Patagonia: Torres del Paine Expedition Dispatch
February 2, 2010 – Into Argentina: Our Trans Patagonian Journey Continues
Long drives on empty highways have a special appeal to any real traveler. For North Americans the prairies of Saskatchewan or “the Loneliest Highway in America”, Hwy. 50 through the heart of Nevada, come to mind as classic voyages that are always enjoyed provided that your tank is full and your engine running well.
We are here to tell you now that the empty highways of Patagonia are in a league by themselves when it comes to asphalt sailing across landscapes.
We left Puerto Natales bound for Calafate in Argentina knowing that not far beyond we would find the icy splendors of the Perito Moreno Glacier which spills off the Southern Patagonian Icecap into Lago Argentina.
As these photos will show, we were not disappointed.
In 300 kilometers of driving this was the only business that we saw. It was closed.
In Calafate we caught sunset on the largest glacial lake we’d ever seen, Lago Argentino
Hikers come from around the world to view Perito Moreno. It is one of the few glaciers in the world that has continued to advance throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
Our trip today began on the north branch of the Lake
Early in the morning we took off by boat for a closer view.
Left: Leila enjoying the ride and the view; Right: Leila’s Coke was served with ice chipped directly from the glacier
The views were awesome, lake, ice and mountain.
The glacier rises between 40 and 70 meters above the lake and reaches of depth of 150 meters below the surface!
The endless churning activity of this massive body of ice held us captivated. The scale of Patagonia, whether it is arid grasslands for ancient ice continues, astounds us.