Ushuaia Argentina - Trekking on Gable Island - www.offtoargentina.com

Gable Island, a natural, cultural and historic icon of the foundation of this region. We disembark on its 15 miles (24 km) of pure magic. We unite at our rural retreat, light up the rustic salamander and indulge in a Yamana-style meal. Near the retreat there´s an old sheep shearing barn no longer in use that you can visit. Once weve had some time to rest and digest we´ll begin our cross-island trek, through pastures and haunting woods, towards the rugged southern shore. Steep glacier-ravaged cliffs descending into the channel greet us on the other side, showing us the fiercer face of Tierra del Fuego. We stand on the edge with the wind blowing hard on our faces while down below, wind-swept and immense, the Beagle Channel stretches itself in all its splendor. you´ll be surrounded by the elemental wilderness and curling waves that mark the Ends of the Earth.

Before long we´ll be returning inland and making our way into the heart of the island to a lagoon harboring a beaver lodge. Beavers are considered a plague in these regions because of the damage they do on local flora. In their settlements you will be able to see chunks of wood and fallen trees which are the result of the beavers work of constructing dams. Because beavers are excellent swimmers, they need to flood their habitats in order to protect themselves from preying species. The interesting fact is that beavers have no natural predators in this region, so they keep constructing dams and flooding areas without pause and without real necessity. They sleep during the day and work all through the night, therefore if you are lucky we might just encounter one of these magnificent little hydraulic engineers. The surrounding woods yield a unique, eerie beauty.
Light-green colored lichens hang long from the bark and branches of the tangled up tree-tops, while the floor is thick with white orchids, violets, ferns and wild strawberries.

After a three-hour hike, we´ll return to our retreat, where we´ll stop for hot drinks and some snacks, and then prepare for our motorboat ride back to the mainland. We´ll return to the city as the twilight descends over the Beagle Channel.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Gable islnad
• Ushuaia
• Argentina
• tierra delfuego
• terra del fuoco
• end of the world
• trekking
• hiking
• beavers
• fox

[Rickyrab]

I have an idea. We ought to rename Tierra del Fuego - the new name being Tierra del Castores, Land of Beavers.