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In winter of 2001, I had the opportunity (in the capacity of field assistant
to one of my colleagues) to visit one of the most beautiful and wild places
on Earth. I had wanted to vist Patagonia ever since I was very young and
saw pictures of the Cuernos (left) in a book. I was not disappointed. During
my stay, I visited not only Torres del Paine National Park (in Chile) and
Parque National de los Glacieres (in Argentina), but a lot of the surrounding
territory seen less often by tourists, including much of the border region
between the two countries. In the process, we met a number of interesting
locals, including shepherds, ranchers, and a lovable but deranged puma hunter.
The land is as harsh as it is beautiful. Over the course of six weeks, we had perhaps six days without constant rain. When it wasn't raining, it was often snowing. The wind was relentless, and since much of our work was focused on outcrops located on the tops of mountains, we often felt as though we were working on the wing of a moving airplane. Other hazards included the ever-present threat of becoming lunch for a puma, the presence of land mines in our field area, and falling off a cliff.
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The Cuernos from Lago Pehoe - Seen on one of the rare days when the perpetual cloud cover dissapates enough to see that the sky is, indeed, still blue, the Cuernos are one of the most famous of sights in Patagonia. The light-colored rock which makes up the bulk of the mountains is a Miocene granitic laccolith intruded into dark-colored Cretaceous marine rocks. Glaciation has subsequently sculpted the peaks into their present form. The striking contrast between the two rock types is what makes the Cuernos so unique. |
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Cuernos, Piane Grande from Lago Pehoe - This panoramic photo was taken on one of the clearest days we witnessed during our stay in Patagonia. Paine Grande is the peak on the left (west) of the Cuernos. The tremendous snowpack on the slopes of this peak provided a source for avalanches which thundered down the mountain at regular intervals. |
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Hotel Pehoe - A footbridge leading from the road to an island in Lago Pehoe is the entryway for Hotel Pehoe. The dining room of this hotel has one of the most spectacular views to be found anywhere...if the cloud cover breaks for long enough to see it. |
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Cuernos from Lago Nordenskold - The icy waters of Lago Nordenskold flank the southern slopes of the Cuernos. Note the wonderfully symmetrical fan delta entering the water at the base of the mountain. |
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Cuernos from Camping Pehoe - The view north from the campground at Lago Pehoe. |
