February 8, 2016
Written by Olivia Andreozzi (University of Vermont)
Round River Patagonia is in the fjords! After a long, beautiful boat ride through dozens of fjords we made it to our long awaited destination to start our adventure. Here in the fjords of Bernardo O’Higgins National Park we are working with the Corporacion Nacional Forestal (CONAF) – the Chilean equivalent of the U.S. Forest Service – to find out more about an untrodden valley that is lush with life, climb over an unnamed pass, and hopefully see Huemul deer, an endangered species of national importance.
With Huemul populations dwindling, Bernardo O’Higgins National Park is a place of incredible importance to preserving the species. In addition to hopefully finding out more about the Huemul, we are also learning more about the plants and birds that are here as well. The park guards that are guiding us, also known as guardaparques, are full of knowledge about this landscape, and it is a pleasure learning from them. As we started hiking up a river on the edge of the fjord, I knew that this would be the experience of a lifetime.
Stream-side class
That first day of hiking was inspiring, beautiful, and extremely difficult. Having not done much bushwhacking and bog-hopping before, I was taken aback by the skill and determination and patience needed to navigate this landscape. As the day went on, all of we students were so curious about the classroom surrounding us, from the small carnivorous bog plants to the natural history of this glacial landscape. I don’t think I’ve ever learned so many new plant species in one day. My mind was flooded with new material and curiosity about everything in my path.
Grace helping Addie up a waterfall (photo be Elizabeth Brunner)
Some of the ecosystems here are not especially backpacker friendly, but definitely a challenge that ultimately makes one more humbled by this place. Muddy feet, scratched-up arms, and pure exhaustion drained all of my excitement by five o’clock that night, but my enthusiasm was reinvigorated when we made it to camp a few hours later. Although we camped on a bog where I thought I might need snorkels if we sunk, the view of surrounding mountains took my breath away, and all at once all of the frustration with backpacking was swept away.
Photo from the top of the pass (taken with a drone)
On our third day of challenging backpacking through thick, mysterious forests, and a lifetime’s worth of bogs, we finally made it over the pass! Being the first people to ever cross over this mountain, we named the pass Puertasuelo del Hambre, and the following valley over the pass the Valle de las Chilindrinas – in honor of the braids we wore and the Chilean nickname for those tirelessly enthusiastic ladies with braids. Our campsite that night was on an open bog (not too soggy, this time) directly next to an old growth forest that felt like it was straight out of an old time fairy tale. Every tree was blanketed in deep, plush moss, and a river ran through the forest. I couldn’t pass up the chance to take a dip, and I never felt more alive than when swimming—very briefly—in this river, the sun peeping through the forest canopy and grazing my shoulders. This will be one of those moments that I will never forget.
A bog, and a river, from above (photo taken with a drone)
The next two days of that first backpacking trip were a test of sorts, all of us learning to expect the unexpected in the terrain and how to respect and accept whatever challenge was thrown at us. It may have been some of the most difficult days of backpacking I’d ever had, but it was all worth it.
After that exhausting five day journey, we finally made it to the edge of Fiordo Bernardo, and a boat full of sopaipillas (the most delicious, addicting baked good in all of Chile) with the captain, Lucho, there to greet us. We stayed at the CONAF refugio (park station) that is only a few kilometers west of Glacier Bernardo. The refugio is super cozy, and the views here are indescribable. We spent those next few days gorging ourselves in calafate berries, a berry much like a blueberry, but even tastier to a group of ravenous backpackers. So far, this trip has been so amazing and I learn so much everyday! I can’t wait for the next adventure.
Group photo in the fjords