I've signed up for one of those activities again. I ended up reading until late last night so when my alarm went off at 6.45am for ice climbing I seriously thought about staying in bed. It's still dark and rain is forecast for today. But as I'd already handed over my money I felt I had to go. In the office I sign a disclaimer to the effect that they have no responsibility over loss of life or limb as a glacier is a dangerous place.
Mike the ice climbing guide takes the seven of us to a shed to dress up in waterproofs and we're given crampons, ice axes, helmets and harnesses. We drive to the car park and start the 45-minute walk to the terminal face of the glacier. Although I saw it all yesterday it doesn't fail to impress.
At the face we put on our crampons and follow the guide on to the glacier. There are guides already on the glacier carving ice steps into the steep face. As I start climbing the steps I feel I'm on a mini frozen Inca Trail. The steps are steep and we climb without stopping through moraine-covered ice for half an hour. As it's been raining for the last two weeks the ice is hard and blue, like a compacted ice cube. I remember the ice on Perito Moreno being crumbly like sugar crystals.
At this point I wonder what I'm doing here. I'm struggling to walk up the ice steps. How on earth am I going to climb a sheer ice face. The guide has gone up ahead to a crevasse to set up our ropes. I'm exhausted by the time we arrive so am in no hurry to start my climb. After a short training session on climbing techniques and how to use ice axes it's our turn.
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