After a day of skiing, Stephan and I headed for Tierra del Fuego National Park. The mountains aren't the highest in the world, but their position in the far south, combined with the time of year, made them feel downright arctic. In fact, the trail we headed up was actually closed; we only went after I showed the locals my crampons and ice axe. The first part of the hike wound along a lakeshore, but quickly cut uphill. After about an hour of climbing, we reached the snow line, and after about another hour, we emerged above the tree line. At this point, the wind became a factor; it had already turned much of the snow drift into hard packed ice. Stephan, who was walking without crampons, decided to turn around at this point. Though it was slick, it wasn't technical climbing, so I was more than amply equipped. I climbed for about another hour along the wind-swept crest of the range, finally reaching the peak to panoramic views. It was just the right sort of climb, requiring enough concentration for route-finding, and enough focus for putting your foot in the right place, and enough resolve to combat the cold and wind that I became completely absorbed in the hike. One of those meditative moments that I so cherish when I travel.
This shot was taken shortly after we crossed into the snow line and entered a small clearing with views to the lake below where we started.
We then entered a dense forest that required careful attention to stay on course.
Above tree line, the drifts became more wind swept, and flattened into icy stretches of trail. Crampons were essential here.
The course to the peak hung just below this ridge. It was a pretty clear shot, especially with long metal spikes sticking out of my feet.
In this shot looking back on the ridge, you can see my footprints just to the right of the high line.
And again from the peak. Double click to enlarge.
After descending, we were able to catch a glorious sunset at the lake.
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