A
Patagonia Primer
The
loosely defined and lightly peopled tail of South America, Patagonia
is twice as large as California — and yet still remote enough
to stump the spell check of a North American computer.
In
fairness to Microsoft, you won't find "Patagonia" printed on some
world maps, either. As Jim Malusa wrote in his bicycle journey
across the diverse and often desolate land earlier this month, Patagonia
is defined less by political boundaries than, "like the Sahara,
by its resistance to human settlement."
Part
Chilean and part Argentine, Patagonia stretches from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, and from high in the Andes to Cape Horn. Generally
considered everything south of Argentina's Rio Colorado, Patagonia
is known more for its volcanoes, lakes and dense forests than its
people (who average about one inhabitant per square mile). The land
is dotted with glaciers, unique plants and animals, and national
parks.
It
may be the perfect place for an off-the-beaten-path wilderness race:
Eco-Challenge will be the second event of its kind held here in
the last five years, following the Raid Gauloises team competition
of 1995.
San
Carlos de Bariloche (known simply as Bariloche) is the heart of
northern Patagonia and headquarters of this year's Eco-Challenge
race. A quaint Argentine city that looks like a little Swiss village,
Bariloche serves as a winter ski resort and a bustling summer base
for those exploring the lakes and mountains of Parque Nacional Nahuel
Huapi.
Bariloche
attracts backpackers doing the South American or world tour, avid
fans of the outdoors with enough skills (and gear) to be independent,
wealthy Argentines on holiday, and stragglers in need of renewing
their Chilean visas (it's right near the border). Patagonia's more
famous southerly tip can be described as a sort of mini-Alaska,
with a multitude of lakes, waterfalls and glaciers terminating in
Tierra del Fuego, the largest of all South America's islands.
The
most populous of the original inhabitants of Patagonia were the
Mapuche of northern Patagonia and the Tehuelche, who occupied the
plains of central and southern Patagonia. Over time the Mapuche
broke into autonomous warrior tribes with varying customs. Those
in the steppes led a nomadic existence, while coastal tribes had
a more settled lifestyle, practicing slash-and-burn agriculture.
The Tehuelche were nomadic and
followed large herds of the native llama-like animal,
the guanaco, across the steppes in much the same fashion
as certain North American Indians followed the bison.
The similarities don't end there: The native Patagonians
were almost completely wiped out by the Spanish
explorers and — in the 19th and 20th centuries
— by the European settlers (primarily English,
German and Welsh) who followed.
— Zöe Schneider
Travel Channel Online |
Race
director Mark Burnett answers the question: "Why Patagonia?"
