Page 47 - Masala E-magazine Vol 9 Issue 5 April - May 2018

During our days hiking, we disconnected from our world
completely, and instead threw ourselves into the world of nature.
We connected with Earth. Our life was Patagonia. Our life was
keeping warm in the cold windy nights, building and dismantling
tents, rationing and cooking the food we packed across the nine
days, and finding the next water source. To worry solely about
basic survival is the most liberating form of being human I have
ever experienced.

The Impact of Climate Change

No place on the planet is fully at rest, and unfortunately for us,
during our time there, we witnessed the remains of three soccer
fields of ice carved out of the fields, melting away into the ocean.
Climate change is the gravest danger to the Chilean fjords.
According to National Geographic, 46 of the 48 glaciers in the Helpful Travel Tips
Southern Ice Fields are retreating; one is stable and only one, Pío
XI, is advancing with its ice nearly always at the melting point. Pío
XI is clearly an anomaly in a melting icescape. The best time to visit Patagonia is between December
and February, as these are considered the summer
months. Although bear in mind that summer is a loosely-
used term to define Patagonian temperatures ranging
between 0 to 25 degrees.

As Patagonia occupies both the southern region of Chile
and Argentina, you will find yourself constantly at border
patrols between various hikes.

Torres del Paine National Park is Chile’s most pristine
hiking area, while Los Glaciares National Park remains
as Argentina’s gem.

For the adventure-seekers and outdoor lovers, I highly
recommend the O-Circuit of Torres del Paine and the
Huemul Circuit of Los Glaciares.

On the Chilean side of overnight hikes, camp sites are
limited and need to be reserved and paid for two to three
months in advance, while the Argentinean hikes do not
have camp ground reservation rules. However, this is
likely to change soon as there is an increase in
adventure travellers.

If you plan on hiking independently, it is important to do
your research thoroughly and have the right equipment
and gear required for such a demanding journey.

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