.: Los Glaciares National Park

.: Patagonia

Patagonia is situated in the south of the Colorado River in Argentina, South America. It is a plateau with an area of more than 770,000 sq km, and includes five provinces: Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego.

The name “Patagonia” comes from the word “patagones”, coined for the first time in 1520 by the Portuguese sailor Hernando de Magallanes to identify the local natives.

This stunning beautiful extensive region offers a variety of natural unique scenarios: The Cordillera de los Andes’ large mountainous mass and its immense plateau, covered with the typical steppe’s vegetation, spotted with lakes, rivers, mountains, local forests and spectacular millenaries glaciers.
The thawing of these giant glaciers formed two large lakes: Lago Argentino and Lago Viedma, which pour their waters onto the Atlantic Ocean, and run along Santa Cruz Province, creating the serpent-like Santa Cruz river.

In the South of Santa Cruz Province, Los Glaciares National Park offers a natural and breathtaking scenario such as the magnetic Mount Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre and the Viedma, Upsala and Perito Moreno Glaciers, among others.

If you visit the southern Patagonia you get a hint of what the Glacial Age was a thousand years ago.
Nature plays its full power and splendor in this isolated, slightly inhabited and unexplored Patagonia.

If you visit the southern Patagonia you get a hint of what the Glacial Age was a thousand years ago.
Nature plays its full power and splendour in this isolated, slightly inhabited and unexplored Patagonia.

.: Glaciers

What is a glacier?

It is said that a glacier us a river of water in a solid state, a mass of ice in constant movement with a certain speed depending on the slope and volume. The glacial ice ( a bluish transparent mass) is the product of the accumulation of snow throughout the centuries. Due to its own weight, the air trapped between the intergranular spaces is liberated.
The main conditions to enable the formation of a glacier are great snowfalls, and a mean annual temperature which may preserve the ice's consistency.

Kinds of glaciers in the area:

INDLANSIS: Enormous horizontal ice sheets, such as the Continental Icefield, which has a total surface of 17,000 km2.

CIRQUE GLACIERS: Located on the top of the mountain ranges.

VALLEY GLACIERS: They run along well defined valleys.

PIEDMONT GLACIERS: They are valley glaciers that broaden their front on reaching the lowlands, taking the shape of a fan.

COMPOUND: Glaciers nourished by minor lateral glaciers, forming an increased single course.

CALVING: When the front of the glacier is in contact with the water it loses a significant part of its mass due to the large pieces that fall off. Such is the case of the Upsala, Moreno, and Spegazzini Glaciers on Argentino Lake and Viedma Glacier on Viedma Lake.

Related aspect:

MORAINES: An accumulation of rocks, sand and clay carried by a glacier. They revel the former positions of the glacier. According to their location, moraines can be classified into lateral, central, bottom and terminus.

ERRATIC BOULDERS: Rocks of different sizes conveyed by glaciers and spread along the valleys when they receded.

ICEBERGS: Blocks of ice of different sizes and spectacular shapes that break-off a Calving glacier and drift along, pushed by the wind, only revealing the eighth part of their real size above water surface.

The Perito Moreno Glacier

The Perito Moreno Glacier is an ice mass in constant movement producing huge cracklings and clatters. The ice walls are located so near the corridors and viewpoints that visitors can experience the glacier at a really short distance.

Front height: between 40 and 70 meters over lake level.
Length: 30 kilometers.
Area: 257,258 square kilometers.

The rupture, one of Nature´s most breathtaking events

Due to its stability and minor fluctuations, the Perito Moreno Glacier sometimes  forms a natural dam which blocks the flow of water towards the `Canal de los Témpanos'. The Rico Arm rises it's level until the pressure  of the water becomes very strong. At the same time the Ice weakens and becomes more fragile, and eventually the water finds a way to start leaking and forming a tunnel through the Ice.
When the Rupture begins there is no going back ,and huge amounts of ice will calve constantly as the tunnel grows and the water keeps flowing violently through it. The whole process might last 3 days but each time it has been different. The calving, the noise, the splash of water and the whole scenario provide one of Natures most astonishing events.

.: Flora and Fauna

In Parque los Glaciares, the lenga is one of the prevailing trees -which is also characteristic throughout the south of the country, area of abundant rains. Besides, there are other species: The notro or fire bush which in spring and summer is covered with red flowers giving the forest a special coloring, Magellan’s cohiue or guindo is present in the west region, it has perennial leaves and may reach 30 meters high, canelos, cypresses and willows complete the variety of trees found the region.
Among the most attractive plants you can find the violet sweet peas and yellow and white orchids. Of course, the calafate abounds in the region, a thorny bush with a blue exquisite fruit that can be eaten natural or in jam.

While you go across the National Park, it is common to see animals that run away from the whispers of visitors:
Grey and red foxes, guanacos, light yellowish brown camelids that can be seen through all the Patagonia, quick hares, skunks which sometimes cannot be seen but are perceived by the strong and unpleasant smell that emanate when they feel attacked, the piches –also known as armadillos – which are looked for their meat by the locals, the deers and the pumas are species difficult to see since its number is decreasing.
Despite the interest that may arise any of these animals, none of them can be compared to the condor that with its wingspan and its particular flight marvels us flying up in the sky. Eagles, owls, chimangos and ostriches, as well as beautiful black neck swans and pink flamingos that live in the lakes are part of the fauna of this region.