Trekking the glacier, a photo from Santa Cruz, South

Photographer's Note

Wonderful glaciers were without the doubt the highlights of our trip to Southern America. The best way to experience a glacier was by a direct contact with it: hiking.

As the glaciers of interest are usually in the national park territory you cannot just walk in by yourself. You need to join an organized tour. For instance to hike the most famous Perito Moreno Glacier you need to take an organized tour by the company Hielo y Aventura. Remember you have to book at least a day in advance and you cannot buy tickets in their office in the national park. Not knowing that we have lost an opportunity to take part in another trip (full day boat trip to other glaciers). We arrived early morning but they say they don稚 sell tickets there. Evening before, in the hotel nobody was able to help us (Hotel La Loma, the person did not know anything about the tours and she did not speak English), and their web page is great but lacks some information.

The company offers two types of hikes, shorter MiniTrekking, and a longer one, BigIce. We did not have any experience with glaciers, we did not know what to expect so we have joined the MiniTrekking. It is a half a day tour, it starts with a boat trip across the lake to the place where the hike starts. You are divided in 20 persons groups, very well explained in English the history, other facts about glaciers, what to expect, how to behave etc. The guides rent you the crampons and they even help you to put them on. Just before walk into the glacier they practically show you how to make a good use of them. So even children, older people or people with no experience whatsoever, are able to enjoy the trip. The guides are very kind and professional. In the end you can taste a whiskey with the glacier ice and some Argentinian sweets. If you pick MiniTrekking you spend 1h 40min on ice. Believe me it is worth it. I would probably pick even the BigIce experience if I could go back there again, with 4h on ice.

After the trekking, I heard from my wife words which I would never expect to hear from her:
I don't want to go for beach holidays anymore, I would like to see more glaciers...

gabrielpat, Kofman, timecapturer, i9l2y1m8a8t3, siudzi, josepmarin, TopGeo, rodgerg, vasilpro, yeln, jhm, raszid62, delpeoples, jafadabret, macjake, Angshu, COSTANTINO has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

dta (98848) 2010-12-20 2:32

Hello MAriusz ,
Despite of the bad weather , youv'e succeded to capture a good picture of this glacier . The composition is great , with the file of trekkers , and the atmosphere , created by the cloudy sky , is really impressive .
I think that your wife is right . I must to plane a walk on the glacier in the future in the Alps .
Regards

emka (158204) 2010-12-20 2:43

Witaj,

Haha, chodzenie po lodowcu, to jest dopiero przygoda! Fajne zdjęcie, tylko czemu ten lodowiec wyglada taki czymś pokryty? powinien być czysty niebieski .
Pogoda tym razem raczej pochmurna. Ale nastr przez to dramatyczny. Fajne figurki na sniegu. Super zdjecie.

Pozdrawiam M.

gabrielpat (7163) 2010-12-20 4:22

Hi mariusz,
Spendid shot.beautiful pov,colors.the people areideally situated on the picture.
great.
Patrick.

yquem46 (38752) 2010-12-20 4:31

Hi Mariusz
An impressive landscape with this huge glacier and the threatening gray sky
Well composed with the line of trekkers at the right top corner, giving the dimension and life to the image
Well done have a nice day
Patrick

SWEETFREEDOM (24623) 2010-12-20 6:41

Hi Mariusz,
amazing place, really a great experience. The shapes of the ice is fantastic.
regards
Alessandro

lpi (4857) 2010-12-20 8:08

Salut Mariusz,
Magnifique paysage avec de superbes couleurs.
J'aime cette ligne de trekkeurs!
Amicalement,
lpi

timecapturer (49288) 2010-12-20 8:12

Hi Mariusz
what a fascinating image, with such incredible textures and shapes. A truly inspirational POV and cleverly controlled light, love the little touches of blue scattered about the image and the line of people on the skyline. Wonderful!!

Regards
Brian D.

i9l2y1m8a8t3 (4814) 2010-12-20 8:56

Greetings Mariusz!

I bet you did have an awesome experience with the glaciers. Very interesting note too, hope to visit a place like this, you are so lucky! Wonderful exposure, it's just surreal, it looks like "HDR-ed". Nice lighting management and remarkable POV! You composition is superbly done! And being on this place is simply amazing! Thanks for sharing this remarkable photo of yours!

