Waffles and Ice Cream
How does this photograph of a glacier in the Andes Mountains relate to waffles and ice cream? I promise we’ll make the connection eventually.
Fellow photographer Jim Reitz posted a memory on Facebook recently. It reminded me that seven years ago this week, I went with photo buddy Jon Christofersen on a trip to Patagonia and met Jim and several other photographers.
Patagonia is a sparsely populated region at the southern end of South America, in Argentina and Chile. This beautiful region includes the southern Andes Mountains, lakes, fjords, glaciers, tablelands, and steppes. It’s a vast area with relatively few inhabitants and visitors.
The city of El Chalten, Argentina, sits inside Los Glaciares National Park. It’s close to the base of Patagonia’s “signature” Cerro (meaning mountain) Torre and Cerro Fitz Roy mountain peaks.
The Laguna Capri Trek
Laguna (Spanish for body of water) Capri is a crystal blue alpine lake. The 2.5-mile trail to get there begins at the north end of El Chalten, at the end of San Martín Ave. For the first 45 minutes, the trail is steep, gaining 656 feet in elevation.
After another 60-90 minutes, you come to a sign that shows a footpath bifurcation to Laguna Capri (left) or to Cerro Fitz Roy (right). Arriving at the laguna you have a spectacular view of the Fitz Roy massif and its surrounding needles. You won’t want to leave; it’s a place that invites you to stay and is one of the classic postcards of Patagonia and El Chalten.
The Photo
Jon, Jim, and I started the trek to Laguna Capri with the rest of our photography workshop group at 4:45 am, 3 hours before dawn. It was cold that morning, but we warmed up quickly and shed layers of clothing as we climbed.
We couldn’t see much beyond what our headlamps illuminated. When we arrived, it was still dark. After about a half hour, it was exciting to see the first glimmer of dawn.
While we didn’t get a blazing sunrise, the clouds and sun played nicely on the mountainsides. We could see the distant, beautiful Piedras Blancas glacier descend through the glacial cirque of the North Fitz Roy massif flanked by Cerro Madsen and Cerro Eléctrico. Even from a distance, the house-sized seracs (blocks or columns of glacial ice, often formed by intersecting glacial crevasses) were clearly visible.
We spent several hours photographing at this location. This was my favorite shot.
The Tasty Reward
I promised to connect this back to waffles and ice cream. Right at the end of the trail and the beginning of the trek is La Wafleria restaurant. They offer everything you ever wanted on a waffle. After the early wake-up call and an exhausting trek, waffles and ice cream seemed in order. Few breakfasts have ever tasted this good.
