Glacier Hike in the Andes
After soaking in the city sights for a couple of days, I geared up for a guided day hike into the Andes mountains just outside of Santiago. The group ended up being a smaller one, resulting in a laid-back excursion with just me and my friend, an adventurous elderly couple from the Netherlands, and two enthusiastic guides.
This was my first time hiking in the mountains, like, actual mountains. Coming from flat Chicago where the landscape is more pancake than peak, and being at the highest elevation I had ever been at, I wasn't fully prepared (physically) for this.
As we gained elevation I found myself needing more and more breaks in order to catch my breath. Along the way we came to a massive rock that had been split open, and on the inside were prehistoric fossils from the pre-cambrian era. This was my first time seeing fossils outside of a musem.
We quenched our thirst with ice-cold glacier melt water from a nearby mountain stream, and it was the most refreshing thing ever. Finally, after navigating past a small false summit, our lead guide extended his hand and said 'Congrats, you made it.' And there it was, a stunning glacier, melting into a muddy-brown mountain lake. It was so quite up there, so serene.
I had never laid eyes on a glacier outside of books and films. The silence up there was almost magical; the only sound was the occasional cracking sound coming from the glacier itself. We settled onto rocks and gazed in wonder at the glacier while enjoying our food with a view. Our lead guide even surprised us by playing their flute.