The sheer face of the 75 metre high white wall is littered with cracks; whole sections of ice appear to be literally hanging on for dear life to the immense mass of glacier. Lumps of all shapes and sizes are constantly falling into the water with a heavy 'thud' echo'd by the wall behind as they hit the lake below. Occasionally larger house sized pieces brake free and crash heavily into the lake. A cracking sound, loud rumble and accompanying heavy splash is met with yelps of excitement, pointing and the inevitable belated camera clicks from the viewing platforms. A mini tsunami like wave may also follow, depending on the extent of the mass that has broken off. Free from it's glacial captor, the new iceberg gleefully bobs about in the disturbed lake water for a few minutes until calm is once again restored. This is 'calfing'- mother nature in it's rawest form and one of the most spectacular things you could ever hope to witness.

At 15 km long, 5 km wide and a visible 75 metres high (a further 100m is below the water surface) this phenomenon is the Perito Moreno Glacier. Situated on Lake Argentino in Argentina, it is one of the few Glaciers in the world that is still moving. The loud creaking, groaning and occasional gunfire like sounds from deep inside the glacier can be heard for miles around and is a constant reminder that it is a truly natural living example of how our planet was has been shaped.

80km from the gateway city of El Calafate, The Los Glaciares National Park is easily accessible by road. The drive itself may be short of traffic but certainly not sights. The road skirts the turquoise blue waters of Lago Argentina glistening under a backdrop of white peaked mountains. On the inland side, rocky hills and barren desert scrubland offer a stark contrast and there are regular opportunities to admire the graceful soaring flight of Condors or Buzzard Eagles. On approaching the national park the lake switches to the left side and with greener forest inland, once again progress is slowed due to regular photograph stops. Once inside the park, a couple of twists and turns of the road later, half of the Perito Moreno Glacier comes into view at the far end of the lake. The first sight of this white ice wall, dominating the valley between the snow peaked mountains and dwarfing the boats below provides another champagne moment. It is a staggering sight and you are immediately drawn closer...and quickly!

It has to be said, unlike many other Argentinian tourist spots, this one is brilliantly set out. Regular shuttle buses drive the final 1km from the car park to the viewing area where an ample supply of cafes & amenities awaits. The gut wrenching toilet holes of Tibet are merely a distant memory, replaced by a spotless modern log cabin toilets that would comfortably grace any UK household. There is a boat trip option, but on this occasion we chose to make use of the cleverly designed viewing platforms. Brilliantly constructed on the opposite side on a lake peninsula, the network of viewing platforms are a wonder in their own right. You can find a position to overlook the mighty wall of ice or venture lower to see it towering above you. Admittedly there are a lot of steps to negotiate, but it is worth the leg pounding trek to the lower platforms to find that perfect spot. There is a reminder notice not to leave the comfort of the platforms as shockingly 20 visitors have succumbed to the fate of 'death by glacier' on the rocks below, from shards of ice thrown out by calfing!

Unfortunately it is difficult to predict which piece will fall next and when. In order to capture the moment perfectly, you have to either hedge your bets on one area with the camera at the ready or simply scan all in front of you and react very quickly! The Glacier doesn't even attempt to help as there is a delay in sound and echo and the ice has already hit the water before the unmistakable crash noises reach the viewing area. Fortunately, with calfing occurring regularly you don't have to wait too long for the next spectacular moment, whether you can actually capture it digitally is however another matter!

Maybe it isn't fair to compare one of the most fascinating works of nature with a machine you will find in any tacky pier arcade, but it provides a neat metaphor. As anyone who visits such places will know, it isn't long before you find yourself drawn to the 2 or 10 penny topple machines. I'm sure you have all dropped that 2p coin in, more for the excitement of watching the most precarious of coin piles clatter loudly into the tray below. It becomes more about triggering the fall, than the potential wealth of 8 English pence that may return. In the same way it is hard to fathom how some large overhangs of the frozen water grip on to the larger mass when cracks have formed all around. It is when, not if, they will break free and although nature takes it own course you have the same urge to run around and give it a little nudge!

In order to ensure we maximised all viewing angles we also took on the ascent of the nearby summit of Cerro Cristal. Listed as a tough 4 hr trek up the 1,250m high slopes and 3 hrs back down Mum & Dad chose to enjoy the lakeside views and cafe whilst we ventured uphill. A serious leg work out up the moorland slopes and occasional forest ensued until we passed the tree line. A barren lunar landscape provided the setting for a mad scramble up the last few hundred metres of loose scree to the summit. The panoramic views a worthy reward for the effort, with the barren rolling hills of Chile on one side and views of Lago Argentina, mountains and the Perito Glacier on the other. Virtual gale force winds on the summit only allowed for a brief shaky photo stop, before a tricky slide back to the more gentle slopes below. A more leisurely descent allowed an opportunity to fill more of our memory card and allow for regular mountainside scans for the elusive puma. Native to this area we had been on puma watch for a number of days but unfortunately to no avail. Then again I'm not sure what we would have done had we seen one up close so it was probably for the best! Our leg work out ensured we had reached the summit in 2 hrs and were back at the bottom in less than 4 chopping a massive 3 hrs off the expected duration. Who says I can't find ways to release my inner competitive instinct, even on a hike!

We have already been fortunate enough to have seen a lifetimes worth of famous sights and it must be said that the Perito Moreno Glacier is as spectacular as anything we have ever seen. Perhaps even more amazing than the glacier itself, is that in terms of world sights, it is relatively unheard of. We can only assume the reason for this is due to the evident lack of Argentinian effort in selling their most diverse and extraordinary country.

Patagonia is a stunningly place in it's own right but the Perito Moreno Glacier raises the bar even higher. If you do like to travel, the Southern extremities of South America needs to find it's way on to your 'to do' list. I can promise you a venture down there will not leave you disappointed!

Im not sure where we can go next after the wonders of Patagonia, but as the last 5 months has proved there is no doubt another unexpectedly breath taking moment will be waiting, just around the next corner.....