argentina an ice - amazon web services...something about remembering to pack thick socks for the ice...

66 ENCOUNTERS WINTER 2012

We are hunkered down in a valley in the

ice – white and blue are the only

colours in this otherworldly scene. The

overcast sky blankets the black mountains beyond

and blends into the frozen surface, making it

difficult to judge where one ends and the other

begins. There is a loneliness about this cold, surreal

space, something that makes life seem

insubstantial.

This is what a polar bear must feel like, I think to

myself. Then I remember the only predators in this

part of the world are cougars and grey foxes that

sometimes stray onto the ice in the hope of finding

something lost and weak to prey upon. When one of

the trekking guides hands me a cup of hot tea and a

sandwich, I feel relieved and thankful for the

comforts of the civilised world I have just left

behind.

I am somewhere along the 250-square-kilometre

course of the Moreno glacier in southern Argentina.

The 30km trail of ice is one of almost 50 glaciers

fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the

world’s third-largest reserve of fresh water. It is also

one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen.

My group of four guides and 15 travellers –

mainly Argentines and Chileans but also a couple of

young Australians and three Spaniards – have been

trekking on the ice for about three hours. The

surface is schizophrenic, changing suddenly from

jagged peaks to soft, curving valleys, and we have

to navigate dangerous crevasses and bright blue

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AN ICE

In a bizarre setting where it is difficult to judge where land ends and sky

begins, we could almost be on another planet, writes Victoria Burrows

place to be

WINTER 2012 ENCOUNTERS 67



streams. We are all on the “Big Ice” trekking tour

run by the Hielo & Aventura adventure travel

company – an all-day trip that includes five hours

of walking on the ice. My travel companion Tom

and I had signed up for the trip through our

hostel in nearby El Calafate, the charming town of

wooden shops and cosy restaurants that serves

as a tourist base for trips to the glacier and other

parts of Patagonia.

We had arrived in El Calafate, named after the

bush with yellow flowers and dark blue berries

that is common in Patagonia, the day before in

one of Argentina’s luxury buses. The vastness of

the country means journeys between tourist sites

or major towns often stretch for many hours, and

the transport system caters to this by making the

trip as comfortable as possible. On this journey,

as we reclined in our black leather seats, one of

the attendants hosted a game of bingo, with a

bottle of local shiraz to be won. Our basic

Spanish left us a little slow and, by the time I

called out “bingo”, another passenger had

beaten me to the prize.

We reached the town by mid-morning and

checked into the America del Sur hostel.

Attractive with its wood-panelled and beamed

ceiling, and cosy with its warm shared kitchen

and rustic dining room, the hostel has pleasant

double rooms with en suite for those wanting a

little more comfort and privacy, or dorm rooms for

those on a budget. We had left booking the room

to the last minute and so shared with two young

women, including an American travelling the

southern continent for two months by herself.

I have always admired people who travel solo,

especially women, and asked her about her

experience. “Nothing but wonderful,” she says.

“I’ve met fantastic, kind people everywhere I’ve

been. South America has a bad rap for safety, but

A walk through an alpine forest at the start of the trek.




I never felt threatened.” She had experienced her

share of surprises, however. One involved Tom,

who had the bunk above hers for the night. “Do

you remember talking to me during the night?”

she asks in the morning, a mischievous glint in

her eyes. “No,” says Tom, concerned. “You

reached down and tapped my nose and muttered

something about remembering to pack thick

socks for the ice trek.”

After sharing the laugh, we said our fare-thee-

wells and set off for the glacier by bus, driving the

80km to the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and

its crowning glory, the Perito Moreno. The journey

included lovely views of a huge, still lake, Lago

Argentino, its pink flamingos and the wilds of

Patagonia.

On arrival at the park, we visited the balconies

– walkways on stilts that offer stunning views of

the face of the glacier. This is where the glacier

ends and dumps huge sections of ice into the

Brazo Sur (South Arm) of Lago Argentino. The 60-

Perito Moreno is ancient yet beautiful. Photos: Victoria Burrows

I’ve met fantastic, kindpeople everywhere I’vebeen. South America

has a bad rap forsafety, but I never felt

threatened

{

{WINTER 2012 ENCOUNTERS 69




metre-tall, five-kilometre-long wall of ice is

nothing short of spectacular. The top is whipped

up in snowy white peaks, while the ice below is

shocking in its blueness.

