and you only get to see a small part of the glacier. I wanted the full experience.
Our group started hiking up the mountain along the left side of the glacier. And we did go UP. We climbed for 45 minutes and then the guides told us to take off a layer of clothing, because it was about to get difficult. And it did get more difficult. One of the guides said this part would be “dynamic” and that we would go fast so that we could get more time on the glacier. I think she was basically saying “move your ass!” For the next half hour, we went up. A lot of the climb was stairs; metal grating steps that had been fixed to the side of the mountain. And they were big steps – my knees bending to almost 90 degrees on each step. And the reason for the climb? Haha, solely for the view! It gave us the opportunity to see the glacier from above. It was a difficult climb, and I was the last person to arrive at the top, but only by about 30 seconds. I must admit, it was worth it for the view. That was also the point when our guide told us we’d be returning along an easier trail. I was happy to hear that, though I did feel slightly betrayed…
Our group started hiking up the mountain along the left side of the glacier. And we did go UP. We climbed for 45 minutes and then the guides told us to take off a layer of clothing, because it was about to get difficult. And it did get more difficult. One of the guides said this part would be “dynamic” and that we would go fast so that we could get more time on the glacier. I think she was basically saying “move your ass!” For the next half hour, we went up. A lot of the climb was stairs; metal grating steps that had been fixed to the side of the mountain. And they were big steps – my knees bending to almost 90 degrees on each step. And the reason for the climb? Haha, solely for the view! It gave us the opportunity to see the glacier from above. It was a difficult climb, and I was the last person to arrive at the top, but only by about 30 seconds. I must admit, it was worth it for the view. That was also the point when our guide told us we’d be returning along an easier trail. I was happy to hear that, though I did feel slightly betrayed…
From our viewpoint, we descended, heading for the glacier. We stopped at a geodesic dome where we were given crampons to carry the rest of the way down. As we were about to leave, the New York group arrived. They were such a noisy bunch when they weren’t sleeping.
We finally got to the glacier. The guides strapped our crampons to our boots (or sneakers – the “requirements” for the trek weren’t really enforced, and they loaned boots to one person and a jacket to another).
At that point, one of the people in the group came to me and said that I looked “experienced” and wondered if I had any pain killers because he had a headache. I think he was calling me old! I gave him some ibuprofen. I think he’d struggled to keep up on the climb.
And then we learned to walk on ice. It took a bit of practice. It’s a bit like stomping around flat footed with your feet spread apart. It was a lot of fun! I was surprised by how steep an incline I could go up or down and how easy it was to leap over creeks and ravines because my feet would stick so solidly in the ice when I landed. We stomped around for 10 minutes along the edge of the glacier, and when the guides were satisfied that we weren’t going to kill ourselves, we headed toward the centerline of the glacier, where the ice got a little more interesting.
We finally got to the glacier. The guides strapped our crampons to our boots (or sneakers – the “requirements” for the trek weren’t really enforced, and they loaned boots to one person and a jacket to another).
At that point, one of the people in the group came to me and said that I looked “experienced” and wondered if I had any pain killers because he had a headache. I think he was calling me old! I gave him some ibuprofen. I think he’d struggled to keep up on the climb.
And then we learned to walk on ice. It took a bit of practice. It’s a bit like stomping around flat footed with your feet spread apart. It was a lot of fun! I was surprised by how steep an incline I could go up or down and how easy it was to leap over creeks and ravines because my feet would stick so solidly in the ice when I landed. We stomped around for 10 minutes along the edge of the glacier, and when the guides were satisfied that we weren’t going to kill ourselves, we headed toward the centerline of the glacier, where the ice got a little more interesting.
We ate lunch on the glacier. I sat for a bit, but the ice is incredibly cold so I stood while I finished my lunch. I didn’t want to sit on my backpack because I didn’t want it to get wet – I brought my laptop bag and while it’s somewhat waterproof against rain, it does soak up water if it’s under pressure. We refilled our water bottles from the small pools of water in the ice.
We were on the glacier for 3 or 4 hours. It rained, it was sunny, it rained some more, it got windy, then it snowed, then the sun came out again. We definitely got the full experience. I took a lot of photos, but they don’t really do the glacier justice. It was breathtaking and so much fun!
It was tiring though. The crampons must weigh at least a couple of pounds each, and there is sometimes a bit of resistance when lifting your foot as the spikes are embedded in the ice. And sometimes, when you take a step, the ice gives unevenly under your foot causing it to roll left or right. My legs and ankles were getting pretty tired by the time we were done.
We went close to the centerline of the glacier which moves at up to 2.2 meters a day. Where we were standing, the glacier is about 800 meters deep! Even deeper in some places. One of the most interesting aspects of the Perito Moreno glacier is that it’s in equilibrium – it isn’t shrinking like nearly every other glacier in the world. It starts at a high altitude (3000 meters) and there is so much snow accumulation that it grows as fast as it moves. That may not last, but for now, it’s pretty neat.
It was tiring though. The crampons must weigh at least a couple of pounds each, and there is sometimes a bit of resistance when lifting your foot as the spikes are embedded in the ice. And sometimes, when you take a step, the ice gives unevenly under your foot causing it to roll left or right. My legs and ankles were getting pretty tired by the time we were done.
We went close to the centerline of the glacier which moves at up to 2.2 meters a day. Where we were standing, the glacier is about 800 meters deep! Even deeper in some places. One of the most interesting aspects of the Perito Moreno glacier is that it’s in equilibrium – it isn’t shrinking like nearly every other glacier in the world. It starts at a high altitude (3000 meters) and there is so much snow accumulation that it grows as fast as it moves. That may not last, but for now, it’s pretty neat.
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The hike back was indeed easier, especially once the crampons came off. But we got to use our harnesses for the first time – or rather, we had to use our harnesses. They had lines in the hillside that we clipped into as we walked so that none of us would fall to our deaths. It wasn’t a difficult trail, but I’m sure the company wants to avoid any liabilities. I almost think fiddling with the clips and ropes made the trail more difficult, but yeah, it would have been hard to die, so I’ll give them that.
My legs were definitely tired as we approached the boat. I wasn’t the only one feeling the fatigue though – I saw a lot of people in our group stumble occasionally. According to my phone, the trek was about 13 km.
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On the boat, they gave us whiskey over glacier ice. Glacier ice is indeed very heavy. We got a final look at the glacier as we cruised by.
On the way back to town, I got a window seat and got to enjoy the landscape, but I also unavoidably learned way too much about marathon training schedules and hair products. I also found out that Betty White had died, and when I told my new friends from Edmonton, one of them said “who’s that?”. I guess this is what it’s like to get old?
Oh, and it was New Year’s Eve. Once back at the hostel, I got cleaned up and had some beer. Then I had a nap – aaaand that nap stretched until after midnight. So… Happy New Year!? It was for me!
On the way back to town, I got a window seat and got to enjoy the landscape, but I also unavoidably learned way too much about marathon training schedules and hair products. I also found out that Betty White had died, and when I told my new friends from Edmonton, one of them said “who’s that?”. I guess this is what it’s like to get old?
Oh, and it was New Year’s Eve. Once back at the hostel, I got cleaned up and had some beer. Then I had a nap – aaaand that nap stretched until after midnight. So… Happy New Year!? It was for me!