uring a partial traverse of the Continental
Icecap, mountaineer Tina Arapkiles crosses
the endless waves of blue ice on the broad
Upsala Glacier, below the "neve" or snow line,
which divides the snow accumulation zone of a
glacier from its ablation, or melting zone. The
Continental Icecap is a network of massive
glaciers that extends for 350 rugged kilometers
along the border of Argentina and Chile. It
has long been an area of dispute between the
two countries, but it is so remote, complex,
and swept by such furious storms that it still
remains largely unexplored.
