Tour of Chilean Tierra del Fuego, January 2017

(click any image to enlarge)

Tierra del Fuego, or Fireland in English, is a name given to the big island to the south of the Strait of Magellan. The island is shared by Argentina on the east, and Chile on the west. The indigenous Selknam people, inhabitants of this windswept land for 12,000 years, were known to build large fires that were seen by Spanish explorers looking for a passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific in 1520.

I had the good fortune to tour the island with Marcelo Noria of Andes Fuegina, a professional guide and mountaineer who lives on the island. He is tenacious about developing a sustainable and responsible tourist industry on Tierra del Fuego. He was my driver, cook, teacher, caretaker, and dear friend for four days. The friendship part will continue long after this extraordinary journey.

The Selknam built stone barriers along the coastline to trap fish at low tide. These barriers are still visible, and were probably used into the early 20^th century.

The Selknam probably numbered 4,000 at any one time, and their main source of food was the guanaco, a camelid relative of the llama. The guanaco provided meat, skins for clothing, bones for tools, and sinew for bow strings. Unfortunately for the Selknam and the guanaco, European settlers wanted the land for raising sheep, and massive estancias were created at the end of the 19^th century. The indigenous people were viewed as pests and were annihilated. By 1930, these people who lived in complete harmony with their environment, ceased to exist, due to European disease and slaughter.

The first sheep ranch on the island was Estancia Josefina, established in 1894. The administrator was Alexander Cameron from New Zealand, famous for leading the campaign against the Selknam. Here is the current shearing shed, still in use. Sheep farming is lucrative in this gently rolling arid steppe.

The road is not paved, at times gravel, but usually is compacted earth on top of gravel. We will travel over 450 miles round trip in four days.

A visit to the king penguin colony along the coast of Bahía Inútil is a must for every tourist passing by. I apologize for the lack of a zoom shot. These animals stand stoically, guarding their eggs for several months.

We watch flamingos feeding in a lagoon near the road.

Our goal this day is to arrive at Karukinka Park, an important conservation effort administered by the Wildlife Conservation Society and funded by Goldman-Sachs. The park comprises 741,000 acres and reaches to the Admiralty Sound (Seno Almirantazco) in the south.

A three-room cabin is available to tourists. It contains a kitchen, bathroom with hot water, and living room besides the three bedrooms. You must bring your own food. The buildings here were part of the old Estancia Vicuña.

The next morning, we set out to hike the moderate Condor Imaginario hill, which has a spectacular view from the top. Our lodging is seen in the distance, to the right of center. The name of the hill is Imaginary Condor. When naming it, people had heard there were condor here but that day they found none. We saw one.

From the top of Condor Imaginario you can see Pietri Grandi, which we will climb two days later.

photo: Marcelo Noria

Our next goal was to drive south through the increasingly dense nothofagus (southern beech) forest. The landscape is increasingly mountainous. My mountaineer companion becomes more animated as we travel south. Below is a view of Valle Paciencia. There is an icy cold wind that Marcelo says is only a "Magellanic breeze." Click here for a short video. The reddish color of the valley floor represents "turba" or peat bog. Some beaver damage to the forest is also visible.

We arrive at the shore of Fagnano Lake and move into a rustic cabin at the local Estancia Fagnano, home of Germán Genkowsky, son of Polish immigrants who arrived in this desolate land in 1940. Don Germán was born here in 1946. The road only arrived about 2008. Before that there was only a horse trail. It took several days to arrive at his estancia.

Several years ago I was at the opposite end of the lake, 90 miles away, in Argentina. My dream was to arrive here, at the Chilean end. The lake is where the Scotia and South American tectonic plates meet. The Azopardo River drains the lake to the west, the Admiralty Sound and the Pacific Ocean. It is a land of superlatives. Don Germán's estancia is the only human settlement. The Argentine town of Tolhuin is at the opposite end.

The Chilean military is blasting a road through the rocky terrain, hoping to arrive at the southern shore of Tierra del Fuego at the Beagle Channel. They are now only about five miles south of Fagnano Lake. It will take several more years to complete the job.

We return the next day to Karukinka Park and our rustic lodging. Evidence of the environmental damage caused by beaver is evident wherever there is forest and running water. The animals were introduced here in the 1940s and have multiplied exponentially since then. 

Late in the afternoon we decide to climb Pietri Grandi mountain, so named for the great grandfather of don Germán Genkowsky from Fagnano Lake. Elevation is 5,000 feet via a trail of 4.3 miles. It took us 2.5 hours round trip. You can see almost all of Chilean Tierra del Fuego from the summit. Click here for a 360º view.

