This national park is famous for the abundant wildlife (more tomorrow) and for the mountains and glaciers at the southern end of the Andes. The mountains above are called the Massiff (it's a French term) and is best known for particular granite formations called the Horns and the Towers (Torres del Paine means Towers on the Paine river).
Here's a closer view of the Horns and Towers. It doesn't really matter which is which, it's just interesting that they are so sculpted by the glaciers into such vertical formations.
Icebergs in front, and a glacier in the back of this picture. It calves off icebergs into the lake. I've never seen a glacier before!
Pretty cool waterfall formed as one lake empties into another.
And this sign warning about the wind is to be taken SERIOUSLY. Seriously, the wind at this latitude is fierce. We estimated about 50mph. At one point it blew me off the trail. They say that since there are no other land masses on earth at the 50th latitude south, that the wind just whips around the globe and clobbers Patagonia. I don't know if that's the right answer, but I can testify about the ferocity of the wind. Debb & I won't forget it!
Posted with Blogsy
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