Argentina - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 138

UPSALA AND OTHER GLACIERS
Although receding fast, GLACIAR UPSALA
remains the longest glacier in the park
and indeed in South America. The same
height as Perito Moreno (60m), Upsala is
twice as long (roughly 60km), 7km wide
and known for carving huge translucent,
blue-tinged icebergs that bob around
Lago Argentino like surreal art sculptures.
Located 45km west of El Calafate, Upsala
is accessible by catamaran excursion along
Lago Argentino's northern arm (boats
leave from Puerto Bandera). Full-day
tours (AR$560, plus the park entry fee),
usually called “All Glaciers” and also
taking in the Spegazzini, Onelli and
Agassiz glaciers, are run by Solo Patagonia
(Av Libertador 867; T 02902 491298,
W

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Car rental Avis, Av Libertador 1078 T 02902 492877,
W avis.com; Fiorasi, Av Libertador 1341 T 02902 495330,
W fiorasirentacar.com. Prices start at around AR$500/day.
Internet Locutorio, Av Libertador, at Espora.
Laundry Lava Andina, Espora 88 ( T 02902 493980).
Police Av Libertador 835 ( T 02902 491824).
Post o ce Av Libertador 1133.

GLACIAR PERITO MORENO
he PERITO MORENO GLACIER is one of
Argentina's greatest natural wonders. It's
not the longest of the country's glaciers
- Upsala is twice as long (60km) - and
whereas the ice cliffs at its snout tower up
to 60m high, the face of Spegazzini can
reach heights double that. However, such
comparisons prove irrelevant when you
stand on the boardwalks that face this
monster: Perito Moreno has a star quality
that none of the others rival.
Perito Moreno is considered to be
“stable” in the sense that it is neither
advancing nor retreating. It has became
famous for the way it periodically pushes
right across the channel, forming a
massive dyke of ice that cut of the Brazo
Rico and Brazo Sur from the main body
of Lago Argentino. Isolated from their
natural outlet, the water in the brazos
(arms) builds up against the flank of the
glacier, flooding the surrounding area,
until eventually the pressure forces open a
passage into the canal once again.
Occurring over the course of several
hours, such a rupture is, for those lucky
enough to witness it, one of nature's most
awesome spectacles.

solopatagonia.com). Before booking,
remember that your scope for refunds
is limited: the weather has to be
exceptionally bad for the trip to be
cancelled entirely, and the company
fulfils its legal obligations if only one
main part of the trip is completed; in
windy weather especially, icebergs can
block the channels, and in recent years,
Upsala has frequently been inaccessible.

RÍO GALLEGOS
Grim and windy RÍO GALLEGOS is an
inevitable stop for travellers heading
south to Ushuaia, north towards Puerto
Madryn or west to El Calafate or Chile.
The capital of Santa Cruz Province, the
city lies on the banks of the estuary of
the Río Gallegos, a river whose giant,

VISITING PERITO MORENO
The entry fee for the Perito Moreno section of the park is AR$100 (payable at the park entrance,
30km before the glacier), although some people try to avoid the charge by sneaking in outside
the park's opening hours (daily 8am-7pm). Most people visit on a guided day-trip , which are
offered by virtually all the agencies in El Calafate and allow for around four hours at the ice face.
They cost around AR$170-200, excluding the entry fee. To visit independently, take one of the
buses that leave from El Calafate's terminal (2-3 daily; around 1hr 30min). You could also rent
a taxi (AR$500, including waiting time) or a car (roughly AR$500 per day), taking either the
less-travelled RP15 past historic estancias , or the less scenic but fully paved RP11.
One-hour catamaran cruises (daily Oct-May hourly 10am-4pm, June-Sept noon; AR$100)
to see Perito Moreno's southern face leave from Puerto Bajo de las Sombras; regular minibuses
shuttle here from the main viewing boardwalks, 6km away. For an even closer view of the
glacier, Hielo y Aventura (see p.140) offers ice-trekking trips (wearing crampons) across its
surface from AR$640, excluding the park entry fee.