Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier Grey

JorgBadura 01 206 JB38639 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier Grey

Second day at the glacier and our mission is to explore the Western side. It’s a rainy, somewhat chilly morning and the 1 1/2 hour approach paddle alone promises to make the day more of a challenging adventure.

JorgBadura 02 206 MG 7657 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier GreyJorgBadura 03 206 MG 7674 433x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier GreyJorgBadura 04 206 JB38176 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier GreyJorgBadura 05 206 JB38201 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier GreyJorgBadura 06 206 MG 8003 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier GreyJorgBadura 07 206 JB38393 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier GreyJorgBadura 08 206 MG 7980 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier GreyJorgBadura 09 206 JB38528 433x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier GreyJorgBadura 10 206 JB38512 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier GreyJorgBadura 11 206 MG 8023 433x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier GreyJorgBadura 12 206 JB38572 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier GreyJorgBadura 13 206 MG 8085 433x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier Grey

 
For starters, the hot water certainly helps to take the edge off of a wet, ice cold wetsuit…

Coming up around the ‘Big Rock Island’, the sheer presence of the glacier and its size is just impressive.

The forces of Nature can be humbling with a lake temperature of 0.5 degrees Celsius / 32.9 Fahrenheit. Gusty winds mixed in with rain and sleet. The camera gear is partially wet and my fingers start getting numb, but our excitement and curiosity keeps us all pushing closer to the glacier, with the occasional amazing window of sparkling sunlight.

Touching the ice is like reaching into another world, somehow there is an energy, it’s hard to describe.

JorgBadura 14 206 MG 7700 Chile Adventure Dispatches: More SUP at Glacier Grey

It is the last day of the trip here in Southern Patagonia, hard to believe all the adventures we had … I even got to do a short paddle this morning … what an amazing trip.

Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUP

JorgBadura 01 206  MG 6874 Edit V4 433x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUP

We were very excited to be here, no matter the condition or temperature, we wanted to get close to the glacier and explore the icebergs along the way before night fall. Glacier ice is purely magnificent, sublime, and raw.

JorgBadura 02 206  MG 6883 Edit V3 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUP

Experienced guides, like Rodrigo Bahamondez, can tell if an iceberg is unstable, but believing you are safe would be foolish. Proceeding with respect, caution and very open alertness certainly got our adventure juices flowing. Philip Muller from standuplatino.com had brought his board and proved to be almost fearless and certainly immune to the cold.

The distance to the glacier is misleading. The mountains and glaciers are so grand and big, it feels so close, like it’s right there, you keep paddling and it just gets bigger and bigger until when I was close enough in touchable range I was again in pure awe of the immenseness of the glacier wall.

JorgBadura 03 206  JB37656 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUPJorgBadura 04 206  MG 6822 433x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUPJorgBadura 05 206  MG 6736 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUPJorgBadura 06 206  MG 6646 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUPJorgBadura 07 206  JB37723 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUPJorgBadura 08 206  JB37913 433x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUPJorgBadura 09 206  JB37938 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUPJorgBadura 10 206  MG 7211 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUPJorgBadura 11 206  MG 7239 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUPJorgBadura 12 206  JB37963 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUPJorgBadura 13 206  MG 7286 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUPJorgBadura 14 206  JB38075 433x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUPJorgBadura 15 206  MG 7298 433x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUPJorgBadura 16 206  MG 7300 974x650 Chile Adventure Dispatches: Iceberg and Glacier SUP

 
We were humbled very fast and with the outmost respect moved along the ever changing face of the Glacier.

It was so pure. We stayed silent in awe, you just do not want to disrupt the vibe. When focusing in on the shapes, I felt like the glacier was talking to me. Ancient works of nature on display in all it’s beauty … constantly changing.