Photography Tutorial · 2019-03-17
How Beautiful Is Patagonia?
Thomas Chu Photo
Last May, I explored the Patagonia region of South America together with Zhou You (周游) of AdventureX (极影). The rugged snow mountains, colorful autumn hues, and unpredictable weather all left a deep impression on me.
Of course, what impressed me even more was my companion Zhou You (周游) and his spirit of pursuing extreme landscape photography.
When shooting the photo below, we searched along the creek for a long time but couldn't find a distinctive vantage point. I had to settle for a less ideal position, shooting from the bushes away from the creek.
But Zhou You took a different approach. He found the reflections and textures of the creek water striking. The catch was that he had to get into the water, shooting within half a meter of the splashes.
Even though we'd made no preparations for wading before departure, on a bone-chilling cold morning, barefoot and wearing only shorts, he jumped into knee-deep glacial meltwater for nearly 20 minutes, finally capturing the most impactful angle below.
Later, at his suggestion, we made do with just sleeping bags among the rocks for a night, finally capturing the distinctive moonrise over the red-tinted peak below.
In this article, Zhou You (周游) uses his exquisite photos and engaging words to unfold a landscape scroll of the distant South American continent for us.
Intro
LEAD
duction
Photos/Text: Zhou You (周游)
What is Patagonia? A travel novel and three climbing films formed my initial fantasies about this legendary region, so I set off on a month-long journey to Patagonia.
This legendary and wondrous land attracts countless climbers and explorers every year to fulfill their dreams and pursuits, while continuously creating new legends.
"Unchanging Through the Ages" (亘古不变) (Fitz Roy, Argentina)
This land seems to possess magnetism and magic, just as described in the book "In Patagonia": young Chatwin's "small piece of brontosaurus skin" in his grandmother's glass cabinet. That "piece of brontosaurus skin" was like a Da Vinci code that casually opened the door to the mysterious land of Patagonia.
As an adult, he one day happened to see a map of Patagonia in South America, and a mysterious force awakened his childhood memories. Just like that, he resigned from the newspaper and rushed unhesitatingly to the end of the world to pursue his childhood dream, beginning a fantastical journey.
"Phoenix in Flight" (凤凰于飞) (Fitz Roy, Argentina)
1 [Geographic Location]
"The Garden at the Foot of the Mountain" (高山下的花园) (Cuernos, Chile)
Patagonia lies at the southernmost tip of the South American continent. Due to its secluded geographic position, it's called "the end of the world." It's mostly within Argentina, with a small part in Chile, covering nearly all the southern lands of mainland Argentina.
It consists of vast grasslands and deserts. Its borders roughly extend west to the Patagonian Andes, north to the Colorado River, east to the Atlantic Ocean, and south to the Strait of Magellan. Tierra del Fuego, south of the strait, belongs to Argentina and Chile respectively and is usually included within Patagonia's range.
2 [Origin of the Name]
"Withering and Flourishing" (枯荣) (Fitz Roy, Argentina)
In 1520, during his circumnavigation, Magellan crossed the Atlantic and reached the southern tip of the Americas, becoming the first European to set foot on this land. As soon as they disembarked, the sailors found a group of barely-clothed giants singing and dancing by the sea. According to the Italian scholar Antonio Pigafetta aboard, those giants were 10 feet (3 meters) tall.
Because these giants left huge footprints on this land, it was named "Patagonia," which translates to "big feet."
3 [Climate Characteristics]
Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy (Argentina)
Patagonia borders the world's longest mountain range, the Andes, to the west. Moist westerlies from the Pacific meet the tall mountains and are forced sharply upward, producing abundant snowfall. As water vapor condenses in the cold, the Andes receive heavy snow.
On the plains east of the Andes, however, the scene is completely different. This is the leeward side of the westerlies: dry westerly winds cross the Andes and rush down the slopes. Precipitation here is extremely scarce, and vast tracts of land are occupied by desert — barren land where wind constantly blows away stones and only low shrubs grow. In the distance stretches the vast Pampas grassland, its grass now withered yellow, clouds drifting overhead, and the wind howling all around.
