El Chalten- the mountaineers gateway to Los Glaciers National Park and the Patagonian Ice Cap.

With months of preparation for the Patagonian Ice Cap traverse, we have finally arrived to El Chalten, a quaint climbing town at the base of Los Glaciers National Park. We meet with our mountaineering guides, Merlin and Martin from 'Mountaineering Patagoina' to discuss the details of the expedition. WIth perfect weather conditions predicted for the next few days we begin our packing to be able to leave a few days earlier than first planned. With 15 kilograms of camera gear alone, our packing allowing is rationed very tightly, and takes us most of the afternoon. 

Beautiful clear weather predicted - this is the view of Fitzroy from the quaint town of El Chalten.

​Final preparations outside 'Mountaineering Patagonia'. Unusual high pressure system promises a few fine days ahead.

Valle Chacabucco -The New Patagonian National Park

My book - Patagonia Wild is in its final stages and I hope to have photographs completed by early 2015 followed promptly by it's publication.  My goal is to explore and photograph more of spectacular Pumalin National Park, Aerial photographs of the rugged central patagonia, Puma in the New Patagonian National park, more Orca at Peninsula Valdes, Chiloe and Los Lagos region before its publication.

On my 3 month expedition in 2012 to Patagonia, I covered The New Patagonian National Park in Aysén, Torres Del Paine National Park, and the highlight and most challenging being the traverse of the Southern Patagonian Ice cap - A 7-day expedition over the ice. My partner joined me for the first 1/2 of the expedition. Documenting most things with a GoPro camera, we have some wonderful footage. 

After arriving to Santiago on August 29th, Chile, and connecting with a flight to Coyhaique in Central Patagonia, our journey to 'Conservacion Patagonica's' New Patagonia National Park, "Valley Chacabucco" began with a precarious 2 day journey on corrugated gravel roads that slowed us down to only 50 km/ph after a little incident on the ice. The infamous Carretera Austral Route 7 in Chile- The 1240 km dirt-gravel road bends and twists through thick virgin rainforest, past glacial fed rivers and aquamarine lakes, jagged white capped peaks that rise above open valleys and precipitous cliffs with cascading ribbons of waterfalls at every turn. 

Patagonia Wild Expedition 2012 - Sponsors

Thanks to the following sponsors for your generous contributions that helped with the   expedition and photography of the traverse of the Southern Ice field in Patagonia. Sponsored by Goretex, Sea to Summit, Patagonia, Explora Hotel, Camera Pro, Mainline Photography and Fujifilm

This is my 17th trip to Patagonia. This time, my photography trip is during Winter and Spring to photograph the Southern Ice field, The Future Patagonian National Park in Valle Chacabuco, ​Pumalin National Park, and Torres Del Paine, finally its time to leave Australia. With such cold conditions ahead, I am so thankful and grateful to sponsors that provided extreme weather gear for this cold trip ahead. Goretex, Sea to Summit, and the Patagonia company were very generous to offer their sponsorship. 

Chantal Henderson published