All the best
Matt

chawax (20764) 2010-12-20 11:49

Hi Mariusz,
Impressive landscape ! I love the POV with these walkers that make us understand the size of the glacier. Nice colours and good sharpness.
Regards,
Olivier

siudzi (34141) 2010-12-20 13:38

Witaj Mariusz,
Swietna kompozycja. Doskonała prezentacja, perspektywa, walory techniczne. Moje gratulacje! M

lousat (139332) 2010-12-20 15:40

Hi Mariusz,it's the first time that i see a lot of ice postprocesses in this way,and the result is strange but fantastics,what a perspective and composition too,another masterpiece in your incredible gallery.Thanks for share,have a nice day,Luciano.

Sonata11 (34119) 2010-12-20 20:00

Witaj Mariusz,
z Twoich realcji to cos wspanialego przerzyc taka wyprawe. Uwazam, ze kazda wycieczka nie zaleznie gdzie, jest warta kazde pienidze, poniwaz to co sie zobaczy to tego nikt nie moze odebrac. To jest tylko Twoje. Wierze ze zobaczyc lodowce to cos wspanialego. Dziekuje, ze moge to zobaczyc to na Twoich zdjeciach jak rowniez przeczytac Twoje relacje. Super sprawa. Zdjecie ktore tu przedstawiasz to jest cos pieknego i niezapmnianego. Super fotka.
Serdecznie pozdrawiam i zycze Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia,
Barbara

josepmarin (59385) 2010-12-21 4:40

Hi Mariusz,
Your low POV and the low-angle shot do an impressive photo.
I like the dramatic quality that you have obtained with this post-processing of the image, which looks like an HDR, and that provides a great power to the ice of the glacier and to the clouds.
And of course, I like also the human chain of the hikers that stands out over the sky, which adds a chromatic touch and a very interesting dynamism on your composition.
Simply great!
Best regards,
Josep

TopGeo (38220) 2010-12-21 4:54

Hi Mariusz,
Your low POV and the low-angle shot They is a idea that impresses with the detail and the existence of life in her background! Perhaps a nostalgic thought but also thought of admiration I see a picture almost HDR perhaps filters? and dynamics that impresses me of course!
Regards
Georgios

npecanhuk (79329) 2010-12-21 7:39

Hello Mariusz!
I'm still going to do that!!!!!
Very beautiful and interesting picture!
In addition to the wonderful details of the glacier, placing all those people there was a superb idea and I really love the visual results!
TFS - congrats,
Best regards,
Neyvan

rodgerg (55767) 2010-12-21 10:20

Witaj Mariusz,

Superb, impressive and very well balanced composition with the superb alignement of the trekkers very well off-centred on the right of the image. These peopels give a very interesting idea of the scale of the place. Superb FG too wich learn the glance and give depht to the image.
Have nice evening,
Roger

Fis2 (170861) 2010-12-21 10:37

Witaj Mariusz!
Wspanialy widok i klimat.
A takiej wedrowki to tylko pozazdroscic :)
Bardzo przemyslana kompozycja.
Pozdrawiam
Krzysztof

vasilpro (41801) 2010-12-21 13:48

Hello Mariusz,
Wonderful composition with very nice POV, beautiful wintry atmosphere, very impressive view with the trekkers on a line, excellent light management.
Have a nice evening, Vasilis.

ciakgiak (30) 2010-12-21 15:23

Ciao Mariusz,
un paesaggio davvero spettacolare con questa incredibile struttura ondulata del ghiaccio. Molto bella la presenza umana in fila sulla sommit� della collina.
Eccellente la tecnica ed atmosfera molto suggestiva.
Un caro abbraccio
Giorgio

AKITA (15125) 2010-12-21 22:31

dear Mariusz,
wow,
a wonder view shot of amazing glacier valley,
bluish colors and strange figures of these ices are splendid, it is really unusual,
trekking people look so small like ants on sugar,
this so cold air, maybe cool my monitor screen, or freeze it...
thank you for your excellent shot,
Akihisa

yeln (11516) 2010-12-21 22:58

hi M.
te枳o si predstavljam razse柤ost tega ledenika. sigurno je velik in mogočen, ker ljudje izgledajo zelo majhni.
lep in dober strel!!! tfs!
lep dan, vojko

jhm (211736) 2010-12-22 4:51

Hello Mariusz,

The weather are not really perfect for these trip.
I see forteen men busy to the trip in the mountains.
Lovely scene very well taken.
Nice light, nice colors good presentation.
I wish you a good Christmas and Happy New Year. TFS.

Best regards,
John.

mikolaj_kawa (0) 2010-12-22 5:11

Czesc Mariusz!
Zgola kosmiczny landszaft. I pielgrzymi w kadrze.
Swietna minimalistyczna kompozycja. Rewelacyjne swiatlo.
Intrygujacy minimalizm, nie ma co.
Klaniam sie!

sacimar (38173) 2010-12-22 8:27

Hi Mariusz,

impressive place, I like the people line over the ice, the lines created by the water are eye-catching, well done,

Best regards

Sergio

danos (110407) 2010-12-22 8:44

Witaj Mariusz,
a strange Winter scenery,with the glacier to be so relief with the surprise to be the line of the trekkers, to outlined perfect on the grey sky.Well done.

