Patagonia 2016

Perito Moreno Glacier

Our visit started with a day spent here, up close and personal, with this massive glacier. There are a couple miles of walkways constructed along the front of the glacier allowing an amazing vista as well as hearing the loud cracking sounds of the glacier moving.

El Chaltén, Argentina

This small village lies in the foothills of the Fitz Roy range. Not a particularly great photo, but it set the scene for where we were located. The skies were often gray and overcast with clouds hanging around the peaks.

Mt Fitz Roy, sunrise

This glacier fed river runs east from El Chaltén. A clear morning sunrise provides a glowing view of the mountain range.

Sunrise, El Chaltén

While Fitzroy was glowing with the sunrise, this was the view in the opposite direction just before the sun came up.

Sunrise, Fitz Roy range

Close up view of the peaks as the sunlight descends.

Fitzroy, early daylight.

Couldn't resist this postcard close up of Fitz Roy, as the fiery sunrise fades into the brighter, more bluish early daylight. Poincenot is the peak just to the left of Fitz Roy.

Tree trunk in river, El Chaltén

Plant detail, El Chaltén area

Torres del Paine, Lago Pehoe, sunset

After leaving El Chaltén, we drove around eight hours to the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. Paine is pronounced as: pie-nay. While it looks like an English surname, it is actually an indian word referring to the bluish color of the mountains. These amazing scenic peaks are the centerpiece of the park. In this shot, there is an island to the right of center. The small white specks are our hotel, Hostelería Pehoe (pronounced: pay-way).

Lago Pehoe, Los Cuernos and Altamirante peaks, late morning

This shot was made on the rocky black beach, just behind the hotel. The blue-green color of the water is due to glacial sediment. Los Cuernos are the group of peaks on the left, with the black upper tips and the large whitish granite mid-section. Altamirante is the larger mountain on the right.

Los Cuernos, sunrise.

The first rays of sunrise hit the peaks and spread down towards the water. This is a cascade leading to a waterfall, Salto Grande, that lies between two of the large lakes in the area.

Los Cuernos, close up, sunset

While sunset was not as dramatic as sunrise in the park, there were intermittent bolts of light that would break through the clouds onto the peaks.

Los Cuernos, sunrise

A different angle on the peaks several miles to the east of the hotel

Driftwood on a dry lake bed.

Sunrise from a cracked mud lake bed. Looks like some creature from Lord of the Rings.

Los Cuernos, Paine Grande

This area is covered with several large lakes. This view seems to work better in black and white. The snow covered peak in the center is Paine Grande, Los Cuernos to the right (with the black peaks), and the pointed peaks behind Los Cuernos are the Torres del Paine, for which the park is named.

Los Cuernos, Altamirante

This view in monochrome, conveys to me the sheer majesty of these peaks, and stresses the forbidding inaccessibility of the upper regions. At least for us normal visitors. Intrepid climbers have scaled all of these peaks with great effort and danger.