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Patagonia:
THE LAST FRONTIER
Three days of
and one not, the Patagonian wind imposes, and pierces our bones
till the marrow, not allowing us to breath. The temperature falls
abruptly to 3 or 4 degrees and when you walk you loose you balance
just as if you were learning to walk. What dramatic words,
but if there were no wind and if the rain and snow storms didn't
exist it wouldn't be Patagonia "The Indomitable " for
these reasons and others, it is sufficient enough to journey through
a world almost unexplored. A world of adventurers of outings
the stories of Luis Sepulveda and Francisco Coloane.
The
territory
This territory
called Patagonia extends from continental Chiloe (X region or region
of the lakes) to Tierra del Fuego (XII region) in Chile and from
Bariloche until Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego in Argentina. Remembering
that Patagonia doesn't pertain to only one country, it is a region.
In November
of 1520, a Portuguese explorer Hernando de Magallanes crossed these
territories through the strait. Which now carries his name, looking
for a commercial route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans,
that avoided the crossing through the frightening Hornos Cape, the
southern most point of the continent.
As of that moment,
the larger boats coming from Europe started an incessant commerce
in the area and the city of Punta Arenas was born, in whose buildings
and style of life of its inhabitants reflected on the great wealth
originated by its commerce.
The immigration
of Yugoslavians, English, Germans and the Spanish gave the city
its total European character. Which unfortunately brought
as consequence the extinction of various native groups of the zone,
Aonikenk, Selknam, Kawashkar and Onas. The "imported"
diseases from Europe and the persecutions and later elimination
of the native groups of the zone, which stains the history of the
explorations and adventures realized in the southern Patagonia.
Tourism
that grows
In the last
10 years the tourism industry in Patagonia has increased considerably,
on the Chilean side just as much in the Argentine side. The quantity
of investment in hotel infrastructure, travel agencies with packages,
restaurants, etc...has reflected the new spirit of the region: in
massive tourism that still maintains preserved.
The prevailing
necessity of the traveler today are the adventure trips that conventional
tourism tends to diminish with it public. People look for exotic,
remote places with something of emotion, small challenges and "controlled"
adventures that permit them realize and fulfill dreams. Patagonia
is the new destiny.
It is fantastic
to think of the contrasts that we can find in this incredible region,
to the west of the cordillera in Chile, the fiords, canals, rivers
and mountains are sprinkled through out the landscape of images
like the way out of a fable. To the east, in Argentina the climate
is drier. The landscape is barren, almost without trees. Where
the force of the wind limits the extremes of life...where the force
of the elements allows you to feel each corner.
Climbing
mountains and scaling walls
In this scene
everything acquires and even greater sense. The difficulties grow
when you try to scale a wall or climb a mountain. The margin of
technical difficulty -that can be extreme or not as much-, the climate
is the factor that determines the success of a climb, whatever being
the type.
In 1998 it was
a dramatic year for Paine, mainly for the Vasco mountain climbing:
two friends died in an avalanche. They had already scaled
the Central tower repeating the second ascension Antxon eta Gaizka,
the climate had been unusually fantastic during 15 days. The
high temperatures defined the climatic patterns and behavior of
the geomorphology in the following days, the two friends being at
the base of the wall a great amount of rocks the size of automobiles
fell without previous warning, burying the two climbers. In this
occasion there was a dramatic increase in the volume of rivers that
destroyed everything in its path, bridges, footbridges, footpaths,
etc...total evacuation in the park.
This is how
we can define Patagonia, unforeseeable, furious but can also offer
us a truce. When your a climb in this place is being planned it
is necessary to think of the worst things that could happen, that
the climate will always be bad and could also offer a window of
good weather, at least for a few days. This is how you live in Patagonia.
In the last
4 years we have scaled walls and climbed various
mountains in the zone although the aerial beauty has not been of
great difficulty. The continuous swaying of condors, the wind
striking the walls making the tiniest stone rumble, reminds us constantly
how small and insignificant we are, the same quality of scaling.
All these values have filled our sprit of adventure and have demonstrated
that fascinating places still exist on our planet (our home) full
of energy and mainly that we can still feel like explorers of our
own dreams and restlessness.
Services
How to get
there: various options on how to get to the zone exist,
depending on your preference:
Air:
The flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas last 4 hours, with stopover
in Puerto Montt. To see fares and reservations click
here
Bus:
from Santiago take a bus to Puerto Natales, 2 or 3 day trip. In
the city of Osorno the bus crosses the Argentine boarder to continuing
the trip in Argentina until entering Chile once again in the Cerro
Catillo (Cancha Carrera) boarder one hour distance from Puerto Natales.
In the south of Chile a good part of the roads are filled with rubble.
For transport options click here.
Boat:
travel by plane until Puerto Montt, from here take the Navimag (passenger
and cargo) boat that navigates for three and a half days through
canales and Patagonian fiords crossing the exciting Penas Gulf and
berthing in the principal port of Puerto Natales. Accommodations
on the ship are with bunks with 3 beds, located practically in the
bottom of the ship. There are no windows, it is very cold
and the bathrooms are shared non-private. Another sector is
in shared, more comfortable staterooms including bathroom.
The most expensive option is a more ample stateroom also with shared
bunks and a private bathroom. For more information click
here
Accommodations:
As much in Punta Arenas as in Puerto Natales quite a large variety
of lodging exists: 4 star hotels to a residential o family home.
See lodging alternatives in Punta
Arenas, Puerto
Natales and Torres
del Paine.
Transportation
in the area: Various radio-taxis in Punta Arenas exist as in
Puerto Natales, in addition to "colectivos" (partial taxis)
services. To arrive in Torres del Paine National Park, there are
various options:
Public
bus with departures from 7:00 am, 7:30 am, 8:00 am and until
2:30 pm, these hours are high season, but there are modifications
that always exist in which it is better to consult. The service
is very efficient.
Sailing through the Ultima Esperanza Fiord with 21 de Mayo,
D'Agostini or Nueva Galicia tourist embarkations, to the Cerro
Balmaceda zone. Here you take a two hour walk until arriving at
the Serrano glacier ( 2 hours roundtrip), once you have arrive
at the wharf there is a small trip on motorized zodiacs that will
take you to the park through the Serrano river (approx. 2 hours)
and disembark in the Serrano Camping sector where a van will transport
you to the visitors center of the park. From this point
you can take a public bus towards any destiny.
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To the adventure:
BIG FOOT ADVENTURE PATAGONIA, is a company dedicated to adventure
tourism, with high standards in security and quality of trips. With
a team of 10 qualified guides trained in first aid in remote areas
(WFR, Wilderness first responder), a first quality refuge to conduct
operation in the Grey glacier sector, ice hiking equipment, sea
kayaks, rock climbing equipment, the best quality camping gear and
vehicles. For more information click
here
Collaboration
from Sergio
Echeverría
Bigfoot
Patagonia
secheverria@bigfootpatagonia.com
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