Looking out over the fjords of northern Patagonia
Chile is such a long country that it’s almost inevitable that there are bits of it which get a bit overlooked. Take northern Patagonia, the 500km or so running south from Puerto Montt as far as Coyhaique.
There is only one road through this region, the Carretera Austral. In reality it’s a bumpy dirt road wedged in between the high peaks of the Andes and the icy waters of the fjords.
At this point Chile is incredibly skinny, some 10s of kilometres wide. It is not an easy area to live in, not least because there is a certain lack of flat land to farm. However, it is strategically very important as the Argentinians would give their eye-teeth to have access to the Pacific.
The frontier between Argentina and Chile is simply defined by the direction the water flows. If the water is flowing towards the Atlantic, it’s Argentina. If it flows towards the Pacific then that’s Chile. Of course this means that the border effectively runs along the very peaks of the Andes.
In northern Patagonia the landmass of Chile is tantalisingly slight which dangles the prospect of Argentina being able to create a land bridge between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
Currently shipping can either go round Cape Horn and its famously fierce waters, or it can go through the Panama Canal. The commercial value of creating an alternative to the Panama Canal are almost incalculable.
As a result there has traditionally been a certain, shall we say, tension between the southerly neighbours Chile & Argentina. These tensions have been greatest where Chile was at its narrowest – Patagonia.
Where there is a large open area in the border, the Chileans placed a significant town and military base called Coyhaique. To the north was almost nothing until you got to Puerto Montt.
As recently as the 1980s, there was really not much to stop the Argentines simply pushing through one of the passes along the stretch between Coyhaique and Puerto Montt to establish a foothold on the Pacific coast.
That is until the inauguration of the Carretera Austral in 1992. This is a terribly grand sounding opening for what in the UK would pass in large part as a farm track though admittedly it’s one hell of an engineering project to even fit a road onto the available land.
The Chilean government then incentivised people with the offer of free land. If you could live in the region and make the land productive within a period of, I believe 5 years, you could keep it.
Of course small communities started to appear along the length of the road to create a far greater diplomatic barrier to Argentine incursions.
Things nowadays are much calmer between the neighbours and the area is one of the most precious places you could hope to visit. As long as you are prepared for some serious rainfall, the landscapes and the people are unforgettable.
One of the best ways to experience this part of Chile is on board Skorpios.
To find out more about a Skorpios cruise, or any of our holidays to Chile, please call Pura Aventura on 01273 676 712.
The massive new observatory being built in Chile's Atacama Desert
I loved this story on the BBC website about the new Alma observatory being constructed high above the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Basically it’s a series of large dishes which will apparently work together to effectively create one massive dish – equivalent to a dish some 15km wide.
“What Alma will do is zoom in on the interesting areas and make ultra-high-resolution images that show not just a blob where the galaxies or the molecules are, but resolves in very, very fine detail the structure of those objects, whether it’s the gas discs forming around stars or the collisions between galaxies at [great distance].”
This stuff always amazes me. The science behind the construction is mind-boggling let alone the science behind interpreting what the telescope will see.
“Alma will also go after events in the very early Universe, in particular the so-called “Epoch of Re-ionisation”.
The idea of a massive telescope zooming back through time and space to have a look at events which took place at the dawn of time is just bonkers to me.
Presumably it’s all to do with the lessening acceleration of expansion of the universe which allows us to catch up with some of the early matter?
Anyone know how this stuff actually works? Post your theses here!
Anyone want to go on holiday to Chile? Call us on 01273 676 712.
The peak of Huayna Picchu dominating the citadel of Machu Picchu
Today we have been informed that as from the 15th of July , in order to climb Huayna Picchu (the big sugar loaf mountain behind Machu Picchu) the following new rules (in blue) are now in place, not only limiting the number but also adding a surcharge for those wishing to attempt this climb:
1: Entrance times are:
Group 1 (G1): 0700 – 0800
Group 2 (G2): 1000 – 1100
2: The max capacity per group is 200 people
3: Permits to climb Huayna Picchu can only be made through www.machupicchu.gob.pe or in the Cusco office of the Direction Regional of Cusco.
They cannot be purchased on arrival in Machu Picchu nor in Aguas Calientes. Once sold out, that’s it. You can find availability at the website above.
4: The prices for entrances to Huayna Picchu are different to the standard entrance tickets to Machu Picchu whose price remains the same. It is not possible to swap standard entrance tickets to include Huayna Picchu.
5: Prices for Machu Picchu – Huayna Picchu – Moon Temple which come into effect as of 15th July (includes entrance to Machu Picchu) are
Adults S/150 which equals around us$55.
Students with Valid ISIC cards only S/75
In future any clients wishing to climb Huayna Picchu, we will need to know as far in advance as possible, and will then purchase the permits on their behalf and will have to surcharge as below:
For those just doing a day trip, with enough warning, we can add Huayna Picchu to their standard day trip price for £10 extra
For those coming in on the Inca Trail (Km 104 or longer) we will have to pre -purchase a complete new entrance at £38
For this year we will do this at cost price when available, but note we need the maximum warning possible to be able to confirm these permits – The system has only just gone live and already permits are selling out fast – We anticipate it being similar to the Inca Trail permits shortly.
It is worth mentioning there are still some great hikes to do in and around Machu Picchu that are not yet restricted: climb Machu Picchu Mountain for a truly impressive view of Machu Picchu as the condors see it, hike back along the Inca Trail to the Sun gate to see Machu Picchu as those on the Inca Trail see it, hike out to the Inca Bridge for more amazing views.
Find out more about our group holidays to Peru.