Anyone visiting El Calafate cannot leave without visiting one of the world's only advancing glaciers. This was the precise reason that we were here so we did not waste any time before visiting the Perito Moreno glacier. This ice flow advances along two valleys where it meets the lake. It then moves along at approximately 2m a day until it meets the faster flowing river. This means that from time to time huge sheets of ice fall of the face of the glacier into the water below. The glacier is approximately 150m high and nearly two kilometres wide along it face that is almost a semi circle in plan along the front and these pieces of ice can fall at any point from any point along its length. Bearing in mind that one piece of ice approximately 1m by 1m by 1m can weigh more than a small van. When one of the big chunks of ice falls it is preceded by a loud crack like cannon fire and an immense wave as it hits the semi frozen waters below.

We were to have 5 hours at the glacier before our transport took us back to El Calafate so once we had adjusted to the freezing air we stood and stared at the glacier face. Every creak or crack we heard from the ice pack had me reaching for the camera determined to catch this natural phenomenon. We stood and watched the same patch of ice for about an hour and nothing happened. We could stand the cold no more so after a hot chocolate we decided to move to another area where we could see that the sun was bathing the viewing area. We found a suitable perch and made our lunch of the usual fine cheese and tomatoes on crackers and started our 3 hour stint of watching this particular area. Again glacier creaked and cracked. We were lucky enough to see a reasonable sized bit break free and roll down the face but the large piece was still eluding us. During our time at the face people came and went but we stayed strong and determined. We were sure something was going to drop and started to think that we were experts on what shear angle it would take for the pieces to fall. We found a piece that was only just hanging in there but no matter how much we willed it the thing remained stuck fast.

So we weren't destined to see this natural wonder during our 5 hours but we did get to see an amazing spectacle as the sun hits the glacier the changes through the colours, it's truly beautiful. We came away wondering how that poxy bit of ice stayed but still happy with what we had seen.