PATAGONIA NATIONAL PARKS ENVIRONMENTS
If you want to come to experience one adventure in the true Patagonia that you have always imagine!
Patagonia Huts guides you beyond you think possible to live all its different landscapes and ecosystems of Patagonia National Park
Traverse the real backcountry of the Park in Chile and cross the border to Argentina with us. Through the steppe, Patagonian forests, glacial-alpine terrain, wetlands and evergreen forest in one of the last wild places on earth!
These transitions from one environment to other is one of the main attributes of our treks. And we will explain a little the characteristic of each environment in Patagonia National Park:
The Steppe
These are natural ecosystems with generally low, cushion-shaped bushes, leaving a bare ground around. The climate ranges from temperate to cold (very cold …even -20, being very dry. Winter snowfall can be severe, and there is almost no frost-free period.
The goal of the donation of Tompkins Conservation of Chacabuco Valley in the southern section of the Park in Chile was the conservation of the steppe that is also present in the northeast section of the park in Chile, on the way toValle Lunar and the entrance to Jeinimeni Lake. In this area you will see an endemic subspecies of bird, similar to a little hen, called Martineta Patagónica (Eudromia elegans patagonica) Characteristics of Chile Chico.
Patagonian Andes deciduous Forest
As you approach Monte San Lorenzo or the Jeinimeni entrance in the northern section of Patagonia National Park the landscape change to towering mountain ranges with dense and ancient forests of lenga and ñirre trees covering vast areas, creating a lush green canopy that turns orange and red during the fall. Over there just like the best example of theses environments Jeinimeni Lake is nestled in the middle of the mountains, offering stunning reflections of the surrounding landscape. And as you hike beyond the lake you see the glaciers, the lakes and lots of birds eagles, hawks, owls, and the striking Magellanic woodpecker.
May to October these environments are usually cold and snowy, offering a experience for those who appreciate the beauty of winter landscapes. Although with leafless tress without and short days.
Glacial and alpine Terrain
If you continue toward the west you will have to cross terrain characterized by rugged and rocky landscapes, with steep cliffs and scree slopes where you can appreciate the glaciers of a little ice cap. This is the heart of the park where all the Jenimeni, Avilés and others water streams originate.
As you ascend and scarmble up the hills up you will pass through alpine meadows and grasslands that dot the landscape, offering a vibrant contrast to the icy surroundings. These areas are home to a variety of colorful wildflowers during the short summer season. Beyond that you will have to put on your crampons to get up close and personal with the glaciers.
Evergreen Forest
Evergreen forests are not the dominant type of forest in Patagonia. It is along the western patagonia coast, where the rain does not stop, that evergreen forests are mainly found. These forests feature a variety of evergreen trees, including different species of Nothofagus, laurel trees, and coigüe trees. With an immense variety of lush understory vegetation, including ferns, mosses, and a variety of shrubs and vines.
Although the park is far from the coastline, the valleys facing northwest receive tons of precipitation, so they create evergreen forest pockets in those valleys.
Our treks reach the highest points facing those valley and canyons. So when we began to descend to Renoval Hut we went from old coigüe forests to a real evergreen forest, trying to find our way through wets ferns a
nd vines, in the most remote section of the park.
If you are already traveling across Patagonia and want to visit Chile Chico and Patagonia National Park. You should know that there just is one real hostel in Chile Chico and Campamento Ñandú is the one!
We are your Gateway to Patagonia National Park, with all their different landscapes and ecosystems, with a wide arrange of services: information, transportation, tours, transfer or bicycles to cross the border to Los Antiguos-Argentina…
Come and explore!