El Morado glacier

El Morado glacier – a surprise in the middle of hot temperatures found in Chile

Riding up to the El Morado glacier on a day ride or after camping nearby can be chilly and we wear warm clothes. The temperatures are higher further down in the sheltered valley where we camp on overnight rides.

This is different from the area even richer in glaciers in Magallanes and Tierra del Fuego in the south of Chile, but wherever there are Andes there seem to be both volcanoes and glaciers not far off. The photographs we have taken show some evidence of global warming and reduction in the size of the glacier although some differences may be the result of annual temperature variations. We were lucky hte first time we went, when this photograph was taken. On the other hand the lake is frozen and last year, when it was not frozen, we managed a brief swim!