On the Argentine side of Torres del Paine National Park is Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the last non-receding glaciers in the world. It flows down from the mountains behind it into two lakes, creating a narrow channel through which water from one lake passes to the next. Every four years or so, the glacier advances far enough into the channel that it dams up and the higher lake begins building. As the pressure mounts on the glacial dam, it eventually bursts, sending chunks of ice flying far and wide, emitting a thunderous sound. Though I wasn't there to see this spectacle, the glacier alone was awe-inspiring. You typically don't think of ice as being 150 feet high, or acting like a living organism. But this glacier certainly seemed like a hulking giant, crackling and groaning, occasionally calving off into the water.
The road to the glacier at sunrise
Our first view of the glacier was from a road-side pulloff.
We then boarded a boat to get a close-up view.
The face of the glacier is 150 feet high.
To the right of this blue chunk is the narrow channel that separates this lake from the next. Over the next few years, the glacier will close this channel, and the lake pictured will begin to grow until it bursts through the dam.
The sheer expanse of the ice field is difficult to grasp unless you're standing right in front of it.
Here, a section of ice calves off into the channel. You can see by the slushy water on the right that this is a fairly common occurrence.
Click on these shots to enlarge.
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