Breathtaking, breathtaking, breathtaking...cold

Have been moving further down South America, remaining in the jaw dropping beauty of the Patagonia landscape. Patagonia is an area of South America that runs down the western edge. It encompasses many national parks and has areas in both Chile and Argentina. Whilst camping at El Chaten (Argentina) this is the view that greeted us from our tents. It is the Fitzroy mountain range and I enjoyed a leisurely hike up one of its many paths. Slightly further south I ventured out to the Moreno Glacier. This glacier is the only one in the world which is static - that is, it loses approximately the same mass each year at the front (by ice falling off it) as it gains from the back which the formation of new ice. This is the first glacier I have seen and impressive does not do it justice. It is very difficult to find the words to describe adequately the sights I have seen in Patagonia, so I´m afraid impressive, breath taking, jaw dropping will have to do. Its 5km wide and 30km long and has a depth of 170 metres - so in glacier terms it is not the biggest but it is one of the best. We took a boat trip up to the north side of the glacier and watched as the ice creaked and cracked and large chunks fell into the sea. Spent most of the afternoon stood transfixed at the beauty of it all. You need to come and see this place. Then I spent the next few nights camped out at Torres Del Paine (Chille) - where my luck ran out. The weather turned on us, and instead of the unseasonally high temperatures, they returned to what they should be for this part of the world in January. Bear in mind tht January is high summer here - the average summer temperature is 12 degrees C. That wouldn´t be so bad but alas rain and gale force winds are also the norm. Attempted to hike the very difficult two towers walk (there is actually three towers so I am confused about the name). Got half way when the blizzard, hail and wind strong enough to knock us over made us turn around. This is what I should have seen if the weather had held out. But I´m not disheartened - they will be plently more walks to do in the next place. That place is Ushuaia. Its the most southern city in the world - the last stop before Antartica. The average high summer temperature there is 9 degrees C. So glad I´m going now and not in winter. You all know all good I am with the cold!