The SPI extends north-south for 350 km, between 48°20’ S and 51°30’ S, at an average longitude of 73°30’ W. Its mean width is 35 km, and the minimum width is 8 km (Casassa and others, 1998). The first detailed glacier inventory was compiled by Aniya and others, (1996), who divided the SPI into 48 major outlet glaciers and over 100 small cirque and valley glaciers. These glaciers flow from the Patagonia Andes to the east and west, generally terminating with calving fronts in freshwater lakes (east) and Pacific Ocean fjords (west). In the accumulation area, the outlet glaciers share a vast and relatively flat plateau with an average altitude of about 1400-1600 m.
According to the latest border agreement between Argentina and Chile, about 81 to 92% of the SPI belongs to Chile and 8 to19% to Argentina (Rivera and others, 2000).
CLIC HERE
First North to South Crossing of the Southern Patagonian Ice Cap CHILE.
TRANSPATAGONICA 1998-1999
"The Impossible Expedition".
In 98 days of the worst weather condition available worldwide,a 4 mens group from Chile, did the last unsupported crossing of the 400 kilometers in the Southern Patagonian Ice Cap.
More the 30 earlier expedition failed in do the same, the complete north to south man hauled sledge trip. From October 98 to Jannuary 99 we faced this task, and did it.
In the middle of the ice cap, lies the infamous Reichert Fall, a 900 meters ice fall like kumbu in Everest but without porters or sherpas, and in 30 days we crossed this geographic problem, first going down 900 meters in a caos of seracs and then keep going to south climbing to a new summit, the East Bastion, 2300 meters, to face the worst, a 600 meters vertical face.
The Reichert Fall was never crossed, so remains a mistery, only a spanish team crossed by helicopter and claimed to be a impossible task. In Jannuary 10th, we started the longest and dangerous rappel of our lives, in 18 hours we did it and also our 80 kilograms sledges.
From the other side of the Falla, we keep going, in the shadows of the starvation, since we completed 30 days at half food ration , loosing more the 10 kilos each. Al last we succed and reached the end of the Balmaceda Glacier, 98 days later, much weaker, a lot more exhausted, but indeed, very happy and gratefull of our luck, and our will to do that.
More CLIC HERE
Copyright Pablo Besser" pbesser@hotmail.com
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| SOUTHERN ICE FIELD Glourious Journey |
Private Charters: 2008-2009, mail info@aisen.cl,
