My first experience with glaciers was about this time last year in New Zealand. Actually if you look back at the archive, it was almost a year ago to the day. Hmm, perhaps I need to see a glacier in February of every year.

Anyway, Perito Moreno has now eclipsed Franz Joseph (why do glaciers have such weird names?) as the most ridiculously impressive piece of ice I have ever seen.

In a stroke of economical genius we decided to forego the expensive tour, rent a car and see the glacier at our own pace. We also thought cleverly (if not accurately) that if we left before dawn we would be able to get into the park for free before it opened. This plan was flawed by the fact that they check tickets on the way out as well as in, but early arrival was well worth it since we had a gorgeous pink sunrise and a massive glacier all to ourselves.

Perito Moreno has a quality that is very rare in glaciers today; it is expanding. Instead of meekly tucking back into the mountain valley from which it came it is in fact taking over a lake and a small peninsula in a 60 meter sheet of blue ice. Nice work Perito.