Yosemite of Chile

Salutations from home base, aka Puerto Varas. We are back from our latest backpacking trip in the Cochamo Valley a glacier carved narrow vallley, lined with dense forests climbing the steep hillsides that are littered with waterfalls (I´d like to make waterfalls my speciality... I imagine a career where I must visit all major waterfalls and classify them under the christina-cascadas system). the walls around give the place a yosemite of chile like feeling... dark graphite and light grey. jagged, textures rock faces that are sometimes encircled by a condor flying over head, and though more than 10 feet in wingspan, they are but small dots far away. Cochamó valley is a climbing mecca and also a place where you can backpack into Argentina across the border, something I am keen on doing!

Our group did have the priviledge of seeing a condor quite upclose. it swooped below us and we were able to see its huge white tipped wings as it dipped next us and glided out of sight around the bend. YESS!

We hiked to waterfalls and got to waterslide down some of them. the water is more chilly than even than Santa Barbara´s slice of pacific coast... I´d say it was about 48 degrees, it is snow melt afterall. so refreshing after days without proper showering and sweating alll day.

The weather was beautiful all 6 days of our trip. 80 to 85 degrees under a strong southern hemispher sun. even nights were warm (did not need my long johns in my sleeping bag!)
only bain to this beautiful weather was the subsequent infestation of mosquitos. I didn´t count but I think the running total was close to 50 bites... itchy.

More lessons from the back country: camping pizza: a great recipe when the bread is a little stale! ingredients: hockey puck bread rolls, packet of pasta sauce, oregano, garlic, spices to your liking, packet cheese and salami if you need. on your camp stove add oil to the pot, brown the bread, through in the sauce and melt the cheese and salami if you are of a pepperoni persuasion!
delicious.
Another tip; when prunes are not enough to keep digestive processes going, use wheat germ! a simple additive that your intestines will thank you for.

on the personal story front, I really have few... I have so far pulled off a few leeches, I have purchased and begun to use a pee rag (please don´t be grossed out, they are so useful) I have aquired a taste for cold oatmeal (a fine trail lunch, espeically in lieu of hockey puck bread sandwiches with whatever condiments are left. I kid you not, someone on the trip: bread, mustard, jam, cucumber, cream cheese and ketchup). And I am officially an expert on blisters, blisters within blisters and blister care.

I am loving the experience down here and really getting into being in the field. Although I do not plan to go into orthinology or botany the experience is none the lesss valuable. Learning about international conservation issues has been quite enlightening and I have a much broader perspective on the question of conservation and challenges to it.

Next trip is to Pucon where we will mount a volcano and hang out in a supposedly stunning forest, adjacent to a lake in a forest of Arucaria (monkey puzzle) trees that look otherworldly. The class concludes next Monday and I will miss all the great travelling companions that I have become close with these past weeks. I am greatly looking forward to the arrival of
my boyfriend, Mike Bishop so we can further juant southern South America for a good six weeks more. I feel many delights are yet to come!
For now, back to the hostel for my last civilized meal... lots of iron please!

Yours in ecology,

Christina