January 15^th Friday

Avenue of Glaciers. Brazo Noreste Canal Beagle. Snow mountains pushing ten thousand feet and glaciers to the dozen.

The first glaciers come in threes. Romanche, Garibaldi and Pia. We headed for the most beautiful and where three glaciers merge into one, Seno Garibaldi. Cascading waterfalls of fresh melted snow covered the hillsides some just trickling happily down to the sea but others forcing their energy into the flow and pushing through trees and over rocks to create a river plunging deep into the surface of the sea.

A bay gave way to still water and we anchored gripping the soft mud floor. Here we proudly wrote our name on stone along with other intrepid explorers, Allegro 2002, Vilja Mead 1998, Pasanoca 1978 and now Hollinsclough GB 2010.

One mountain more and the opening for the glacier Ventisquero Romanche.  Four meters over the moraine deposit bar. A flat calm sea laps the shores of the giants feet. The huge towering presence of the black pearl mountains. 

Brazo Noroeste splendour claimed as Glacier Avenue was truer than the pilot book. Twelve glaciers sighted hanging from the Himalayan like snow monster mountains all floated by the windows of the yacht. 

The canal filled with turquoise melt water of Hollandia and Italia glaciers. Clouds touched the blue ice, the blue ice broke to a giant grey hanging rock and down plunged a white water rapid.

Not to mention Gordon Island starboard side, mountain top at nine thousand feet.

Anchorage to make Caleta Olla, translation is cooking pot, perfect for a steamy spaghetti dinner. 

54.56.40S  69.0940W

Thirteen thousand nine hundred nautical miles on the log.

Heading Puerto Williams Hollinsclough pushing south for the Cape Horn and the Falklands

Expected Falklands Jan 25^th ish

Carl T Caitland and Morgause           Sail yacht Hollinsclough

www.mailasail.com  then click blogs to track Hollinsclough