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 An
emphatic German tourist punctuates the buzz of conversation in the lobby:
“In Europe it is hard to find places as pristine and beautiful as those in
South America.” The other visitors in the lobby all nod and continue
talking animatedly among themselves about the impressive Pumalín Park—a
reserve of virgin lands in the far-off fastnesses of southern South
America—now protected after more than 5 years of political wrangling and
delay in Chile.
This was one of the many entertaining conversations
that we enjoyed during our stay in Caleta Gonzalo, a luxurious eco-lodge
inside Pumalín Park—lands that belong to the famous North American tycoon
Douglas Tompkins.
Tompkins is the owner of more than 300,000 hectares
that constitute the largest privately owned park in Chile. Densely
populated with native species, this is an unusual place, where glaciers
meet thick forests, volcanoes brood beside the sea, rivers and waterfalls
rush into impenetrable fiords, and vast snowfields extend beyond the
horizon.
During the years it took to found the park, Tompkins
had to face a mountain of opposition. Some conspiracy theories circulating
popularly in Chile at the time tried to discredit the initiative of this
radical ecologist. They claimed that the 300,000 hectares would be used as
an American stra tegic
base; endowed with, among other things, underground bunkers that could
easily house an army.
The main problem is rooted in the fact that the land in
question extends from the Pacific practically to the Andes, all but
dividing Chile in two. The salmon fishing industry in the area also spoke
out against the Pumalín plan, since Tompkins does not allow the
installation of businesses of that nature. He does not consider them to
be ecologically sustainable. To make matters worse, he also had to face
more than one lawsuit brought by settlers, who swore they had been
pressured by lawyers to sell and vacate their lands.
Despite the protests against Tompkins and his radical
"deep ecology" conservation philosophy, the Chilean state finally approved
the creation of the sanctuary, along with a foundation whose board of
directors is made up of individuals that span the diverse social strata of
Chile.
With all the hype, we were curious about this
controversial Chilean park, and decided to make our own judgment about the
millionaire and his project.
We can testify that we did not see any bunkers in
Pumalín, and that this austral country was far from being cut in two.
Perhaps the people opposed to this ecosystem conservation project suffer
from an over-developed collective imagination. In any case, rumors and
commentaries aside, the trip was unforgettable.
Eager to take maximum advantage of our stay in the
park, we walked all over Pumalín, admiring its ultra-conserved flora and
fa una.
The park is only now starting to be explored and to acquire an
international reputation, which makes it all the more attractive for
intrepid adventurers.
We decided to begin our discovery of Pumalín via the
aquatic route, which is why we started in the north, renting a yacht in
Hornopirén. The Cahuella was a comfortable boat, and she gave us access
to channels adjacent to the impenetrable forests. We weighed anchor and
sailed south, through the Comau channel to the awesome Quintupeu fjord.
The journey took a couple of hours, and we took advantage of the time to
chat and have some coffee. The calm waters allowed us to navigate right
along the edge of the densely overgrown ridges that revealed themselves
gradually as we progressed. Slowly, our minds cleared and our lungs
filled with the pure air.
The highlight of the day came when we started sighting
scattered sea lions. It was novel to see these mammals among forests of
cinnamon-trees and myrtles. Finally we arrived at a rocky outcropping,
where more than a hundred were stretched out, sunning themselves. Since
the only way to approach them was from the water, the captain of the yacht
executed some maneuvers to obtain goo d
photos, coming within a few yards of the shoreline, which caused great
uproar among the protective males.
We continued the journey into the Cahuelmó fjord, still
within the borders of Pumalín. We arrived at the thermal waters that seep
from the rocks at the end of the channel. A few meters from the hot
springs, we debarked and approached in a zodiac, a speedy boat designed to
move in shallow waters. We relaxed in the mineral pools for a long while,
enjoying the scents, the sounds of birds of the forest and, without doubt,
the wonderful solitude and tranquility of the place. It was really advance
therapy, which our feet would need in the days to come, hiking on the
extensive trails in Pumalín.
Submerged in pools of hot water, relaxed by the beauty
of the foliage and the incredible calm, we talked with Britt, the owner of
the yacht. With a gringo twang in his Spanish, he told us the story of how
his boat came to be named Cahuella. The inhabitants of the region speak
of a mythological boat named Caleuche that sails the Chiloean waters with
two dolphins as guides: Cahuel and Cahuella, and since his yacht was
completely constructed by hand by Chiloean craftsmen, it seemed
appropriate.
After exchanging views on the Tompkins controversy with
our fellow travelers, we decided not to delay any further. It
 was
time to hit the trails. The chosen one was the Cahuelmó track, which we
traveled for nearly five kilometers before reaching the impressive Abascal
Lake, surrounded by dense vegetation and trees including laurels and
cedars. At the lake, we marveled yet again at the scenic gifts of the
place, finally deciding to return to the lodge at Caleta Gonzalo.
After a comfortable night in rustic-style cabins, the
morning song of the Chucao — a bird typical of the southern forests with a
beautiful tri-note trill— woke us up with the reminder that we were in
paradise. We began to prepare our equipment. We put on shoes that would
work for climbing and for hours of walking down muddy trails. We started
out with empty canteens, since clean and fresh water abounds. We decided
on the "Thunderer" trail, which crosses the rapids of the river of the
same name on its way to the top of the hills, finally arriving at a lake.
Like the other paths, it is accessed from the highway and is excellently
marked with arrows indicating the trail. Suspension bridges are
constructed with dead wood provided by the forest.
A little to the south of Thunderer trail, we picked up
Hidden Falls Trail. After crossing a bridge of trunks, we began to
descend steeply, zigzagging across rock faces. Ferns and climbing plants
had covered everything. Nothing is wasted, and even the tiniest nooks and
crannies are full of mosses, lichens, vines and fungi. As we descended,
the approaching sound of water reminded us that we were going down into a
canyon, but the vege tation
was so dense that we could only see twenty meters around us. We finished
at a great pool of translucent water, fed by numerous streams. Suddenly,
a fine mist made us raise our heads to see two waterfalls pouring into the
steep-sided valley. The spray dampened everything around, allowing us to
appreciate the immense, tough webs
that the spiders of the forest spin between the branches and the
trunks of the centuries-old native trees. The spectacle was
awe-inspiring.
Done in by the day's long and exciting walk, we decided
to return early so that the night would not
catch us in the middle of the forest. There, where the absence
 of
footpaths demonstrated the scant exploration and exploitation of the
region, and where the vegetation was so dense and shady, it was difficult
to distinguish the right way back to the lodge. But we finally managed,
and awaiting us was our reward- a hot meal of seafood, caught fresh from
the generous waters of the sea that borders the
park.
The last day of trip, we chose to continue our
adventure on the trail called 'The Larches". Some of the trees along this
path are 3,000 years old! Without a doubt, it was a luxury to be able to
gaze upon these gigantic trees, declared an endangered species and
protected by law in Chile. It is precisely these landscapes that make
Pumalín one of the most outstanding and appealing of adventure
destinations. Now we can corroborate the statement of that German
tourist. The pristine beauty and simplicity present in Pumalín Park are
simply unrivalled.
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P arque Pumalín
www.parquepumalin.cl
This is a great place to get started. It includes transport schedules,
tour contacts, area maps and information about lodging, weather and
activities of interest.
H otels, cabins and camping
pumalinreservas@telsur.cl
T our operator
alsur@telsur.cl
P ark attractions
Thermal waters, volcanos, lakes, paths, forests, native flora and
fauna, horse-back riding, sailing, trekking expeditions |
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