Alpenglow

My favorite photo from our two weeks spent in the Cordillera Blanca. My good friend and local guide Lucio and I hiked up from Cedros Valley before sunset, so I could try and get some shots of the famed Alpamayo. Clouds lingered, obscuring a significant part of the pyramid, so I turned my attention, eyes and camera on the nearby glaciers above as alpenglow danced across thick snow and ice rendering it a ethereal pink as the sun dipped below the horizon. As I clicked the shutter, Lucio turned to view the image on my camera LCD screen and gasped, "Awowwwww". Esta es buenisimo! Mi Favorito! Mi corazon! Qué pasión tenemos para las montañas!" To share a sunset with a dear friend who has spent over 30 years working in the region, and for him to get as excited as the he surely was the first time had me smiling smile ear to ear and filling overloaded with gratitude. It was a special moment. I gave him a big hug , genuinely thanked him for joining me on a little excursion that I usually take in solo, and we headed down to the tents for dinner.