Team Delfín Treks to Cabo Froward

By Emma Gwyn, University of Vermont

On the 14th of January, we all landed in Punta Arenas were we met our instructors and spent the next a few days going over program logistics, getting to know each other and exploring the town, which included a trip to a Natural History Museum about Patagonia.

The city of Punta Arenas with the Magellan Strait in the background.

On the 17th we packed up and after a one-and-a-half-hour ride, we started our first backpacking expedition to Cabo Froward, the southernmost point of continental South America. On this trip we got in the groove of backpacking and began to familiarize ourselves with some of the local flora and fauna. On the first day while walking along the rocky shore, we saw a small whale in the distance, and many different species of birds. Our instructors pointed out so many different types of plants that we wondered how we would ever be able to remember them all, and yet now after only 5 days many of them seem familiar. Our trek led us right past a retired lighthouse called Faro San Isidro, where we enjoyed our first lunch on the trail with a beautiful view, and were pleasantly surprised to find out that we all would get two sandwiches, not just one, for lunch every day. After lunch, we split our time between walking along the beaches of protected coves and on a trail through the Magellanic Rainforest. We camped the first night after crossing our first river, Rio Yumbal. After a slightly drizzly first day, we were blessed with good weather for the rest of the trip, with rain showers coming only after camp was set up in the evening.

Faro San Isidro.

On our second day we navigated over and under downed trees on a steep and muddy trail through the rainforest where we saw three Magellanic Woodpeckers, which are the largest species of woodpeckers in South America. After some more rock scrambling along the beach, we made it to our first sphagnum bog. The sphagnum moss in these bogs is very squishy and wet and kept us on our toes in an effort to not get stuck. In addition to the sphagnum moss there were Guaiteca’s Cypress trees which are very cool trees because they are rot resistant. After we came out of the bogs we arrived at Rio Nicolas, which was too deep to wade across so we got out the pack raft. A handful of brave souls swam across the river, and Cormac rode our Team Delfín mascot across the river. We camped at Rio Nodales the second night and rested our tired legs in preparation for our day hike to Cape Froward the next day.

Adam paddling backpacks across Rio Nicolas on the pack raft

On the 19th we crossed Rio Nodales first thing in the morning and tried to convince ourselves that the frigid water was “like an ice bath for our sore feet.” Starting off along the beach we soon recognized that the incoming tide would prove problematic and tried to cut up onto the shore. We found ourselves in a bog transitioning to rainforest, which is waist high scraggily underbrush growing on a thin layer of decomposing plant matter laid on top of fallen trees and roots. During lunch we discovered that Austral Bellflowers are not only beautiful to look at but also taste deliciously sweet. I’m certain that if any of us had eaten one more we would have turned into Austral Bellflowers. There was lots of slipping and sliding and I fell into a surprise hole up to my chin. After lunch we continued along the beach and eventually came into view of the cross at Cape Froward. Unfortunately, we had to halt our progress there as we still had to make our way back to camp that evening and it had not been an easy walk. While we took a break on our southernmost beach we glimpsed a seal bobbing up and down in the distance, and two Southern Giant Petrols which are closely related to albatrosses. We stuck to the shore on the walk back, and with a few more tumbles made it back to Rio Nodales where we waded across to our camp.

Team Delfín at our southernmost point.

Ella gets a little crabby when she’s hungry.

On the 20th we started back toward Punta Arenas and had our first half day. After camp was set up a few of us went for a little dip in the pool, and by the pool I mean el Estrecho de Magallanes, and by dip I mean walked in to about waist deep, dunked under and scurried back out. That afternoon we had two classes, one on observations of the natural world given by Adamand one on orienteering given by Scott.

Day 5 we walked back up through the bogs, and realized how, even after only four days in the field, we recognized so many species which had seemed extremely daunting on the first day. Along the trail, we found some Culpeo Fox scat and saw many Dark-bellied Cincloides birds. We made awesome time on the trail and got into camp with enough time for a quick nap and for Adam to lead a class on storytelling. It was Lily’s 20th birthday so we sang Happy Birthday and Ella and Tara whipped up a mystery chocolatey cereal surprise which tasted amazing.

Lily enjoying her birthday dessert.

On the 22^nd we got up earlier than usual to make it back to the road in time to catch a ride back to Punta Arenas. It was a pretty easy walk back along the shore, and we were so relaxed in fact, that Cormac and Isabel almost walked into a young South American Fur Seal, who was asleep on the beach.