February 8, 2019 – February 11, 2019
Our next stop along Ruta 40 was the town of El Calafate, where most tourists stay before and after a visit to Perito Moreno Glacier. Calafate is the name of a berry producing bush that grows in the Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina and that tastes similar to the Saskatoon berries we have at home. It is said that if you eat a calafate berry that it ensures that you will return to Patagonia….so we bought a jar of calafate jam, as this is a region of the world that is definitely worthy of a return visit.
On our way to El Calafate we experienced some of the most intense winds on our trip. We saw travellers on bicycles struggling to stay upright and others who had given up and were walking with their bikes or escaping the wind by hiding in ditches. Hitchhikers played at the side of the road by leaning at absurd angles into the wind. I had read about overlanders whose truck hood had been blown open while they drove in fierce winds down here, breaking their windshield, and as we drove directly into the wind I hoped that something similar would not happen to us.
We reached the edge of town and our first view of El Calafate was disheartening…widely spaced shacks set amid brown, dry grass…but as we made our way towards the centre of town, that all changed. Cute, tree lined streets, a river, and the typical tourist shops and restaurants, all set in a valley which seemed to block out the worst of the wind.
The next day we headed to the Perito Moreno Glacier, hiding Piper in the camper for the entrance to the park. The first view of the glacier made our jaws drop, and we didn’t even realize that we were only seeing about half of the width of the glacier snout.
Some facts about the Perito Moreno Glacier. First, it is one of the few glaciers in the world that is advancing. The glacier is 5 km wide at the terminus and averages about 70 metres in height above the water. It is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonia Ice Field and is 250 square km in area. Okay, enough facts, here are a few of the hundreds of photos that we took that day…..
Hello Derek and Cathy,
Greetings from Calgary. Just a quick note to let you know that we are thinking of you two as you go about your epic adventure. I have read every one of your posts and it gives me wanderlust. I look forward to catching up once you are back in Calgary.
Best regards,
Rod and Kristan Strate & Family
Hello Rod and Kristen & family, it is always a pleasure to hear from you guys. I know, Rod, this is the type of trip we use to talk about in the office. Maybe you can do a trip like this in the not too distant future. All of the different geology is also an interesting aspect of such a big trip. Hope to see you guys in the fall when we return.
Perito Moreno was a highlight for our trip. We took the boat ride over and walked out onto the glacier and our guide ended the tour with a shot of scotch over glacier ice!
We were hiking in Patagonia and experienced the winds you mentioned. It was a first for us to learn the proper way to “crouch” into the wind so you don’t get blown off the mountain!!
Incredibly beautiful photos btw!!!
Thanks Donna. We thought of you two while we were there. I think we got lucky as, although we had many very windy days, we only had a few of the extreme winds and all told the weather was pretty good.