Patagonia: Sea. Summit. Sky.

Suspended from the tip of South America is a region of geographic diversity called Patagonia. Encompassing the sweeping granite landscape of the Southern Andean Cordillera it is surrounded by place names like the Magellan Strait, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, and Chile.

Between the sea, summits, and Patagonia's sky you can find:
- the vast and arid Patagonia steppe--the largest desert in the Americas,
- dense temperate rain forests along the Pacific fjords,
- glaciers and the only substantial ice cap outside of the polar regions,
- some of the most inaccessible summits in the world,
- a sculpted sky filled with wind whipped clouds.

Since Ferdinand Magellan landed in 1520, its vast expanses have attracted generations of immigrants from Europe. Massive fortunes were made on wool between 1890 and 1920 before the wind blew away the topsoil. Today, the land is shared between lonely horsemen and outdoor adventurers - both of whom have to overcome the extreme weather in pursuit of their livelihoods and goals.

Aurora photographer Beth Wald captures the dreamscape of Patagonia and shares it with you in this week's PhotoVoyage.

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