Fitz Roy 3405 m), one of the most beautiful Argentinean Andean peaks, rises in the Los Glaciares National Park (Santa Cruz province). Because of the harsh weather that prevails in the mountains, it is dangerous to climb. - 1973

Fitz Roy (3375 m), one of the most beautiful Argentinean Andean peaks, rises in the Los Glaciares National Park (Santa Cruz province). Because of the harsh weather that prevails in the mountains, it is dangerous to climb. - 1973

Guanacos grazing on the pampas. The Fitz Roy massif in the background. - Santa Cruz Province - 1973

‘La Cueva de las Manos’ is a hard-to-reach rock shelter above the Río Pinturas, between Bajo Caracoles and Perito Moreno in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. The significance of the hands is unclear, but they are certainly of a magical nature. The paintings belong to the Toldense culture, which is estimated to date back to around 8000 BC. They are now a World Heritage Site. - Book: Picture 42 - Argentina - 1973

Fitz Roy (3375 m), one of the most beautiful Argentinean Andean peaks, rises in the Los Glaciares National Park (Santa Cruz province). Because of the harsh weather that prevails in the mountains, it is dangerous to climb. - 1973

Mount Fitz Roy (3,375 m) was named in honour of the captain of the Beagle. It was under his command in 1834, following a sixteen-day boat journey on the Río Santa Cruz – in which Charles Darwin also took part – that this peak was first sighted. Towering some 1,600 metres above the surrounding plateau, it resembles a cluster of pillars and spires, whose vertical walls are separated by gorges a thousand metres deep. The Fitz Roy is rightly regarded as the most beautiful peak in the Andes. - Book: Picture 200 - Argentina - 1973

On the Estancia Santa Margarita. In the background the Fitz Roy massif. - Santa Cruz Province - 1973

A gaucho is herding a flock of horses. He works for the Estancia Las Toscas, a historic rural farm in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz. Such remote estancias in the Patagonian steppe were established in the early 20th century for sheep and cattle farming. – Argentina – 1973

Disused wheels on the edge of the Río La Leona - in the background Cerro Fortalezza 722m - Calafate Region - Santa Cruz Province - 1973

The western part of Patagonia is formed by the Andean Cordillera, which in certain sections presents an insurmountable barrier. The winds blow in from the Pacific in an almost constant direction. The clouds they carry gather over the high mountain peaks and bring heavy rainfall. This explains why, despite the relatively low altitude, glaciers – some of which are of immense proportions – stretch across the eastern flank of the Andes. In Los Glaciares National Park (Santa Cruz Province) lies Lago Argentino, the ‘Silver Lake’, one of the most beautiful lakes in this southern region. The town of Calafate on its southern shore is attracting ever more tourists. Several glaciers can be seen in the immediate vicinity. One is called Uppsala and is 40 kilometres long. Pictured here is the equally famous Perito Moreno. – Argentina – 1973

As the eastern tongue of the great Patagonian ice field, the 17-kilometre-long Moreno Glacier stretches down to the southern arm of Lago Argentino, where it ends in a 70-metre-high ice wall. Its scientific discoverer, R. Hauthal, had named it the ‘Bismarck Glacier’ in 1899; it was given its current name in honour of the Argentine naturalist F. P. Moreno. Even in Hauthal’s day, clear signs of irregular advances were evident, whilst the other Southern Andes glaciers were already retreating. Since then, the Canal de los Témpanos has been completely blocked on several occasions, leading to a build-up of water in the southern part of the lake and catastrophic flooding, prompting attempts – in vain – to blast the ice wall with bombs. It was only after a transverse crevasse had formed in the 2 to 2.5-kilometre-wide glacier tongue that the floodwaters drained away. Today, the ‘Canal de los Témpanos’ is open again. - Book: Picture 205 - Argentina - 1973

The western part of Patagonia is formed by the Andes Cordillera, which represents an insurmountable barrier in some sections. The winds blow from the Pacific in an almost unchanging direction. The clouds they bring accumulate above the high mountain peaks and cause abundant precipitation. This explains why, despite their low altitude, glaciers of sometimes enormous dimensions extend along the eastern flank of the Andes. In the Los Glaciares National Park (Santa Cruz Province) lies the Argentino, the Silver Lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in this southern region. The town of Calafate on its southern shore is visited by more and more tourists. Several glaciers can be seen nearby. One is called Uppsala and is 40 kilometres long. An equally famous one is called Perito Moreno. Navigation on the Silver Lake is dangerous, if only because of the wind and the storms that are frequent in the Cordillera. Nature, preserved in its authenticity, attracts many scientists who can devote themselves to their studies here. - 1973

Steam locomotive with coal trailer in Río Turbio - Province of Santa Cruz - 1973

Photo Gallery