El Calafate 1.12.11 – 3.12.11
Glacier Perito Moreno
We all took different buses from Puerto Natales to El Calafate. Bron, Elis, Lene and Jakob caught an earlier bus at seven AM and we got a lie in and caught the eight thirty one. The Chile to Argentina border crossing was a lot less stressful than our crossing the other way around. No xray machines and threats of fining your bags of cattle semen, just a stamp and the confirmation that I was a professura (teacher).
We arrived in El Calafate, which was an expensive place and almost exclusively set up around tourism. After finding the map hard to follow (I really hope our map reading skills improve at some point!) we asked a friendly looking man where our camp site was. He walked us nearly all the way there, lovely man, and we found a beautiful pitch under a willow tree, along to a burbling stream lined with bright green grass and more importantly next door to our lovely neighbours Bron and Elis!
The showers and toilets were really clean and nice (always a worry at a camp ground) and there was the potential of WiFi. There was an asado grill and a bench for us to sit at so it was a no brainer that a massive BBQ complete with copious wine would ensue. So we booked our mini trekking tour around and on the glacier and set off to the supermercado all together. We almost bought the whole place out and for once I was really looking forwards to a BBQ!
The showers and toilets were really clean and nice (always a worry at a camp ground) and there was the potential of WiFi. There was an asado grill and a bench for us to sit at so it was a no brainer that a massive BBQ complete with copious wine would ensue. So we booked our mini trekking tour around and on the glacier and set off to the supermercado all together. We almost bought the whole place out and for once I was really looking forwards to a BBQ!
Elis prepared the asado by building and lighting a fire and when the embers occurred, he placed them under the grill. Samly and Bron prepared the food and I fannied about as usual until someone realised that I could have the job of getting more wine. I think we were being a little bit too conservative buying two bottle when in reality we really wanted four!! Two each of a Malbec and a Cabernet Sauvignon, both wines were delicious, so fruity! We filled our tummies and giggled all night.
The next day was an early start as we boarded the bus to drive the three hours to the glacier Perito Morneo. Our first glimpse of the glacier was as we rounded the corner whilst on the mountain road and caught sight of it spilling down from between the mountains and ended with its façade in a lake. As we neared it became possible to ascertain he enormity of the face of this glacier. It was HUGE! Also as we got closer you could see the sculptured top, all spikes and sharp undulations and the blue was indescribable. We had about two hours to walk around the walkways and watch the glacier whilst we had lunch. We got very excited when we heard the thunderous rumble and crack as a large piece of ice fell off the glacier and landed with a huge PLUOOOMP! And BANG! Into the water. As we watched more and more, some were so big they created waves! It was amazing.
Next came the boat trip which took us very close to the glacier face. It was hard to tell at some points whether we were looking at a real thing!
The blue appeared most vivid inside the cracks which we saw a lot more clearly after we had fitted on crampons and went for a walk on the glacier itself. It was a strange experience walking on this landscape we knew was completely made from ice.
Our guide explained that the blue came from the ice absorbing all the colours of the spectrum and our eyes picked up the blue. It reminded me of glacier mints at points (and my grandma who used to eat them all the time).
We walked up and down ice paths and saw drop holes and water pools and different features on the surface of the glacier. At one point we could also hear water rushing under the ice, making such a loud noise. It was incredible. The our crazy guide just decided to leap onto a bit of the glacier and use two axes to climb all the way up, nutter!
We finished the whole walk off with a whisky, complete with fresh glacier ice! Then we took the boat back to catch our bus back to El Calafate.
The next day was an early start as we boarded the bus to drive the three hours to the glacier Perito Morneo. Our first glimpse of the glacier was as we rounded the corner whilst on the mountain road and caught sight of it spilling down from between the mountains and ended with its façade in a lake. As we neared it became possible to ascertain he enormity of the face of this glacier. It was HUGE! Also as we got closer you could see the sculptured top, all spikes and sharp undulations and the blue was indescribable. We had about two hours to walk around the walkways and watch the glacier whilst we had lunch. We got very excited when we heard the thunderous rumble and crack as a large piece of ice fell off the glacier and landed with a huge PLUOOOMP! And BANG! Into the water. As we watched more and more, some were so big they created waves! It was amazing.
Next came the boat trip which took us very close to the glacier face. It was hard to tell at some points whether we were looking at a real thing!
The blue appeared most vivid inside the cracks which we saw a lot more clearly after we had fitted on crampons and went for a walk on the glacier itself. It was a strange experience walking on this landscape we knew was completely made from ice.
Our guide explained that the blue came from the ice absorbing all the colours of the spectrum and our eyes picked up the blue. It reminded me of glacier mints at points (and my grandma who used to eat them all the time).
We walked up and down ice paths and saw drop holes and water pools and different features on the surface of the glacier. At one point we could also hear water rushing under the ice, making such a loud noise. It was incredible. The our crazy guide just decided to leap onto a bit of the glacier and use two axes to climb all the way up, nutter!
We finished the whole walk off with a whisky, complete with fresh glacier ice! Then we took the boat back to catch our bus back to El Calafate.
That night we had our second delicious BBQ. BBQ-ed mushroom, butternut squash, beetroot, peppers, cobs, bread and a little bit more wine, yum. We also played with 'Pig', a cute, fat little scamp of a dog who befriended us and went mad for the moving tyres on cars. She had a HUGE pot belly (which she had grown almost exclusively from the proceeds of campers left over asado meat!)
Then to sleep as early to rise for our bus trip (still with our lovely travelling buddies) to El Chalten for some trekking in the countryside and mountains there.
Then to sleep as early to rise for our bus trip (still with our lovely travelling buddies) to El Chalten for some trekking in the countryside and mountains there.
No comments:
Post a Comment