On Horseback Through Patagonia: The "Gobblegata": Here we go!
Posted November 17, 2007 in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
And they're off! I feel like I'm in a horse race, which actually isn't too far from the truth. Although I won’t be competing (and I certainly hope we will not be sprinting since I have only mounted a horse a couple of times before now), I will be on horseback for nine days on an off-road trek through Patagonia, a journey known in Spanish as a “cabalgata”. As I will be celebrating thanksgiving here this year, I would like to rename the cabalgata the “gobblegata”. After all, this is the English account of the expedition with a little bit of a gringa twist. If you want the Spanish version, you can keep up with the blog: www.aisenreservadevida.blogspot.com. I certainly encourage you to follow both.
Over the nine days, I will be in route from the town of Cochrane- located close to the Baker River, the largest river in Chilean Patagonia- to the city of Coyhaique. Below is a rough layout of the incredible schedule:
Day 1: 35 Kms. Cochrane-El Manzano
Day 2: 29 Kms.El Manzano-Lago Negro
Day 3: 30 Kms.Lago Negro-Pte. Leones
Day 4: 18 Kms.Pte. Leones-Pto. Rio Tranquilo
Day 5: 24 Kms. Pto. Río Tranquilo-Sta. Rosa
Day 6: 97 Kms.Sta. Rosa-Villa Cerro Castillo
Day 7: 28 Kms. Villa Cerro Castillo-Cruce Las Horquetas
Day 8: 26 Kms.Cruce las Horquetas-Cruce Coyhaique/Balmaceda
Day 9: 28 Kms.Cruce Balmaceda-Cruce Ensenada/Escuela Nols
Day 10: 10 Kms. Escuela Nols-Plaza de Armas Coyhaique
This trip is a powerful attempt to highlight the world’s most magnificent wilderness areas, high mountain passes, and local pioneer communities that have lived on this land for generations. Everyone has been working extremely hard to pull this trip together, to demonstrate against an ill-conceived mega-hydroelectric scheme that would dam the aforementioned Baker River and the more remote and pristine Pascua River, in addition to clear cutting thousands of acres of old-growth forest in a number of national parks, protected areas and natural sanctuaries.
There are going to be almost 100 people from Chile and abroad participating in this unprecedented gobblegata. (So, family, although I won’t be with you, I certainly won’t be alone.) We are going on this horse ride to stand up against a horribly destructive plan that has not considered other options that would allow Chile to obtain the energy in a way that would both prevent environmental degradation and social devastation. You can participate as well, virtually that is! I invite you to support me, my colleagues at NRDC and our Chilean partners in taking action to stop this project from being approved! RIGHT NOW, go to: (English) www.savebiogems.org/patagonia (Spanish) http://www.nrdconline.org/campaign/nrdcaction_061207_ondaverde_patagonia.
Well, I’m really on my way now. You are probably not nervous like I am, except if you are my dear grandmother; but I hope you are as excited as I am!
Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving.
May the horse be with you!!
Allie
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Comments
Maggie Stumpf — Nov 19 2007 02:44 PM
Sounds like a most fascinating journey you will be on! NYC will miss you but it is definitely a worthy cause. Your experience will definitely outweigh a few missed morning swims. Can't wait to read more about your trip on your blog. Good luck with the horses - not quite like riding your bike :-)
~ Maggie
Seth — Nov 23 2007 02:42 PM
Thank you for calling the world's attention to the important and beautiful places that would be lost and the communities that would be destroyed by this unfortunate dam scheme.
It is nice to see a national/international organization like NRDC partnering with local communities and organizations. These partnerships will be essential to the success of your campaign!