Trekking to Perito Moreno: hiking on an ancient ice giant

Anyone visiting the mighty Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park will undoubtedly have the opportunity to admire its huge blue ice walls from viewpoints and shipping lanes. But for the intrepid traveler seeking nature’s adventure, nothing compares to the experience of walking on the surface of the glacier itself. A crossing over a real, thousand-year-old river of ice.

A unique adventure

Unlike a simple “mini trek”, trekking on the Perito Moreno is a high mountain activity that requires a certain amount of physical preparation, specialized equipment and expert guides. But the reward is that you get to explore the crevasses, lagoons and glacier formations up close, which you can only see by standing on the ice field itself.

The trekking excursions usually start near Perito Moreno, either from the campsites or the landing stages for the boat trips. After the groups are equipped with thermal clothing, life jackets, crampons, helmets and trekking boots, they board motorized boats to cross the front of the glacier to the so-called “crevasse zone”.

 

A world of ice sculptures

This is where the adventure of hiking on the Perito Moreno really begins. As soon as you set foot on the undulating, whitish surface of the glacier, you are in the middle of a world of ice sculpted by gigantic natural forces. Deep labyrinthine valleys with vertical walls, natural holes through which you can see the meltwater and turquoise-colored dream lagoons adorn this polar landscape in the middle of Patagonia.

After a hike lasting several hours and close observation of the glacier formations by the guides, the groups reach the “cave zone”. Here, thousands of years of water have formed impressive galleries and tunnels made entirely of ice, which form dreamlike chambers with a bluish light inside the Perito Moreno. A privileged view of what happens beneath your feet when you walk on a living glacier.

Deep crevasses in the ice come to light

One of the most exciting attractions of trekking on the Perito Moreno is getting a close-up look at the large crevasses or crevasses that open up on the surface of the glacier. Some of them are so wide and deep that they are lost in the immensity of the bluish ice inside the glacier mass.

As the ice slowly moves and advances, these crevasses open and close in time with the tremendous forces at work. Looking over the edge of these frozen chasms offers a terrifying perspective on the immense power of the constantly moving glacial processes.

Encountering rivers of thaw water

Believe it or not, there are even streams and small rivers flowing over the Perito Moreno ice field itself. The water of these streams is created by the melting and filtering of the ice by the heat of the sun in the crevasses and gorges of the glacier.

The sight of these waterfalls and streams in a completely white landscape is a surreal experience worthy of another planet. The guides often take the opportunity to take a break and show you how to collect and drink this pure glacial meltwater of incomparable freshness and quality.

Trekking at a technical level

While most trekking tours are “trekking hiking tours”, some adventure sports companies also offer “technical trekking” or “glacier trekking”. These more advanced trekking tours are designed for small groups of experienced mountaineers.

Glacier trekking takes about 10 hours and involves the use of ropes, ice anchors and basic climbing techniques to ascend the steepest parts of the Perito Moreno ice field. Abseiling or descending through some vertical crevasses is also often included. An exciting way to explore the most remote and difficult corners of this Patagonian titan.

Hiking upright on a huge glacier like the Perito Moreno is undoubtedly a unique adventure of its kind. It is not only a high mountain trek, but above all an intimate connection with the colossal forces of glacial nature that have shaped this Andean landscape for thousands of years. A privileged perspective that only the most intrepid travelers are granted to discover.