Trekking in Patagonia
The Parque National Torres del Paine, lies in the
wilds of deepest southern Chile between the the windswept Patagonia
syeppe to the
east and the vast Continental Icecap to the north and west. To the
south west are the fijords and islands of the Chilean Archipielago.
The Paine is one of South America´s the most spectacular national
parks. A wonder of natural sculpture, its 935 square miles (2422
square kilometres) display many of southern Patagonia´s most spectaular
and idiosyncratic landscape features; glaciers, soaring granite spires,
jewel-like lakes and dense Magallanic forest. As willife, Paine´s
contrasting vegetation zones harbour many bird and mammal species,
some endemic. UNESCO recoganize Torres del Paine National Park as
a uniqueness back 1978 when it granted the park World Heritahe Status.
There is something otherworldly about the improbably contoured Paine
Massif 10,000 ft (3000m). It rise abruptly from a low-lying plateau
and forms the centerpiece of the park. This is the hub of the great
Paine trekking circuit, a demanding 10-day loop that takes trekkers
to the pristine heart of one of world´s most breathtaking glaciated
wilderness. The ferocious westerly winds that buffer this
region throughout the trekking season (November-March) are an integreal
part of the Paine experience. These are due largely to the presence
nearby of the vast South Patagonian Icefield, a huge anomaly given
the moderate latitude - some 50 degrees south.
The breathtaking granite wall of the Paine range
is first viewed from afar on the approach from Puerto Natales and
it various distinct
features come into a sharp focus on rounding the eastern shore of
Lago Sarmiento. The monolithic Cerro Paine Grande 10,000 ft (3000m)
dominates its western flank while, to its right, the aptky named
Cuernos (horns) thrust skiward. Cerro Alimirante.
On the other side of Patagonia region, the Argentinean one,
lies The Parque National Los Glaciares, dominated by the
Fitz Roy Massif,
with its host of granite spires and needles. Monte Fitz Roy was
originally called "El Chalten" (Peak of Fire) by the local Telhuelche
Indians, as the thought it was a volcano. Later Francisco Perito
Moreno renamedit after Captain Fitzroy of the Beagle who, in 1834,
togehter with Charles Darwin, was probably the first European ever
to set eyes on it. As well as being scenically breathtaking, the
area is rich in condors, torrent ducks, Magallanic woodpeckers and
the forest is home to the end endangered huemul, a type of sturdly
Andean deer and the Patagonian hare, the mara.
Available Patagonia Trekkings
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