Dinner tonight is barbecue of freshly-trapped beaver brought in by the forest rangers at Karukina Park. They take measurements of the animals and occasionally use them for food but it's not a favored dish. I found it tasty but chewy. Best is to apply much salt and garlic.

Our last day is a long drive north, leaving the forest and entering the grassland steppe. At the town of Porvenir, we board the ferry to cross the Magellan Strait to Punta Arenas on the mainland. It was an unforgettable experience made all the more enriching by the expert knowledge and dedication of Marcelo Noria.

Río Grande - the estancias

January 31, 2009
The city of Río Grande is about the same size as Ushuaia, but there the similarity ends. Ushuaia is set against the gorgeous Andes range, whereas Río Grande is about half way up the island and set right on the Atlantic coast. My hotel is one block from the ocean. All one sees around this area is steppe, softly rolling and grass-covered, with no mountains or forest. Because of this, it is ideal for producing high quality sheep in great numbers.


Numerous shallow lakes dot the landscape, though many are dry because of little rain. We searched for miles to find the flamingos who inhabit the lake shores. Though we saw several condors overhead and other typical birds of the region, not a flamingo was to be found. Here are some that Fernando captured with his camera on a previous trip.


Our first stop was 12.5 miles inland at the María Behety estancia. Originally the ranch consisted of 475,000 acres and was like a small village with quarters for 100-150 men. It has since been divided into four properties and now has only (!) 154,000 acres. The Corriedale sheep produced here are some of the most important of the race in the world. The ranch was named for the wife of José Menendez who founded the estancia in 1898. It has the largest shearing shed in the world, which we visited. It helps to travel with someone like Fernando who is known to many of the workers, so we had easy access to the property and the shearing shed.










Next, we visited the Los Flamencos estancia, once part of the María Behety, and located several miles to the east. Here is their shearing shed which was also in use today.


Segunda Argentina was the name of this estancia founded in 1902 by José Menendez.


This is the heavy machinery imported from England in the last century to form the wool bales.


We returned to town for lunch, then paid a visit to the Salesian Museum. The order came to Tierra del Fuego in 1894 to preach to the indigenous Yahgan and Ona people. Because of the recent gold strike and the importation of sheep, the people were being exterminated at an alarming rate. The padres brought them to a mission in Río Grande and another on Dawson Island in the Chilean fjord country. They were taught to pray, wear clothes, and learn European ways. They quickly died out from disease and a broken heart. This small museum and the larger one in Punta Arenas preserve many of the artifacts of these people. Here is a modern representation of a typical Ona house or choza.



Tomorrow: my bus leaves early for a 4-hour trip to Porvenir across the border in Chile. From there I take a ferry to Punta Arenas.

A word on Fuegian people

January 30, 2009
After two weeks in this lovely area, my memories are of people who continually impress me with their generosity and love of life. Fuegian is anything from Tierra del Fuego. For example, the delicious fuegian lamb has a flavor all its own due to what the animals have to graze. It is the signature product of the island since the English brought animals from The Falkland (Malvinas) Islands in the late 19th century. The fuegian people of today are mostly from beyond the island, from Chile and from the north of Argentina, people who search for opportunities to work and raise their families here. Many work on the sheep ranches. In Ushuaia many are involved in the tourist industry. In Río Grande, further north, they come to work in the petroleum industry or in the manufacture of automobiles or electronic devices. They can make double a typical salary in Buenos Aires.

Across the border in Chilean Tierra del Fuego most people are working the large sheep ranches. I will only pass through there in a couple of days on my way to Punta Arenas. However, earlier this month I sailed through the impressive channels and fjords of Chile which are home only to elephant seals and seabirds.

Of course my experience has been heightened by having good language skills. Tour guides do their work with an enthusiasm and love of the land that comes through in their talks. Restaurant waiters excuse my occasional faux pas with a smile. Hotel workers have been very accomodating. But my favorite fueguinos have been the taxi and bus drivers. Yesterday, a fellow asked if I was German. Even my negative reply gave him the opportunity to tell me about his grandfather who, at age 14, avoided the military draft in the World War II when Germany was sending youngsters to the front. Now his grandson is a happy taxi driver in Tolhuin, a small village dedicated to forest products.

A small bus with 14 passengers took me the 90 minutes to Lake Fagnano. The driver indicated I should sit up front with him and the young Argentine woman. We engaged in enthusiastic conversation about a thousand things. I worried that he didn't always watch the road. When we said goodbye, I expected to shake hands, but he gave me a big hug and kiss on the cheek before the bus continued on north.

