We left El Chalten yesterday morning and drove through scattered rain showers to El Calafate for our final two nights. Calafate actually has size to it, and we explored the town and wandered through the shops. Our main reason for coming to Calafate has been to visit the Perito Moreno Glacier. Perito Moreno is also a part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, but it is much larger than Grey Glacier that we saw in Torres del Paine.
Perito Moreno is located in the southern part of Glaciares National Park. El Chalten, where we were yesterday, is at the northern end of the park. From Calafate, we had a beautiful drive west for a little more than an hour. We passed through large swaths of rolling hills and ranches, with the deep blue hues of Lago Argentina visible for about half the drive.
One of the unique things about Perito Moreno, and arguably for the good of the world, is that it is not retreating. It actually moves on average about two meters per day. The park has constructed a series of stairs, walkways, and viewing platforms totaling almost two miles that allowed us excellent views of the face of the glacier. We experienced several calves, where a small piece of the glacier collapsed into the water. This was such a cool experience! We frequently heard the creaking and cracking sounds of the glacier, then the rumble of the ice as it tumbled down before a big splash. We never knew when or if this would happen, and we were lucky enough to see five and capture a couple of them on video. This blog site doesn't handle video well, so photos will have to do.
Today was another gorgeous weather day, and seeing the glacier was icing on the cake. Unfortunately, it's our last day of sightseeing. We leave tomorrow to drive back to Chile to start our journey home. This trip has been incredible and an awesome way to bring 2024 to a close and welcome 2025. Happy New Year!
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