Penitentes are dazzling natural-forming ice columns,
or more accurately ice blades,
that stick up at sharp angles towards the sun.
Rarely found except at high altitudes,
they can grow taller than a human
and form in vast fields.
The following 4 photos were taken by me in Jan 2009
on a mountain slope somewhere between
"Plaza Argentina" base camp and high-camp 1,
in Argentina's Mt Aconcagua,
highest mountain in South America.
First, an entire slope of penitentes
with a trail through it
On the slope now
More of the tall penitentes
For more pictures on my Aconcagua climb, visit:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2009/01/2009-jan-argentina-aconcagua.html
