|
|
|
Written by Knight Ridder
|
|
Wednesday, 10 May 2006 |
|
|
|
|
CHAITEN, Chile — After a fitful night of sleep on the ferry from Puerto Montt, I climbed out of my seat and stepped into the cold and wind to watch Chilean Patagonia emerge from the morning mist.
At first I could make out only the graceful curves of the Andean range’s smaller mountains, smothered in rain clouds. Then the gray opened, allowing glimpses of waterfalls dropping from sheer granite cliffs into the choppy waters of Corcovado Gulf.
The rain lifted as the ferry approached the town of Chaiten, and I discovered soaring peaks and thick green forest all around. Seals accompanied the ferry to its dock.
A growing legion of adventurers is risking damp weather and a rough boat ride to experience isolated southern Chile, home to some of the world’s most pristine stretches of mountains and forests.
From the serene waters of Lago Blanco, or White Lake, to snowcapped volcanoes to the park’s chaotic mix of bamboo, enormous ferns and ancient trees, Pumalin’s 740,000 acres offers a glimpse of wild, patient nature at work.
A boat ride through the park takes you among tall, winding fjords, carved by glaciers millions of years ago. Dolphins and seals fill the waters. You might even catch sight of Tompkins’ wood-shingled house snuggled deep in the Renihue fjord, which stretches far into the park between jagged granite peaks.
There’s no doubt you’ve left the modern world behind. The only way in and out of the park, which the Chilean government designated a protected nature sanctuary last August, is by ferry or chartered plane from the city of Puerto Montt, 130 miles away.
As I hiked the park’s trails I couldn’t help thinking about the sheer tonnage of vegetation that covers the area. With more than 20 feet of precipitation falling on Pumalin every year, trees shoot above the forest floor, grow sideways, wrap their roots around other trees and do everything but sing and dance.
Most famous is the hardwood alerce, which can grow as tall as 160 feet and live as long as 4,000 years. The oldest living organism in Latin America, the alerce was almost decimated during the 19th century by people seeking its sturdy wood for ships, shingles and housing beams, among other uses.
Looking out at the deep fjords, the tall mountains and the untrammeled beauty, I wondered:
Why even go back? If only there were cell phone coverage.
IF YOU GO:
HOW TO GET THERE: Most travelers reach Pumalin Park through the city of Puerto Montt, about 130 miles north. Flights to Puerto Montt leave Chile’s capital, Santiago, several times a day, with air fare and taxes running around $330 for a round-trip ticket on the Chilean airline LAN.
From Puerto Montt, a night ferry makes its way through Corcovado Gulf to the town of Chaiten in 12 hours and runs about $30 per person. Passengers sleep in plush, reclining seats, and a cafeteria sells hot beverages and snacks in the morning. The ferry returns to Puerto Montt in the morning and costs about $20. Lunch and dinner may be bought during the return.
Chaiten sits a few miles from Pumalin’s southern entrance and 36 miles south of the tourist center of Pumalin, the town of Caleta Gonzalo, which for decades was little more than a boat ramp but now features a restaurant, campgrounds, cabins and a visitors center. Van rides with private guides from Chaiten to Caleta Gonzalo run anywhere from $15 to $70 each way and usually can be arranged on the spot in Chaiten. A talent for negotiating comes in handy. The park isn’t served by public transportation.
Entering the park’s northern section requires driving on poorly maintained dirt roads south from the town of Hornopiren, about four hours by bus from Puerto Montt, and chartering a boat into the park. During the peak months of January and February, ferries travel between Hornopiren and Caleta Gonzalo. The fare is about $20 per person. Almost all visitors stay in Pumalin’s southern section.
Chartered flights from Puerto Montt to Chaiten cost about $180 round-trip and take less than an hour.Entrance to the park is free.
WHERE TO STAY: Lodging in Chaiten is plentiful but simple and can run from a few dollars a night on up. The nicest option in town is the Hosteria Puma Verde, run by the park, which can cost upward of $100 a night for rooms that sleep at least two. A $30 room at The Refuge featured a television that didn’t work and plywood walls that let in noise from neighboring rooms, but also heat from the stove in the hallway.
At Caleta Gonzalo, comfortable, creatively decorated cabins sleep as many as five people. A cabin that sleeps four costs about $120 per night. A few other cabins and a wide variety of campgrounds also fill the park. Reservations can be made through a local travel agency by e-mailing
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
or calling 011-56-65-232-300.
PACKAGE TOURS: They can be pricey. A tour by the local company Al Sur Expeditions costs about $1,500 per person and includes round-trip air travel between Puerto Montt and Chaiten, transportation to and from the park, one night’s stay in Caleta Gonzalo and a guided tour. Guides come equipped with ample knowledge of the park’s flora and fauna beyond what’s available on scattered information signs and maps. Almost all tour guides speak English, as do some personnel in the park.
A four-night trip from Puerto Montt to the park by ferry and van without a tour guide can cost about $400 per person.
Fishing licenses are available, although each visitor is allowed to keep only one fish per day.
SOME CONTACTS:
Al Sur Expeditions, www.alsurexpeditions.com
Chaitur Excursions, 56-65-731-429
Pumalin Park. www.parquepumalin.cl
| Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
|
|
| |