Regards,Danos

Longroute (19600) 2010-12-22 12:57

Fantastic photo Mariusz!
I imagine what emotion to be there and I agree with your wife!
There isn't much to say for a photo like this one, it's so unusual and literally extraordinary.
TFS,

I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year (if we don't hear each other before)
Donato

raszid62 (18457) 2010-12-22 14:23

Czeｶ�
Niesamowita biaｳa i mroｼna kraina Krowj Zimy. Widok wprost niesamowity - fale lodu, szpaler ludzi na skraju horyzontu i apokaliptyczne niebo - to robi wrazenie. ｦwietna kompozycja.
Pozdrawiam
Jek

delpeoples (60342) 2010-12-22 18:41

HI Mariusz

Whan I first saw this, I thought you;d snuck over to New Zealand without telling me :) The landscape is very similar and I read somewhere where the 2 continents were joined once, so that makes sense (Gondwana land??) Anyway, back to your superb photo. The definition is just stunning. I love how well contrasted the people are and those lovely bluish and grey tones in the ice. A spectacular shot, at your usual high quality. TFS and I hope you're keeping well and warm. (My niece tells me it got to -18C in Tyrone 2 nights ago!)

Cheers
Lisa

jafadabret (56501) 2010-12-22 23:04

Bonjour Mariusz,
J'aime ce paysage un peu lunaire et ces petites fourmis humaines qui le parcourent. Heureusement qu'un bon whisky les attend !
Amicalement
Jacques

mauro61 (53429) 2010-12-22 23:57

ciao Mariusz,
una spettacolare immagine di grande bellezza.
I ghiacciai da un lato e la fila degli escursionisti dall'altro, bilanciano benissimo la composizione che ha una eccellente tonalit� di luce e colore,
un saluto
maurizio

Waylim (25436) 2010-12-23 9:51

Hi M,
Great shot, takes me back to last year, brrrr. cold. You are right, it is a wonderful experience to be walking on them with spike shoes. I is worth every minute of it. We wanted to go further but our guide would let us because of the strong wind and dangerous cliff. Excellent shot here showing the glacier in the icy blue and the people adds sccale and perspective.
Great job.
Way

macjake (98456) 2010-12-23 21:21

Hi Mariusz
Another splendid photo from Argentina.
the photo is clearly a two piece shot, with the form, texture, and shapes to the left, and the human element to the right.
hard to correctly expose the whites, but you did a great job.
Thanks Mariusz, for all your critiques, all your thoughtful comments you put into my photos - its well appreciated!
Merry Christmas to you and your Family
Craig

Angshu (56760) 2010-12-28 2:08

Hello Mariusz!
A fantastic shot! Indeed you are taking us for a wonderful trip of patagonia through your amazing shots & each one is a gem!

the ND Grad helped you coax details out from the shde in the FG...love the subtle colour balance between the greyish white & blue in the FG. The line of people create a wonderful spectacle...rather completes this picture in all respects!

Have a great last few days of this year!

Best,
Angshu

federico (6109) 2010-12-28 14:46

hi mariusz, great photo here, the blue tone of the ice are just fantastic and the people walking on the top are the definitive touch
well done
regards
fred

adramad (73006) 2010-12-30 10:43

Hi Maruisz.
Fantastic the effect of glacial and textures, the row of people, gives the idea of grandeur.

I wish you a wonderful New Year 2011, with health and happiness.

Best regards.
Luis.

ilDottore (5252) 2011-01-11 15:27

Hej Mariusz,
A Ciebie gdzie poniosło??? Człowieeeeeeeeku... wisisz mi za dentystę, bo tak mi szczęka przygrzała o podłogę, że szok!
Nic nie będę pisał ani komentował, bo mnie szczęka teraz boli. Powiem tylko że mało widziałem lepszych zdjęć w życiu. To jest fotka prosto do NG! :)
Gratulacje, szacunek i pozdrowienia
Krzysiek

kiks (12805) 2011-01-25 3:50

Beautiful the soft lines of the glacier and the grey and aqua tones. Good choice of pov following the line of erosion. The presence of the people give a good idea of scale.
Best regards
KIKS

COSTANTINO (116580) 2018-02-13 11:33

hello dear friend and have a nice time
and a happy new day
what could I say for this photo??
only greetings difficult photo
perfectly executed
welldone
regards
Costantino