When rain, wind or the ice change your Perito Moreno trek
Patagonian weather can change several times in one day, and treks on Perito Moreno Glacier are planned around that. Rain alone does not stop the Hielo y Aventura walks; safety does. This guide covers what a wet or windy day changes and how to leave room for a suspended trip.
Rain is not a reason to cancel
The Hielo y Aventura listings say their excursions are not canceled for rain. That covers Big Ice from ~$459 and the Blue Safari from ~$117, and by one reviewer's account the company also guides the ice part of the Patagonia Dreams Minitrekking.
The rule behind it is plain. The activity runs whenever safety conditions allow, so a gray, drizzly morning usually means a wet day on the ice rather than a day in the hotel.
Pack for that. Rain gear sits on the operator's what-to-bring list for a reason, and our guide to what to wear on the ice lists the layers that keep a wet trek comfortable.
What wind and rain feel like on the day
The boat across Brazo Rico takes roughly 20–30 minutes, and wind makes the open deck cold. A hood and gloves let you stay outside for the views of the south wall instead of watching through a window.
On the ice, the crampons do the gripping in wet or dry weather. Rain mostly changes comfort. Gloves get soaked and the camera spends more time in the bag.
At the walkways on the Magallanes Peninsula, the boardwalk is open to the sky, so rain there means hoods up and shorter stops. Low cloud may hide the peaks behind the glacier while the ice front stays in sight.
Wind, more than rain, is the Patagonian constant. Expect it on the boat and at the walkways on most days, and bring a hood that stays on.
When the start time moves
The Hielo y Aventura listings warn that start times can change for operational reasons, and you receive an email when they do. Check your inbox the evening before, including the spam folder.
Patagonia Dreams confirms the exact pickup the day before, anywhere from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm, according to the option you booked. Big Ice pickups begin from 6:45 am, so read your messages before you go to bed.
The El Calafate day plan sets out the pickup windows for all four tours side by side.
A long day that goes ahead in the rain
Hielo y Aventura's Big Ice gives about 3 hours deep in the glacier and is rated 4.8 from 34 reviews on GetYourGuide. The listing promises a full refund if the activity is suspended.
If the boat cannot cross or the trek is suspended
Strong wind or other safety reasons can still stop a trip. If that happens, the operator lets you know and either refunds you or moves you to another date under the listing's refund terms.
Big Ice states a full refund if the activity is suspended. For the other tours, read the cancellation section of the listing before you pay, and keep the booking confirmation on your phone.
On top of that, every tour here can be canceled free until 24 hours before it starts. That lets you watch the forecast a few days ahead and change plans while the refund is still yours.
The ice changes too
The ice of Perito Moreno is always on the move toward the lake. Cracks open and towers of ice lean while pools drain, so the guides choose a new route across the surface every day.
That is why no two treks look alike. A crevasse in a friend's photo may be gone by the time you arrive, and caves on the Big Ice day appear only if conditions allow, as the listing puts it.
The front also breaks off into the lake. Calving is possible from the boat and from the walkways in any weather, but nobody can promise it on your day.
Rain gear, layer by layer
A waterproof jacket with a hood comes first, and rain pants are a good second. Hielo y Aventura's list for Big Ice also asks for gloves and a waterproof bag. The bag keeps a phone and a spare layer dry.
Sunglasses stay in the bag even on a wet day. Breaks in the cloud come fast in Patagonia, and the glare off the ice returns with them.
Reading the forecast the night before
On a summer afternoon the thermometer in El Calafate often reads 15–20 °C (59–68 °F), yet the glacier sits about 78 km (48 miles) west of town and closer to the mountains. Weather by the ice is often cooler and wetter than the view from your hotel suggests.
Treat the town forecast as a rough guide only. A wet forecast is a reason to pack the rain pants, not to cancel, since the operators go ahead in rain and tell you directly when they do not.
If you would rather not trek in steady rain, decide early. The free cancellation window closes 24 hours before the start, and after that the listing's own refund terms apply.
Build a spare day into El Calafate
The safest plan is to book the trek early in your stay. If the day is suspended, a second date is still open before your flight home.
Patagonia Dreams will not take a booking for your arrival or departure day, and that rule makes sense for every tour here. A delayed flight into El Calafate should never cost you the glacier.
For the calmer months and the longer days, see the best time to book a trek. Weighing the long day against the classic walk? Minitrekking or Big Ice compares the two.