There is an exceptional glacier in the south of Antarctic Patagonia, a glacier that can only be reached by boat after one or two days at sea. And to have the right to land ashore, it is necessary to sail on a ship flying the Chilean flag. The Pia glacier is a continually evolving treasure of ice, and surprisingly, its size tends to remain the same despite the rise in temperatures observed in recent decades.

Pia, an extraordinary glacier in Patagonia

This massive glacier is located on the edge of a fjord around the 58th south parallel. A latitude close enough to the pole so that the glacier is never really exposed to temperatures of more than 15 degrees during the hottest days of the southern summer. For those who cannot locate themselves on the map, the 58th parallel means that we are in a polar region about a thousand kilometres from the Antarctic.

Glacier stones

A glacier can be compared to a river of ice which advances by sweeping everything in its path. And it is generally when a glacier disappears that we find scattered all over the place stones of very different volumes and sizes. In other words, there are stones that this river of ice has transported for thousands of years.

Moraines

However, a glacier doesn’t need to disappear to be able to observe what it is transporting. Indeed on the sides of the glacier, we generally find moraines. A moraine is an accumulation of stones that appears over time, so beware of this phenomenon because sometimes you think you are walking on dry land when in fact you are already on the glacier. If it is not stable, then it can be dangerous.

The warning signs of the presence of a glacier

Pia glacier is not the only natural wonder to admire in the Pia fjord. Indeed who says berg says snow and compression of this same snow into ice. And who says ice says melt in summer. The presence of a waterfall, especially when there is a little relief, is, therefore, a warning sign of the presence of a glacier. Another sign that does not disappoint, the colour of the water. It seems to be milky. Thus as one advance in the Garibaldi fjord in Chile, one discovers increasingly greenish water. This is due to the sediments that are released from the ice when the glacier melts in summer.

How to get to Pia glacier in Antarctic Patagonia?

In order to get to the bottom of the Pia Glacier, you have to go by boat. Because to reach the base of the glacier at Garibaldi fjord it is about two days of navigation. To go there, there is a company that offers expeditions on ships specially designed for navigating in the fjords of Tierra del Fuego. This cruise specialist is called Australis. This company has two boats. This makes it possible to navigate in both directions. Either from Punta Arenas or Ushuaia.

It is also thanks to this company that we can make you discover this part of the globe today since Australis, an adventure company kindly invited us.

Photo credits: Yann Vernerie