Suitcase and World: The Serrano Glacier.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

The Serrano Glacier.

The Serrano Glacier.

After cruising by the Balmaceda glacier, in the pelting rain, we went further in to the heart of Parque Nacional Bernardo O’Higgins.  The park is the largest of the protected areas in Chile and also it's least visited.

Eventually, our boat had to stop because we had arrived at the very end of the channel. From here, we all had to disembark and take a short and easy hike through the woods.  It was still drizzling slightly but at least the wind was not blowing.  Luckily, Bro and I had worn the appropriate clothing so we were comfortable despite the inclement weather.



There were at least 2 boats docked in the water.  I estimated we had at least 40 passengers just on our boat so the trail got a bit crowded but everyone was very polite and moved at a good pace.


The trail would up and down gentle slopes.  Through breaks in the trees, I could see water and chunks of glacial ice floating on top.


Several of us stopped at one particular place for what turned to be a good vantage point to see the glacier from.  Too bad it had not been a sunny day; I think the blue color of the ice would have looked more blue.  Today's dreary skies just highlighted the brown.  Not so pretty.


Obviously the Serrano glacier is a much larger glacier but it too is in regression so who knows how much longer this view will exist.










The trail eventually ended pretty close to the edge of the glacier.  I have to admit, it's a cool to see!


Seeing up close, you finally get a sense of just how massive this block of ice is.  Incredible to think that at one time, a good portion of the earth was covered by ice and over millennia, landscaped by it.  


One of the crew members from the other boat was very knowledgeable about glaciers in general and was more than happy to explain to Bro about the Serrano glacier and its impact on the surrounding environment.  No matter which side of the global warming debate you are on, there is no doubt that the snow and ice that moderates the earth's temperature are melting and that will lead to dire consequences as global warming continues to worsen.  Personally, I am on the side that human activity has had monumental impact on the earth's temperature.   The older I get and the more I travel, the more I realize how much negative footprint I have on the environment.  A few years back, I decided it was time for me to do something about it.  So each year, I now set environmental goals for myself to try and reduce my own energy and water consumption and trash (both recyclable and non-recyclable).  I have to admit that some goals are easier to meet and others (because of long standing bad habits) are harder to achieve but I will not give up so I push myself to improve.  I think everyone can set environmental goals for themselves as they set financial and health goals.  You just have to make a conscious effort.



At the call of the crew member to start making our way back, we all did just that.  We took the same trail back.



It was time to cruise back to Puerto Natales.  More in the the next blog posting.