Caleta Tortel

Condor

These woodpeckers were busy attacking this tree as we were walking past sending chunks of wood every where, they didn't seem too bothered by my presence as I got to within 6 feet of the bottom of the tree before they took note of me and flew off to await my departure. There is a lot of wildlife in the area as we saw condors on several occasions including 3 in one go, poisonous frogs, huge spiders and numerous other beasts!

We arrived at the tiny village of Caleta Tortel after a long 11 hour ride down the Carreterra Austral, after all of the fantastic scenery of the journey I was worried that this place would be a disappointment but thankfully I was wrong. The village has no roads within it only a car park at one end, and is serviced by a series of boardwalks that go up hillsides, are built on stilts across coves to link different sectors of the village together. It really was a dream for me as everyone in the village works in the woods and you went to sleep and woke in the morning with the sound of chainsaws in the distance. The village also has its own little hydroelectric scheme which utilises a small lago above the village, though during our 5 day stay the water and the electricity were not the most reliable, as power cuts were frequent.

Unfortunately the Chilean government are planning on damming the Rio Baker to help solve the country's power crisis which will destroy a beautiful area that so far has remained untouched by man. Thankfully the majority of Chilean people take great pride in their country and realise that areas like this are becoming a rarity in the world today and are campaigning against the Hydro Aysen project. 

Patagonia Sin Represas

The local airstrip with the ginormous (Surely this word is wrong!) Cascada Pisagua in the background, which could be heard from where I took this photo!

The entrance to the town from above, no cars from beyond the car park in the center of the picture.

The center of town!!

Boardwalk to the airstrip

 

One of the Rio Bakers several outlets

Perro Loco who followed us for a while, until I chased him away for biting only to find him several hours later following us from a distance through a bog where his appearance changed considerably into bog dog.

A glacier across the Rio Baker from the town

More Boardwalk, Over 8 km's of the stuff!