"The Posture of the Tree" (树的姿态) (Cuernos, Chile)
01
The Strong Winds
Patagonia has harsh climate conditions and is known as the "plateau of wind and soil." Starting in October, ferocious winds begin to rage and don't let up until March of the following year, scouring people down to skin and bone.
There's a saying in Patagonia that describes the wind: birds fly backward, and trees grow sideways! During my month in Patagonia, the tune playing in my earphones was "Crossing Winds."
"The Demon Realm of Capricorn" (摩羯的魔界) (Cuernos, Chile)
The ferocious wind here can "kill." It's not only the greatest obstacle to climbing these peaks, claiming many climbers who come to challenge them — even those who aren't here to conquer the summits can be killed by the wind!
"Survival in Desperate Straits" (绝处逢生) (Fitz Roy, Argentina)
In 1968, Douglas Tompkins invited his friend Yvon Chouinard to climb Fitz Roy on the Patagonian plateau.
They set off from California in a used van they'd bought, playing their way along the 8,000-plus-kilometer route. After a six-month journey, they finally reached Patagonia. Climbing Fitz Roy didn't go smoothly — they encountered Patagonia's terrifying winds and endured countless hardships.
"The Frozen Throne" (冰封王座) (Cerro Torre, Argentina)
Chouinard later became the founder of the famous outdoor brand Patagonia, whose logo uses the skyline lines of Fitz Roy as he saw it. Tompkins had already founded the renowned outdoor brand The North Face — "North Face" referring to the coldest, most sunless side of a mountain.
In 2015, at age 72, Tompkins was boating on Lake Carrera in Patagonia when fierce winds capsized the boat. He fell into the lake and suffered hypothermia. Resuscitation failed, and the old man finally found eternal rest in Patagonia.
02
The Heavy Snow
Patagonia is a place that fulfills every landscape photographer's fantasy. I'd always wanted to capture the early-autumn snow scene while the leaves hadn't yet fallen — this time, all my wishes came true one by one.
"Everlasting Longing: A Journey Over the Mountains" (长相思·山一程) (Cerro Torre)
— Nalan Xingde
Over the mountains, over the waters, heading toward Shanhaiguan far away; in the deep night, a thousand tents aglow with lamps.
A watch of wind, a watch of snow, the noise shattering my homesick dreams that won't form; there is no such sound back in my hometown.
Image story: Patagonia's weather is extremely changeable, and it often snows in the mountains. The forecast predicted heavy rain at night, and my teammates chose to descend to the town. I still wanted to bet on the extreme weather the next morning and chose to stay at camp. That night the heavy rain indeed arrived on schedule — all I could hear was raindrops drumming on the tent, and I couldn't sleep. After an hour, the sound gradually faded. I thought, "The rain must have stopped," and finally fell asleep.
When I woke up the next morning, the tent was pressed right against my face. I wondered, how did the tent collapse? Opening the tent, I found the heavy rain had turned into a blizzard that crushed the tent! Outside, the world was dressed in silver, trees adorned with ice and snow. I'd held out until the clouds parted and the sun appeared. Over my days in the mountains, I experienced four heavy snowfalls and documented the splendor of Patagonia's unique autumn snowscapes.
"Facing the Wind and Snow" (迎风傲雪) (Argentina)
"Autumn Snow" (秋雪) (Argentina)
"Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter" (春夏秋冬) (Argentina)
4 [Geographic Marvel Peaks]
The world's longest mountain range, the Andes, creates strange shapes here, with tower peaks standing in groups. The peaks here are truly distinctive.
Years of glacial and wind erosion have shaped one-of-a-kind peaks. The climbing that takes place here is mainly mixed rock-and-ice climbing, creating a string of mountaineering legends.
"X Time" (X Time) (Fitz Roy, Argentina)
Torres del Paine National Park in Chile — "Torre" means "tower" in Spanish. The park is a paradise for nature lovers, a heaven for outdoor enthusiasts, and a trekking mecca. By route, the park is famous for the O Circuit and the W Trek.
