One of the largest glaciers except the South Arctic
除南北极以外最大的冰川之一
Frozen giant
冰封大地
Even in person,it’s hard to appreciate the scale of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field–entire cities would be dwarfed if placed upon the white expanse.From the lookout at Paso del Viento(Windy Pass),vast tracts of jagged,moraine-streaked ice extend towards the horizon,engulfing all but the tallest mountain peaks.Straddling the border of Chile and Argentina,the ice field is one of the largest non-polar glaciers on Earth,stretching along the spine of the Andes for more than 350km.
就算你亲临现场，你也很难理解南巴塔哥尼亚冰原(Southern Patagonian Ice Field)是如何的苍茫壮阔，就算放上几个城市上去，在这个白茫茫无边无际的冰原上，这些城市也会渺小如弹丸。从风之隘口(Paso del Viento)的瞭望处一眼望去，大片锯齿状、带着冰碛物的冰一直延伸到天边，所有山峰都被冰川吞没，只有最高的山峰能够幸存。这个沿着安第斯山脉(Andes)绵延350多公里，跨越智利和阿根廷两国的辽阔冰原，是地球上极地之外，最大的其中一座冰川。
Portal to the past
远古冰川的门户
To witness the ice field is to stare back in time.Around 18,000 years ago,during the Last Glacial Maximum(LGS),it covered much of South America’s western edge.Today,the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and a smaller,neighbouring glacier called the Northern Patagonian Ice Field are practically the only remnants of the continent’s frozen past,but they remain vitally important.The glaciers act as an enormous reserve of fresh water which nourishes mountain habitats across Patagonia,helping to sustain the region’s diverse plants and wildlife.
见到这片冰原，也就是见到这片冰原远古的历史。大约18000年前，最后一次冰河时期的巅峰期(Last Glacial Maximum)，这个冰原覆盖了南美洲西部边缘的大部分地区。今天的南巴塔哥尼亚冰原和邻近的一个较小的冰川北巴塔哥尼亚冰原(Northern Patagonian Ice Field)，实际上就是冰河时代这块冰封大陆留下的遗迹，而且仍然对这个广袤地区至关重要。这些冰川是巴塔哥尼亚的巨大淡水库，滋养着整个巴塔哥尼亚的山地生态，帮助维持这个地区千姿百态的植物和野生动物。
Tongues of ice
冰舌
The ice field may span around 13,000 sq km,but it’s surprisingly elusive.Hemmed in by snow-drenched peaks on all sides,this glacial behemoth only reveals itself to the outside world by spilling out through the surrounding mountain valleys.Tourists who flock to Chile’s Grey Glacier and Argentina’s famous Perito Moreno Glacier are in fact witnessing tendrils from the ice field as it reaches down towards the Patagonian flatlands.
南巴塔哥尼亚冰原幅员辽阔，面积可能高达13000平方公里，但要接近这个冰原却不容易。这个冰川巨兽四周被冰雪覆盖的山峰所包围，只有倾泻流出周围的山谷才可为外界所见到。那些蜂拥到智利的格雷冰川(Grey Glacier)和阿根廷著名的佩里托莫雷诺冰川(Perito Moreno Glacier)一睹其壮观的游客，实际上看到的，只是冰原向巴塔哥尼亚平原延伸的冰川末端而已。
Beauty and danger
冰原之美和冰原之险
Ferocious winds,intense precipitation and the risk of falling through a crevasse make exploring the ice field a complicated task.The first recorded north-south crossing didn’t occur until 1998,and getting up close is usually limited to airlifted glaciologists or experienced mountaineers.However,a challenging four-day,64km hiking trail known as the Huemul Circuit takes intrepid travellers to the edge of the glacier,where panoramic views of this rarely witnessed landscape await.
寒风凛冽，雨雪猛烈，还有掉进冰缝的危险，探索南巴塔哥尼亚冰原是极之艰巨的行动。有记录的第一次南北穿越之行直到1998年才实现，而近距离观察通常仅限于空运抵达的冰川学家或经验丰富的登山者。不过现在，有一条称为南安第斯驼鹿环线(Huemul Circuit)，跋涉64公里为期4天的高难度徒步路线，可将勇敢的旅行者带到冰川边缘。在这里，人们可以看到冰原罕为人所见的壮观全景。
The symbol of Patagonia
巴塔哥尼亚的标记
The Huemul Circuit begins in the small town of El Chaltén,the undisputed trekking capital of Argentinean Patagonia.The town lies in the shadow of Mount Fitz Roy,an iconic,3,400m granite peak which separates the ice field from the endless pampas to the east.During the hiking season from October to April,the nearby footpaths throng with people keen to see Fitz Roy’s distinctive summit.
南安第斯驼鹿环线始于阿根廷巴塔哥尼亚高原无可争议的徒步首都查尔腾(El Chalten)小镇。小镇位于菲茨罗伊山(Mount Fitz Roy)的阴影。这是一座标记性的3400米花岗岩山峰，将冰原与东边无尽的大草原分隔开来。在10月至4月的登山季节，附近的步道上挤满了渴望一睹菲茨罗伊山那独特峰顶的健行者。
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