Sunday, March 1, 2009

PN Torres Del Paine: Ice

Torres del Paine abuts the Hielo Sur, an icefield in Patagonia that stretches from 48 degrees south to 51 degrees south. It's termini extend below 1000 feet above sea level. Imagine glaciers wiping out Issaquah and extending all the way to Vancouver and you get the idea of how big it is, how low it is, and how temperate in latitude it is.

Glacier Grey is just one terminus of the field. It ends in Laguna Grey, where it periodically calves seracs, which turn into icebergs in the lake. You might guess from this photo that it is windy. You would be right.
From Torres Del Paine


Glacier Grey, itself is massive. You hike above it for nearly 15 km; a half day. Turn your head left and there it is, blue. The metaphor my brain kept finding was hiking along a lake, or the sea. But it's not. It's ice.
From Torres Del Paine


From Torres Del Paine


Maybe on a clear day you can see all the way up the plateau to the Hielo Sur. We could not.
From Torres Del Paine

2 comments:

  1. I like the picture of arin!

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  2. Andrew and Erin - It looks both windy and cold (and it is the beginning of Summer)! The hiking appears to be truly unique. However, the nearly constant wind must have gotten tiresome at times (particularly when you were trying to set up the tent or cook).

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