This morning I said farewell to Sonia and Jorge, the wonderful people at Lake Fagnano who provide horse outings, including the famous Bridges Trail crossing. A Chilean man across the road has cabañas for rent on the lake. I was sent there to ask if I could buy his CD of folkloric music. There are no more, but after a short conversation, I now have the CD cover and his book of song lyrics which he autographed for me. He will send me his next CD and book which are almost ready. I felt that I shouldn't offer payment, as this was obviously an act of friendship. I will of course send him some things of mine. This is a man I knew for 15 minutes and we already have commitments. We clicked even further when we discovered we have both been radio announcers as well as performing musicians.

Today, in Río Grande, a taxista took me to the bus station to buy a ticket. He has been here less than five years, and was a taxi driver in Buenos Aires since 1966, where he routinely carried a revolver in his pocket. Arriving here with thousands of others, he is very content. Many locals leave for the summer weeks to take a vacation. He says he is here on vacation, or so it seems compared to his life in the capital city. He took his visiting grandson on a week-long trip to Lake Fagnano and Ushuaia where they did many of the usual tourist outings.

Fernando has gone way beyond the limits of generosity with his photos of our horse trip on the Bridges Trail. He is an amateur photographer with professional standards. He presented me with several large prints of his beautiful work, and also gave us his new DVD of our trip with music. Then he gave me a ride to his town of Río Grande where I had made hotel reservations for a couple of days. Tomorrow we will visit one of the largest estancias in the area and also the local Salesian museum.

The Goodall family invited me to their table at Harberton Estancia on the Beagle Channel. Juan Pablo is the enthusiastic university student who took me under his wing at the estancia and gave me a private tour and helped with all arrangements.

These are just the most vivid recollections. There have been many more moments of interaction with the locals that have impressed me with their gentileza, or generosity. Perhaps I will have to return to do some outings that I missed. Besides, I ate some wild calafate berries the other day on the Beagle Channel. "He who eats calafate will return."

Rowing in the Beagle Channel

January 27, 2009 (Mozart's birthday)
Today I joined a group of about 14 tourists for a day tour to the Beagle Channel and Harberton Estancia. We left early from Ushuaia in the Yellow Submarine (bus) for the 90-minute dusty ride to Harberton. Arriving at the Lashifashaj River on the historic estancia property, we unloaded two large rubber canoes and donned wet weather gear and life jackets. We rowed down river to where it meets the Beagle Channel. Here we carried and towed the canoes to the nearby bay and headed into the Channel. Marine birds were numerous, especially the black and white imperial cormorant, some white terns and flightless steamer ducks. Unfortunately my camera was packed in a dry pocket. I was busy rowing into the wind.



Just as the wind became stronger, we landed on the Harberton Peninsula. A large zodiak picked us up and delivered us to the estancia where we had a delicious lunch on the hill above. After lunch we boarded the zodiak once again to visit a couple of islands in the channel.


Martillo Island hosts a large colony of Magellanic penguins and a small colony of gentoo penguins. We were careful to keep a distance, both to protect the birds and to avoid their curious and dangerous beaks. What is the fascination we humans have for these gentle animals?





This nest contains an adult and two almost full sized chicks.


After spending about an hour in the penguin colony we boarded the zodiac for a short ride to Gable Island. This is where the Harberton ranch used to deliver cattle and sheep to graze. It provided a natural way to prevent the animals from roaming. The name Gable was given because there are cliffs which resemble gables on a house.


We took a hike around the island, which consists of many acres. It is a model of the forest on the mainland, and our guide Freddy had a good understanding of the flora. This parasite is found in the magellanic forest throughout the southern continent. It reminds us of mistletoe and comes in a variety of colors from brown to green and yellow.




We soon met our bus on the mainland and returned on the dusty road to Ushuaia. The next day I took a bus north for 90 minutes for a return visit to Lake Fagnano for a bit of a rest from the adventure of the past week. Today (Jan. 29) I walked almost 5 miles to the village of Tolhuin to visit the famous La Unión bakery for treats. The rain discouraged this tired walker and I returned to my lodge on the lake by taxi. Throughout the day the sky changed constantly, from no clouds and bright sun to torrential rains. The sky in Tierra del Fuego is as dramatic as any of the sights on land or sea.

Tomorrow I have a ride north to Río Grande. My visit to Argentine Tierra del Fuego is almost over and I return to Chile and Punta Arenas on the Straits of Magellan in a few days.

