For your Big Ice Tour – Perito Moreno Glacier you will be picked up at your hotel in El Calafate at around 7.00 am. You should bring a packed lunch with you.
The excursion starts at Puerto Bajo de las Sombras (Port under the Shadows). Here you will board a boat that crosses the Brazo Rico (Rico Arm) of Lake Argentino. Notice the strange cloudiness of the lake water. This is due to a suspension of a very fine powder produced by glacier abrasion, called 'glacier milk'.
After sailing for 15 minutes, you will reach the western shore of the Brazo Rico. You will be escorted to a place where mountain guides will issue you with the necessary equipment – crampons (special metal spikes worn on boots for traction) and a harness.
Then you will hike along the southern moraine of the Perito Moreno Glacier until you reach a viewpoint from where the icecap will be accessed.
Having fastened your crampons and put on your harness, you will begin to explore the heart of the glacier. Your expert guide will show you all kinds of fascinating features such as blue lagoons, deep crevasses and ice caves, and point out the delightfully varied hues within the ice formations.
Your tour of the glacier core takes around 4 hours. As you cross the ice, your guide will tell you fascinating facts about the glacier and its surroundings. During the tour, you will stop for a rest and a picnic.
Afterwards, you will walk back to the boat for the return journey across the Brazo Rico. At the end of the day, you will be driven back to your hotel in El Calafate.