Perito Moreno Glacier

On December 11 we were driven from El Chalten to the central town of El Calafate, and thence to our hotel in Eolo, the elegant Patagonia Spirit, for the remainder of our Patagonia tour. The next morning we drove to the shore of Lago Argentina, stopping to photograph a hawk and some beautiful foliage and lichen-covered rocks along the way.

We then took a boat on Lago Argentina to the Perito Moreno Glacier, where an excellent visitor center “features a walking circuit which allows visitors to view the southern flank and the east facing edge of the glacier.” (Wikipedia)

The glacier is one of the largest in the world. According to Wikipedia:
"The glacier is unusual in that it is advancing, while most glaciers worldwide are retreating. The reason remains debated by glaciologists.The terminus of the Perito Moreno Glacier is 5 km (3.1 mi) wide, with an average height of 74 m (240 ft) above the surface of the water of Argentino Lake, in Argentina. It has a total ice depth of 170 metres (558 feet)." The tour boat in the photo below gives some sense of scale.

The three photos below show the water at the edge of the glacier strewn with pieces of ice, some of them large enough to be called "icebergs", that have broken off. The third picture captures an ice fall as it happens. The cloud of spray is probably at least 100 feet high.

Finally, pictures of the boat dock and a panorama of Lago Argentina.

El Chalten Day 3: Pileated Woodpeckers

Toward the end of our walk we came across two pileated woodpeckers, working on separate trees. The female had a white stripe down her back, the male a red head. They were far from the path, so even my telephoto lens didn't make an adequate enlargement; and the male was in dark shade with a bright patch just behind - the worst possible lighting. For the heck of it, I decided to see what kind of "portraits" I could come up with using Lightroom, shown below with the original files.

El Chalten Day 3: Forest

For most of the trek we walked through forest, generally quite beautiful and often filled with fallen and decaying trees. A great reminder of how trees decay and return their nutrients to the forest. There were occasional lovely clusters of wild flowers. And at a couple of places, near the river, roped-off areas for tents of multi-day trekkers. No reservations, we were told, just first come, first serve.

El Chalten Day 3: Mount Fitz Roy and Friends

Today we took the third of our three walks in Glacier National Park on this guided tour of Patagonia, and it was great (in several senses). 1) It is a classic walk, but we did it in reverse. We took a cab from our hotel in El Chalten to the Hostel El Pilar and then hiked back into town: the advantage being it's on average downhill. Given the distance - 22K steps, about 10 miles - that was a relief to us not very in-shape hikers. As the day proceeded, we passed many people going the other way. 2) It had been very windy yesterday, but was calm, sunny, and warm today. Most unusual weather for this time of year, but very welcome. 3) The mountain views were astonishing. It was fun to photograph them both in their unadorned majesty and framed by the trees below.

Just below the center you can see an avalanche from the glacier.

The tallest peak is Mount Fitz Roy (named for the captain of the Beagle, on which Darwin did his voyage of evolutionary exploration.) The others are Cerro Poincenot, Aguja Rafael, and Aguja Saint Exupery.

Lake Capri in the foreground.

El Chalten Trek Day 2: Waterfall

For our second trek in El Chalten, we walked along a river and through a wood to a waterfall. Across the river we saw a herd of horses and a gaucho herder. It was an overcast and windy day, threatening to rain (though it held off), so the photos have a muted and introspective cast.

El Chalten Day 1 Trek: Vegetation

Plants, bushes, and trees provide an intimate view of the Patagonian landscape, complementing the heroic mountains.

El Chalten Day 1 Trek: Mountains

Our guide wisely started us out on a relatively short hike (12 K steps, 61 floors according to my iPhone) into the foothills of the Fitz Roy range. It was beautiful, and led to more photos than one post can comfortably accommodate. So I'll divide them in two: mountains first.