Estancia Harberton

January 24-25, 2009
It was exciting to arrive at this historic place by horse over the mountain pass.


According to Natalie Goodall's book, "the first estancia on Tierra del Fuego, Harberton was founded in 1886, by Thomas Bridges and his sons. The land was a gift from President Julio A. Roca and the Argentine Congress to Bridges for his service to the country - thirty years years of work among the Yahgans, rescue of numerous shipwrecks, and help given to the new Subprefecture in Ushuaia. Originally called Down East, the name was changed to Harberton for the town from which Bridges' wife, Mary Varder, had come. Now property of the several grandchildren of Thomas Bridges, the estancia is managed by a great-grandson. Located 40 miles east of Ushuaia, Harberton also claims the oldest house on the Island... The coastline is very broken and undulating, with four large bays... The houses are situated on a long narrow peninsula." (Tierra del Fuego by Natalie Goodall, 1979.) The gravel road to the estancia was made in 1978. Tourists arrive by car and bus and many come from Ushuaia on the daily catamaran. People, not livestock, are the main source of income for the ranch.




Below is the main house, said to be the first house on Tierra del Fuego. I was lodged in a refurbished workers' house but was invited to take my meals with the family here. The house is filled with original furnishings. There was a definite sense of connection to the past. English was the main language, but it was always mixed with Spanish, especially with the younger generations who were at the ranch for the summer weeks. Several university students serve as guides and take turns at the family table. Mealtimes provided a unique experience to share stories and experiences.


Below are farm buildings which are maintained to exhibit original machinery and boats.


Natalie Goodall is a distinguished scholar and scientist. She has created a museum on the property which exhibits Yahgan artifacts and examples of the flora and fauna, including skeletons of marine mammals and birds. All the exhibits were discovered on the estancia. Her husband, Tommy Goodall, is a great-grandson of Thomas Bridges. They were gracious and fascinating hosts. It was a pleasure to share their table.


After breakfast I toured the museum until Natalie called for me in the farm jeep to visit the archeology digs on the ranch. Ernesto Piana is the Argentine expert on Yahgan history. His students were enthusiastic and dedicated to their work, which can only be described as looking for needles in a haystack. They are looking for any signs of any artifacts in the middens that are so common in the area.


As we were talking with Dr. Piana, a student found a stone with chipping marks. Here she is taking measurements.


A second dig was further east, at Cambeceres, where Lucas Bridges had built a structure to stay in while caring for livestock.


From the main house looking southeast to the Beagle Channel through Harberton Bay. Cruise ships and tankers regularly pass by. They are only visible for a few minutes before they are hidden by the mountains. This is a magical place.

Fagnano (Kami) Lake

January 21, 2009
It was a relief to leave the city and drive north about 60 miles to Lake Fagnano, also known as Kami to the original people of the area, the Selknam. Ushuaia is a beautiful city on the Beagle Channel, but it is a city, and I prefer less populated places. I was given a ride by Sonia, whose husband is the gaucho I will soon meet for a horse camping trip. She knows the area well, and I was treated to a description of the geography and history of the area. The smooth paved road climbs into what is left of the Andes range, where the tree line is around 2,000 feet. The area is lush with native forest, though destruction caused by the introduced beaver is seen all through the mountains and valleys. In about an hour we reached the summit of the range and caught a breathtaking view of Escondido Lake and the huge Fagnano. The winds were fierce and waves of 6-8 feet crashed on shore. Sonia tells me that the lake is so large that it has tides.


The lake stretches 90 miles east to west, with a portion extending into Chile, where it was once a part of the same glacier which formed Altimirazgo Fjord. In fact, when I visited Ainsworth Bay last week by ship we were close to the western edge of Fagnano Lake. The lake covers an area of 249 square miles and has a maximum depth of 656 feet. It drains via the Azopardo River to the Almirantazgo Fjord. The lake is believed to straddle part of the fault boundary between the South America and Scotia tectonic plates. Sonia tells me that there are only small and infrequent earthquakes in the area.


My ride left me a Hostería Kaiken, on the northeastern tip of the lake near the village of Tolhuin. After a day of rest and study I will meet my horse for the trip south to Estancia Harberton on the Beagle Channel.


My little cabin faces the lake. Last night the wind howled and even shook the sturdy structure. All is well. Maybe the news of our new President Obama gave me a sense of peace and hope.


What a gorgious place to sit and catch up on some work and correspondance. This morning there was not a cloud in the sky. The view of the sky changes every ten minutes. But the lake and the lupines are always there. Such beauty calms the soul.