1
Cuernos del Paine
Another of the park's most photogenic spots, named for its resemblance to bull horns. It lies to the west of the three towers. The best place to admire the Cuernos is on the southeastern shore of Lake Pehoé — whether at sunrise or sunset, you'll see magical shifts of light and shadow.
"Red Clouds over the Cuernos" (角峰红云) (Cuernos, Chile)
Image story: Newly arrived at Chile's Torres del Paine National Park, I checked the day before that sunrise was at 8 a.m., so on the first morning I set my alarm for 7 a.m. to shoot the sunrise over the Cuernos. At 7 it was still dark — outside the tent was pitch black, with starlight falling through gaps in the clouds overhead.
I felt it was still early, so I dressed slowly and packed my gear, since the day before I'd found a shooting spot just a 5-minute walk from the Pehoé campsite. But when I looked outside again, the mountain peaks were already glowing with a faint red light — it was about to become golden mountains illuminated by the sun. Taken completely by surprise, I checked: it was only 7:30, and outside was still dark gray. Could the sunrise time from Google be wrong?
No time to think it through. I grabbed my camera and sprinted to the shooting spot. First, a shot of the golden mountains, with a long exposure to capture the magical dark-red clouds.
"Weather over the Paine" (百内风云) (Cuernos, Chile)
The dark-red glow lasted five minutes, then the red clouds gradually shed their vivid coat and turned gray-blue. I was puzzled — why weren't the clouds "burning"? I stared blankly at the distant Cuernos reflected in the lake, feeling a bit disappointed.
I was about to pack up and return to camp when, in an instant, the clouds donned a red wedding dress again, and a lenticular cloud spun above the Cuernos. I quickly swapped to a wide-angle lens and shot the ever-changing clouds and the Cuernos' reflection in the waters of Lake Pehoé with time-lapse.
"Morning Light on the Cuernos" (角峰晨光) (Cuernos, Chile)
As the sun rose higher, the red clouds gradually turned orange-yellow. The drama of these clouds was incredible. It was also my first time seeing golden mountains twice in one morning — nature is truly amazing.
I contacted Teacher Qiao Wenjie of Planit, who told me others had also discovered that Patagonia experiences two golden-mountain events. According to Planit's simulation, the first golden-mountain moment occurs when the sun is at an angle of -18 degrees below the horizon. This phenomenon was later verified again at Fitz Roy in Argentina.
2
The Towers of Paine
The most famous of the peaks are three interconnected summits, named by their positions: the South Tower (2,500 m), the Central Tower (2,460 m), and the North Tower (2,260 m).
When the three towers stand in a row, a continuous traverse demands courage and strength from climbers, and represents the highest honor. In 2002, American Steve Schneider made headlines by traversing all three peaks within 51 hours.
"Moonlight Fading" (月光流逝) (The Towers of Paine, Chile)
The "Three Towers" are the most iconic sight in Torres del Paine National Park. The three peaks, standing like three fingers in the mountains, earned the nickname "Three Towers," from which the park's Spanish name derives. The southernmost tower is the tallest at 2,500 meters.
The glacial lake at the foot of the mountain is a gorgeous turquoise. The "Three Towers" face west from the east, making them a perfect spot to enjoy sunrise. But getting up close to the "Three Towers" requires a 5-6 hour hike.
"Night Assault on the Three Towers" (夜袭三塔) (The Towers of Paine, Chile)
To improve our chances of a successful shoot, my teammate Thomas and I shot in Torres del Paine National Park in "alpine style." At the entrance of the W route, at 1 a.m. (after checking the weather), we began hiking toward the "Three Towers." After a five-and-a-half-hour push, we arrived at the famous "Towers of Paine" before sunrise. Those who work hard are rarely unlucky — the magical red clouds were heaven's greatest reward!
"Old Dreams on the Jetty" (栈桥旧梦) (Puerto Natales, Chile)
Shooting at Chile's Torres del Paine National Park went very smoothly. Although it rained during the days, every morning brought exceptionally good weather. Next, we took a bus to Puerto Natales, an important gateway in Patagonia for travel between Chile and Argentina.
