National Outdoor Leadership School - Index

National Outdoor Leadership School - brochure - Index

d
e!”
we
It is not. It is clear, cold and clean enough to drink. We
wedged onto the balsa, nose to tail, to cross the river.
This ferry system, which uses cables and the power of
the river to move the flat-topped barge, still transports
more horses than cars these days. The Rio Pascua, on
the other hand, is not along our route. Hugging the
edge of the Campo de Heilo Sur (Southern Patagonia
Icefield), this spectacular river has seen few descents.
Still on our minds, however, the
loss of this basically unknown
waterway and
Ignacio Grez
the tremendous
wilderness that
surrounds it would be one of the
biggest tragedies of all.
As we continued on, our group grew. Three generations
of the Arratia family joined us,
including 4-year-old Ramina who was
adorably cute and already a competent
rider. Elvira, another new companion
who is 72, told me of her land on the Rio
Colonia. “I was raised there, I raised my
family there, and when I die, they will put
a wooden tabla there for me. If my land gets flooded,
what will I do?” she said. “I will have to go up on the
mountain and live in the snow with the pumas.”
We traveled along Lago General Carrera for several
days. The forest changed from semi-steppe to dense
temperate rainforest. Flowering trees, flaming red
Notro, orange Calafate, and purple Espina Del Gato,
were abundant on this late November day. The shores
of this beautiful lake provide the only north-south passage
through this country of east-west running valleys.
If there were to be a huge power line, it would go here.
We spent the night in the soccer field in Rio Tranquilo.
This town makes its living on tourism. Excursions
to the Glacier Exploradores and boat trips to the
marble caverns on the lake are local highlights. “Sin
Represas” (No Dams) signs were in nearly every shop
window, and we had a lot of visitors to our fire that
night. More riders joined in the morning.
In Bahia Murta, we camped near the church at
the old town site. Here, Father Porfirio performed a
special mass and local women showed up with
mounds of fresh baked bread.
From here the horses moved one day by truck, and
a NOLS bus took the riders through the narrowest and
most dangerous part of the road. In Cerro Castillo, nine
fat corderos (lambs) roasted over the fire to feed us. A
lawyer spoke to people about their options, and while I
did not understand many of the words, I could feel the
tension in the air. Later, music and dancing went on until
2:00 a.m. My friend Lilly showed up with her neighbors
from Puerto Ibañez. Our crowd doubled
that night. In the morning,
we were nearly 100
riders.
Our next day was the longest of the trip: 38 kilometers
including a mountain pass. New faces were
everywhere. I no longer knew everyone’s name, but we
all had one thing in common. Traveling was like an
ever-shuffling deck of cards; I never knew who I would
end up riding next to and what stories they would share.
SPRING 2008
Photos from left to
right: Community leader
Don Cecilio Olivares addressing a
crowd. Worth fighting for: a glimpse of the
resplendent and largely agrarian Patagonian landscape.
With flags and banners waiving, community members join the
ride. The cabalgata’s procession, over 120 riders strong, into the
Aysen capital of Coyhaique. Four-year-old Ramina Arratia takes the reins. The
confluence of the Rio Baker and Rio Maiten rivers in Patagonia’s Aysen region.
From miles outside town, I could tell the reception
was going to be beyond anything I had imagined.
Cars lined the roads with signs saying, No ENDESA,
and Rios Libre! (Free Rivers!). The main street was
packed. My spirit soared with the power of waving and
yelling, “ENDESA entiende la vida no se vende!”(Un-
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ignacio Grez
In a time when the world is trying to figure out how to live
more sustainable lives, an intact system of working family
farms is something we cannot afford to lose.
We traveled through the charming valley of the
Rio Blanco, country I knew well. The old trail climbed
above impressive canyons and descended to flat grassy
pasture land. One hundred horses crossing a clear, cold
Patagonia river will be one of my most treasured memories.
After 12 hours on the trail, we were exhausted,
but the herd energy kept us going.
A Grand Finale
Our last day before Coyhaique was a blustery cold
Patagonia day. Our arrival at the NOLS campo was like
watching an old Western. The horses broke into a gallop
and the entire NOLS staff cheered us on from the
corner of the property. The welcome we received was
truly amazing: camping, showers, and the biggest asado
(barbeque) we had all trip. Friends and neighbors
showed up as well. Before we knew it, we were 120 people,
fed, washed, and ready to ride into the capital.
“We do not want to cause trouble of any kind,”
Aquilino reminded us. “We are here to have our
voices respectfully listened to; we must also show respect.”
Everyone was in agreement. The last few
kilometers into Coyhaique the next day were like a
dream. It was strange to see such a familiar route
into town through such different eyes. I turned and
looked behind me at rows of horses marching three
by three. Our line extended over hills and around
bends, far into the distance.
11
derstand! Life is not for sale), but when we observed a
moment of silence outside the Hydro Aysen office, I
found myself quietly crying into my sunglasses.
We parked with our horses for seven hours in the
hot sun in the plaza. People told their stories, followed
by traditional music and dancing. The event was covered
by local and national news. The only people conspicuously
missing were the local elected officials.
For an event of this complexity, the Cabalgata Sin
Represas was immaculately run and organized. The
fortitude of both these people and their horses speaks
strongly of the ability to win. The ability is here to
keep Patagonia’s rivers running, the countryside free
of high power electrical lines, and the culture intact. In
a time when the world is trying to figure out how to
live more sustainable lives, an intact system of working
family farms is something we cannot afford to lose.
To learn more about protecting Patagonia’s rivers,
please contact the following international organizations:
http://internationalrivers.org/en/latin-america/patagonia
www.nrdconline.org/campaign/biogems_patagonia_1007
Or, contact the following local Chilean organizations:
http://jovenestehuelches.blogspot.com
www.patagoniasinrepresas.cl
www.aisenreservadevida.cl
Blog report from the cabalgata:
http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/asilverman
Bret Frk