Chilean Terra del Fuego, Part 2

More glaciers were in store for us. The Garibaldi Glacier is at the north end of a nearly 2-mile-long fjord. We sailed up the fjord, but steady winds of 35 mph meant no Zodiac excursions that day.

Garibaldi Glacier

Overnight we rounded Tierra del Fuego island and sailed west through Cockburn and Magdalena channels into De Agostini Sound at dawn.

De Agostini National Park from Agostini Sound

Isla Grande Tierra del Fuego from Agostini Sound

The Zodiacs took us to a cobbled beach, where we left our life jackets and hiked to Águila Glacier. It sits above a placid lake surrounded by sub-Antarctic rainforest.

Landing for Águila Glacier

Águila Glacier

Chilean Tierra del Fuego

After flying into and enjoying a few days in Buenos Aires, we flew south to Ushuaia. It's considered the southernmost city in the world, situated on the north shore of the Beagle Channel at latitude 54°48"S. Across the channel is Chile and the southernmost reaches of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. At Ushuaia we boarded the Ventus Australis, a nearly new expedition ship, and departed at dusk for four days sailing among the fjords and channels.

Ushuaia, Argentina, evening

Early the next morning we donned our rain gear and boarded Zodiacs for a choppy ride to a landing on Cape Horn. We stayed mostly dry until landing, but before stepping ashore a breaker came over the transom and immersed our feet in icy seawater. But with the excitement of hiking up the hills and the wonderful views, we soon forgot our wet feet.

Cape Horn

Later we sailed to Wulaia Bay and climbed through Magellanic forest for an extraordinary view of the bay and our ship at anchor.

Wulaia Bay

Sailing west through the Beagle Channel, we entered the Pia fjord and landed on a cobble beach for a walk to the Pia glacier, one of many that flow from the Darwin mountain range. A hike uphill led to a lovely vantage point.

Pia Glacier and Fjord

Pia Glacier and Darwin Mountains

Sneak Preview: Patagonia

We've returned from a trip to Patagonia, a remote, wild and beautiful region of southern Chile and Argentina. Among the many gorgeous sights are the Andes mountains. We were fortunate to spend time near Torres del Paines national park in Chile; our hotel afforded stunning views of the Cordillera Paine mountain group. The image below was made at sunrise near the hotel.

I typically include several images in a post, but I'm jumping the gun this time because I'm eager to share. I'll post more later.

Kudos to our tour company, Overseas Adventure Travel, and our tour guide Silvana Cohen for running an exceptional trip. And many thanks to our friendly, funny, fascinating fellow travelers for their companionship and insights.

Cordillera Paine and Serrano River, Sunrise

Original contents copyright 2018 by Dean Wight.