We Walked on Ice

Where Tintin walked on the Moon, we walked on ice! A universe just as strange and extraordinary... Imagine placing your foot on the frozen roll of a solidified wave. A vast white and bluish universe as far as the eye can see. This expedition on the Exploradores Glacier in Puerto Rio Tranquilo remains one of my most beautiful moments ever experienced while traveling.

Puerto Rio Tranquilo truly lives up to its name. This small Chilean village at the end of the Austral Highway is as tranquil as it gets. A bus every two to three days, two restaurants, and just a few more hotels... And that's it. Nothing particular to see or do here.

But this small village in Patagonia is the starting point to discover impressive natural beauties and have unforgettable experiences. We took part in two. Two places we were eager to see with our own eyes as we prepared our trip to Chile. Two activities that are now part of our best memories from our gap year:

Just as this glacier aptly bears its name (literally Explorers Glacier)! Because it's as explorers that we discover it: with the feeling of being among the first humans to scratch its ice...

From the observation point, you can see white all the way to the horizon. Silence, with just the distant cry of a solitary bird to break the feeling of emptiness that overwhelms me.

At the foot of the glacier, our small expedition gears up with crampons. Barely tying our shoes and already a sense of adventure begins to arise! By fastening these crampons, we confirm that we are entering a new universe. Just as an astronaut adjusts his suit before stepping out of his shuttle, we tighten our straps before entering a realm that is not ours. A realm where no human being lives.

Like space, deserts, whether of sand, salt, or ice, have a way of making us feel small. So small in the face of nature. So alone in the emptiness. So insignificant in this vast universe. Our shout gets lost in space, our footprints erased by the wind. No trace of our presence will remain in these places, except in our memories.

All the ingredients for a magical moment!

Scrrrch, Scrrrch... Heel, sole, toe. Step, roll, lift and start again. Like a ballet, we begin our dance with the glacier. Our guide helps us adapt to this new environment, to walk with confidence, to respect the ice more than fear it.

In the distance, the sound of the ice giving way and cracking shatters the silence. This frozen sea suddenly seems very much alive. My imagination plays with seeing in the bluish reflections a sea that is always active behind its frozen facade, like a giant aquarium hiding fish and cetaceans.

One step after another, one wave after another, I'm getting hooked. I want more and more. To go further, to explore more. Do glaciers make you addicted? I'll have to look into it...

My gaze wanders over the white horizon as much as the crevasses surrounding me and the play of light created by the magical rays of the sun. I enter an ice tunnel, pass under a bridge, climb a wall... My steps carry me, my body feels so light. Steam escapes from my mouth and yet, I'm not cold. My breathing feels so easy, the air so clear. My thoughts wander, the euphoria of the white sweeps me away. I could stay here for hours.

Yet, it's time to return. All good things must come to an end. And surely they must have an end, or else the wonderful might fall into the realm of the mundane... Although, I doubt I could ever tire of these frozen landscapes.

We had this magnificent experience with the local tour agency El Puesto Expediciones located at the entrance of Puerto Rio Tranquilo. It was with them that we also paddled between the rocks of the Marble Caves. I highly recommend them!

Agency: El Puesto Expediciones

Address: Puerto Rio Tranquilo, Aysen

More adventures in Patagonia

0 reviews (0/5)