The port has a large harbor with an abandoned jetty extending toward the distant snow mountains, where countless seabirds perch on its weathered wooden posts. Early the next morning, we took a bus from Puerto Natales across the border into Argentina. Once in Argentina, the road changed from asphalt to dirt, with desert on both sides — a desolate scene. It felt like Argentina, after its economic crisis, was waiting to be rebuilt.
Bumping along the road, still with "Crossing Winds" playing in my earphones, I finally saw the Fitz Roy of my dreams at the end of the road.
3
Fitz Roy
Fitz Roy, in the eastern ranges of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, is one of a series of towering vertical rock peaks.
A tight cluster of summits rises abruptly along the glacier line, and the Fitz Roy group stands out as especially striking and magnificent. Its monolithic rock-tower mass is incredibly steep — for climbers, it's the most beautiful big rock wall in the world.
Fitz Roy is reverently called "Chaltén" by the Tehuelche people of Patagonia, meaning "mountain that swallows clouds." A wisp of smoke often shrouds the summit, so before the French first summited it in 1952, people mistakenly thought it was a volcano.
"Moonlit Golden Mountain" (月照金山) (Argentina)
Image story: Reaching the canyon at Fitz Roy requires free-climbing a small cliff, and there's no trail at all — just loose rocks and scree slopes that are very hard to traverse. Walking at night would be even more dangerous. So I decided to enter the canyon light by day, carrying no tent and sleeping out in the crevices between boulders with just a sleeping bag — all to capture the most beautiful moonlit golden mountain of Fitz Roy.
The next morning, before dawn, I climbed up to the cliff above, where I could look down over the entire lake. Even on sheer cliffs, life stubbornly grows here.
Before dawn, Fitz Roy was already glowing red, again confirming that Patagonia experiences two golden-mountain events. As the sun rose higher, the peak first lost its glow, then in an instant embraced its true moment of glory.
The clear silhouette of the orange Fitz Roy against the blue sky makes everyone who sees it unable to resist imagining themselves climbing up and down along that ridge. The skyline — climbing above the skyline is a top climber's dream. Traversing the entire Fitz Roy skyline requires consecutively climbing 7 peaks, and this route is called the Skyline route.
Skyline Route Map
The dream of traversing the skyline had long existed, but no one had ever truly completed it. From February 12 to 16, 2014, Americans Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold made the first-ever traverse of the Skyline route. The total length of the Skyline traverse is 6,400 meters, half of which is vertical climbing.
When Tommy and Alex set out, they found that two other climbers, Rolando and Colin, also intended to traverse the Skyline. Both Rolando and Colin were battle-hardened professional climbers and experts in Patagonian climbing.
Tommy and Alex sensed the competition. They all wanted to be the first to traverse the Skyline's 7 peaks. It was a duel between rock-climbing skill and alpine technique.
Alex, lacking high-altitude experience, made a big mistake. His crampons didn't match his shoes — that type of crampon requires mountaineering boots with clips, but he was wearing light hiking shoes. This greatly increased the difficulty and danger of the climb, as the crampons could fall off at any moment.
During the climb, Tommy met Rolando, who suddenly felt unwell and they decided to descend. When Rolando learned that Alex's crampons were unusable yet Alex insisted on continuing, he removed his own crampons and gave them to him. Alex said: "Rolando gave up his dream of traversing Fitz Roy but gave me the tool I most desperately needed to complete the traverse. His generosity deeply impresses me." This touching moment gave the cold snow mountains the warmth of friendship.
4
Cerro Torre
Not far from Fitz Roy lies another legendary peak. With its highly recognizable unique form, the great granite tower tempts the eyes of climbers. This is Cerro Torre.
Cerro Torre is famous for its striking appearance and extreme difficulty. It's a classic granite tower peak, its sharp summit like a longsword piercing the sky. At the very top sits a 50-meter ice mushroom, adding extra difficulty to the summit. The fierce westerly winds bring heavy snowfall and storms to Cerro Torre, making the climbing environment very unfavorable.
The ice mushroom atop Cerro Torre is the final crux of the climb. The mountain's difficulty turns the climb into an extremely challenging adventure, and summiting Cerro Torre is an achievement countless climbers dream of. For decades, climbers' pursuit of Cerro Torre has never ceased.
