LAUGHING CAMELS AND KNOCKING BIRDS
Parque Nacional Patagonia, a recently established national park, is rich in diversity, featuring steppes, forests, rocky mountains, and colourful lakes. It is home to several iconic Patagonian animals, including guanacos, pumas, and huemules (shy, rare deer that are the southernmost living species of their kind).
Ha, ha, ha…”—a mix of high-pitched bleating sounds and laughter echoed across the steppes from one pass to another. It wasn’t long before we spotted our first guanaco, nervously fleeing from two top-class predator apes. These shrieks are a common warning of danger, often used against their main predator, the puma.
-
We were heading towards Parque Nacional Patagonia, a newly established national park and one of Chile’s greatest restoration projects, created by Conservación Patagónica, a non-profit organization founded by Kris and Doug Tompkins, the alpinist and founder of The North Face.
NP Patagonia, with its main valley of Chacabuco, serves as a vital biological corridor, and the diversity of flora and fauna was evident at every step. While walking through a rotting forest, my father quickly stopped me and pointed to a tree in the distance, where a knocking sound was coming from. It was a pair of Magellanic woodpeckers. The male, with a bright red head, was completely focused on courting the female and didn’t mind our approach as we took some photographs.
As we continued through numerous valleys, multi-coloured lakes, and grassy plains, we passed the 1,000 km mark of our journey south. It has been an unforgettable experience so far, and despite the constant adaptation of plans due to unstable weather and ever-changing restrictions, we look forward to the adventures that still await us in the coming months.
Before Europeans arrived on the continent, wild populations of guanacos, the largest camelid species in South America, thrived in the millions across Patagonia. Ancestors of the more famous llamas, guanacos are well-adapted to the harsh environment of Patagonia. They can retain and store moisture, have specialized lips, and thick necks that protect them from thorny bushes and predators such as pumas.
Laguna Verde is a common name for greenish lakes in Latin America, but this one was unique. Its intense turquoise color surprised our eyes, a result of specific minerals in the water. Following the Valle Hermoso (Beautiful Valley) on the right, we hiked to our first campsite in PN Patagonia, well-protected within the forest.
The Magellanic woodpecker is the largest species of its family on the continent. The female has a black head with a distinctive recurved crest, while the male is distinguished by its flame-red head. It digs out grubs from rotting wood with a loud, rapid double-knocking drumming.
There are many basic campsites along the trails in PN Patagonia, with only a few featuring tables and wooden shelters. None are as exclusive as Casa de Piedras, situated at the end of the Jeinimeni Traverse. With amenities like showers, indoor kitchen spaces, and flushed toilets, it was a rare treat along the path.
During the night, rain poured heavily over our tent, and snow blanketed the mountain peaks, creating a stunning contrast in the morning. Interestingly, the wind that replaced the rain was so fierce that it managed to dry even our freshly washed clothes hanging out to dry.
The six-day traverse through PN Patagonia, from Chile Chico to Cochrane, concluded with the lesser-known Siete Lagunas (Seven Lakes) trail. This beautiful section showcased high natural diversity, transitioning from rugged mountains to grassy highlands dotted with lakes, where condors soared just above our heads.