“When the ice gets pressed … umm … how do

you say? … compacted over the years, air bubbles

are squeezed out and the ice crystals get bigger.

Water takes in light at the red end of the

spectrum, so more water, less air makes it look

bluer,” explains one of our guides, Calvino, in his

heavy Latino lilt. “Beautiful, no? I have been here

hundreds, maybe more than a thousand, times

and it always looks so beautiful.”

Just then, a huge section of ice drops from the

face, making a thundering sound and huge waves

in the otherwise placid lake. “What an incredible

sight,” says Tom, clicking his camera repeatedly.

“Now I can’t wait to get out there onto the ice.”

We set off on a short hike through alpine,

mossy woods to reach the entry point to the

surface of the glacier. After the guides fit us with

crampons and check we are properly weather-

proofed against what looks like a rainy sky, we

take our first steps. The heavy crampons strapped

to our walking shoes offer us grip on the ice,

although any steep slopes still make me feel

uneasy as I expect to lose my footing and plunge

face-forward. Every step brings an audible crunch.

We make our way further onto the ice until there

are no signs of human existence. With my ears

Lunch of tea and sandwiches at Perito Moreno.



muffled in a woollen hat, everything is quiet. It’s

a silence I could grow to love. I ask Calvino if

anyone ever comes for longer treks on the ice.

“Si, of course. Some of the other guides and I

sometimes spend three, four days on the glacier,

camping and ice climbing.” I get the feeling he

would rather be off there in the emptiness, rather

than here with us tourists, who must look so

clumsy on the ice. “But I get to come here almost

every day with this job, so I am happy,” he adds.

We walk on, with each step feeling more at

ease. The guides know the route, but the ice can

shift so go on ahead to make sure the surface is

stable. We stop to look down a room-sized well,

the bottom only just visible, and to help each

other up steep slopes and to jump across rivers.

We could almost be on another planet, the

environment is so bizarre. After stopping for our

reassuringly ordinary lunch of tea and

sandwiches, we continue on the circular route

back to the starting point. It’s been five hours,

but it feels like two.

The trip ends with a boat ride along the face of

the glacier, where we get to admire the stunning

A statue of Mother Mary at a church in the charming town of El Calafate.

WINTER 2012 ENCOUNTERS 71




beauty of the ice formation for one last time. Out

on deck, Calvino, his long ponytail trailing out of

the back of his beanie, hands Tom and I a whisky,

a large chunk of ice rattling against the glass. “It’s

ice from the glacier, thousands of years old,” he

says.

We say cheers to Calvino and Perito Moreno

and take a sip of the whisky, chilled from the ice

but the flavours opening up warm in our mouths.

It’s been an incredible day and, from the smiles

on the faces of the rest of the group, everyone

feels the same way. Maybe they also, like me,

know that every now and then, when they hear

the sound of ice cubes in a whisky glass, they will

think of Perito Moreno and its ancient beauty.

The face of Perito Moreno in southern Argentina.

WHERE TO STAY

America del Sur Calafate

Has lovely views of the lake and

surrounding hills from the cosy shared

kitchen. Service is helpful and friendly.

There are dorms and private en-suite rooms

at this budget-conscious lodging.

www.americahostel.com.ar

Relais & Chateau hotel EOLO

Patagonia’s Spirit is situated in the

wilderness, 30 minutes outside of El

Calafate. The setting is nothing short of

breathtaking, and the hotel excels in

understated luxury. www.eolo.com.ar

HOW TO BOOK

To book your ice adventure, e-mail

[email protected], call (02902)

492205 / 094, or visit Minitrekking & Safari

Nautico, Av. Libertador 935, El Calafate. For

more information on the excursion, visit

www.hieloyaventura.com



argentina an ice - amazon web services...something about remembering to pack thick socks for the ice...

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