by Sam Wells, of Colby College
In characteristic Puerto Eden manner, a sudden rain squall greeted us as we stepped off the ferry onto the dock. Luckily Hostal Jekҫal, our lodging for the week, was close by and after quickly unloading our gear and food, we were able to regroup inside the warm and cozy house. After our first nomadic week in Patagonia, settling down for more than a couple days was a nice change of pace for Team Chucao. Soon after the initial rainy welcome, blue skies shone through and we set out to explore the town. The sound of water running down the mossy rocks and the warm sunshine made Puerto Eden seem like the paradise it’s named for. To make things even better, we were lucky enough to be invited to a traditional Chilean Asado (lamb roast) in honor of our instructor Fernando’s birthday. The hosts, Javier, Isabel, Esteban, and Javiera were incredibly welcoming and treated us to a fantastic night of backyard soccer, dancing, and laughter. We were all humbled to be able to participate in this special event and spend time with the people who have lived in Patagonia their whole lives.
An overview of the western part of Puerto Eden from the hilltop lookout. Visible are the school (red roof), police station (white buildings with green roofs), and various houses. Photo by Nate Stone.
With the first, exciting day under our belts, we began to settle into the daily rhythm of Puerto Eden. Since the Patagonian fjords are subject to constant moisture-laden winds from the Pacific Ocean, dark clouds are always on the horizon. We have gotten used to the nightly sound of rain drumming down on the corrugated roof of our cozy six-person bedroom, and the sudden gusts of wind that send the small windmills on the dock spinning frantically. The weather changes quickly here. When the sun shines through, it is warm and summery, but you can be sure that clouds and cold will be close behind. However, inclement weather does little to deter the people of Puerto Eden, who continue to commute on the boardwalk and pilot their distinctive red and yellow boats around the bay.
Life here is intimately tied to the water. As a tiny, remote fishing village, Puerto Eden is mostly reliant on supplies shipped in from Puerto Natales, a town 26 hours away by boat. Originally established in the 1930’s as a military base, Puerto Eden is now one of the largest remaining communities of indigenous Kawásqar people left in Chile. Home to 600 people in the 1990’s, the population has plummeted to around 60 in just 2 decades, due to harmful algal blooms – likely caused by climate change – that have caused the collapse of the fishing industry. While we have been here, we have seen the tight-knit and friendly nature of the town, but also felt the sense of loss that comes with a disappearing way of life.
A fishing vessel at the main dock of Puerto Eden. Many of the local boats are painted in this style and are the only form of transportation here besides walking. Given the ever-changing weather, rainbows are a nearly daily occurrence. Photo by Nate Stone.
Our hostel, where we spend a good chunk of our time, is a cozy 2-story house situated (like most of Puerto Eden) right on the water. With a kitchen, wood stove, showers, comfortable beds, and enough space for us all to sit around a table, it is a luxury-filled mansion for a bunch of students accustomed to tents and camp stoves. My favorite part is the upstairs sunroom, where we eat most of our meals and have class during the day. The large table, floor-to-ceiling windows, and sky-blue walls make it a relaxing place to be, rain or shine. Despite the often cold and wet weather, Patricia (the owner) warms the place up with her bright smile and steady supply of dry wood for the fire. It feels good to be able to settle in somewhere and get into a daily routine and Hostal Jekҫal is the perfect place for it.
On the airy first floor of the Hostal Jekҫal, students Siena and Baillie paint the first draft of the community map for Puerto Eden. Photo by Shalynn Pack.
The final map is ready for its first coat of varnish! Photo by Shalynn Pack.
While in town, we hosted a workshop for local kids, teaching the basics of camping – using a tent and backpack, cooking on camp stoves, using a GPS for orienteering, and also playing games and drinking delicious hot chocolate. Next week, these same kids will embark on a camping outing led by Round River’s Team Tero . This will be the first time camping for most of the kids!
Round River hosts a workshop on camping basics for local kids, in advance of their first camping fieldtrip. Photo by Shalynn Pack.
To end our time in Puerto Eden, we embarked on a short 1-night expedition up to the base of Panchote, a beautiful mountain about 7km away from town. On the hike out, we were able to collect the first set of biodiversity data that Round River has recorded for this area. We noted plant assemblages, bird populations, disturbance history, and signs of Huemul deer. Everyone was excited to do some real data collection and get established in the field teams we will be working in for the rest of the semester. Despite the rain and wet feet, we were able to see incredibly rare old growth forests of Ciprés (which take 100 years to reach just a few inches in diameter!), camp on a Sphagnum bog, and find tracks of the endangered Huemul, making the trip well worth it.
Being able to spend time in this remote and historic place is humbling and exciting. Puerto Eden has treated us well and we will be sad to leave. Luckily Team Tero will take our place and be able continue the projects we started, including a town map and signs for the boardwalk. Now we are on to Cochrane and all the adventures ahead!
A rainbow graces Panchote peak. Photo by Nate Stone.
On the return from the Panchote hike, we came across a real “Round River”! The section of the river on the right of the photo is flowing down the frame, while the form on the left is flowing up the frame. Photo by Shalynn Pack.
Pausing to take a look back at Panchote on the hike out. The melting glacier high on the peak feeds almost a dozen waterfalls in the central valley. The lake we camped at was near the base on a lake surrounded by Sphagnum bogs and some of the only old-growth Ciprés forests left in Chile. Photo by Nate Stone.
Blog author poses for a photo on his birthday at Panchote’s hidden second lake, only accessible by pack raft. Photo by Nate Stone.