Endless controversy — In 1959, Maestri and Egger climbed Cerro Torre. The ascent took four days, but on the way down they were hit by an avalanche, and Egger lost his life.
Afterwards, Maestri claimed they'd made the first-ever summit of Cerro Torre. But since the camera was lost in the avalanche, he couldn't produce any evidence of the summit.
Thus the truth of Maestri and Egger's summit became a mystery. Later climbers found no fixed ropes or other relics and climbing gear left along their route, making the 1959 "summit" increasingly controversial.
In 1970, Maestri returned to Cerro Torre. This time he brought a 150-kilogram oil-powered compressor drill, driving bolts into the rock as he climbed. Nearly 400 expansion bolts were hammered into the mountain, and Maestri used this "bolt ladder" to climb to the end of Cerro Torre's rock section.
After that, he refused to climb the 50-meter ice mushroom at the top, insisting it wasn't part of Cerro Torre and would one day fall off the mountain. This was just his self-deceiving excuse.
"Red and White" (红与白) (Argentina)
The pursuit of Cerro Torre is accompanied by endless controversy — and, of course, reflection on "true alpinism." Beyond the stories of the central figures, every climber who comes to Patagonia hopes to leave their own mark on Cerro Torre in their own way.
"Only the Wearer Knows the Cold" (冷暖自知) (Argentina)
Who would be the first to stand atop Cerro Torre? The film "The Scream of the Stone" (《石头的喊叫》) also fictionalized the story of summiting Cerro Torre. Reaching the top of Cerro Torre is a great honor in the climbing world, and it sparked a wager.
Roger and Martin — one an accomplished mountaineer, the other a rising rock-climbing star. Swept up by commercial interests, they fell into a frenzied competition. Yet they both forgot that climbing should be pure. If climbing is seized by profit, reduced to a contest, or even burdened with lies, it loses its joy and meaning. In the end, they were sharply mocked by a pure climbing madman.
When Roger reached the summit and believed he'd made the first ascent, he saw an old, worn ice axe standing in the center of the peak. Hanging on the axe was a photo clearly inscribed "Mae West" — the famous actress that the mysterious madman Roger had met at the foot of the mountain had mentioned. — Climbing should be pure!
"Autumn Colors of Patagonia" (巴塔哥尼亚秋色) (Cerro Torre, Argentina)
Argentine climber Ramiro Calvo is deeply fascinated by Cerro Torre's allure. Not only did he climb Cerro Torre twice, he also filmed his climbing into the movie "Ritmo Latino." In 1997, Calvo's climbing team made their first attempt on Cerro Torre. They nearly succeeded, but couldn't get up the final ice mushroom — where many teams have been turned back fruitlessly.
"Snow Peaks Connected" (雪脉相连) (Argentina)
In 2005, Calvo returned to Cerro Torre. Along the way, they climbed and filmed, saying, "I don't like people saying that climbing the world's great peaks is the exclusive preserve of famous mountaineers. I think anyone can find their own joy in climbing."
They finally returned beneath the ice mushroom, where they'd stopped 7 years earlier. They opened a climbing route across the ice and finally stood atop Cerro Torre. With his unwavering pursuit of Cerro Torre, Calvo slapped the face of Maestri, the climbing fraud who'd hammered 400 expansion bolts into the mountain! In the end, it's still that saying — climbing should be pure!
Conclusion
End
"Looking Up" (仰望) (Cuernos, Chile)
People's gaze upward at the peaks has never ceased. As time passes through the vast sea of years, at the end of my month-long Patagonia journey, what did this mysterious and legendary place leave me with? Perhaps only the trace of wind passing through my soul!
Related Travel Notes:
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"See All 14 Peaks Above 8,000 Meters by Hiking Just These 5 World-Class Routes"
"This Is the Karakoram! The Gorgeous Snow Mountains on the China-Pakistan Border!"
"Crossing the Death Pass - Accidentally Discovering a Paradise Deep in the Himalayas"
"The World's Most Breathtaking Snow Mountains and Glaciers Are Right Here!"
Related Photography Workshops:
Argentina Patagonia Golden Autumn Photography Workshop