Cambios

The Greater Patagonian Trail crosses most of Patagonia and the adjacent regions to the north . For this reason I named the trail “Greater Patagonian Trail” when I started publishing it in 2014 to be precise and well descriptive as the same time. I coined the term "Greater Patagonia" when I started publishing the trail in 2014 to combine Patagonia in its traditional limits with the surrounding area like "Greater London" adds the city of London with the surroundings.

The Greater Patagonian Trail gets in casting distance to Patagonia at the end of section GPT05 where you can view for the first time over the border into Argentina into the province Neuquén. But with a different understanding you enter Patagonia on section GPT13 where you ford the Río Biobío, or on section GPT16 where you walk into the administrative region XIV (Región de los Ríos) or on section GPT22 where you reach the Estuarió de Reloncaví and with this you step on terrain that is doubtless Patagonia.  But all this does not really matter if you want to make long stunning hike and if you desire to discover “real Patagonia”. What matters most is an open mind and readiness for the true diversity of this region. If your expectation and knowledge of Patagonia is based on a brief Google search and a few articles about Patagonia than you probably have seen only the three heavily hyped tourist magnets:

These So if you are three truly amazing spots on only interest to visit the eastern edge of the Southern Icefield in the heartland dwarfed popular version of Patagoniathen go to these three famous tourist destinations. But “real Patagonia” is much more than this and consists of surprisingly disparate zones. There are vast open plains in the east of Patagonia don’t be surprised if you need to queue up to take your selfy with a dry and wind battered steppe that spans from the eastern edge one of the Andes to the Atlantic cost. The western part of Patagonia is these millionfold pictured attractions in some regards the oppositebackground. In the west At these attractions you have can only image the rugged and humid Pacific coast with countless fjords and islands. Here steep mountains rise out solitude of the seaPatagonia but not experience it. An impenetrable tempered rain forest covers most But if you want an ample experience of this land Patagonia to taste all the west of the Andes. And in between these two unlike areas – in between the dry plains in the east and the humid fjords in the west - tower different often barely known zones than the Greater Patagonian Andes. Dormant and occasionally active volcanoes rise into the sky and glaciers cover all higher summits. During previous glacial periods these glaciers grew to a formidable size and carved deep wide valleys into the Patagonian Andes. These valleys are now partly filled by lakes that get drained by powerful rivers. All this is Patagonia and this creates the mystery and magic of this regionTrail might be your choice.

These are three truly amazing spots on the eastern edge of the Southern Icefield in the heartland of Patagonia. But “real Patagonia” is much more than this and consists of surprisingly disparate zones. There are vast open plains in the east of Patagonia with a dry and wind battered steppe that spans from the eastern edge of the Andes to the Atlantic cost. The Greater western part of Patagonia is in some regards the opposite. In the west you have the rugged and humid Pacific coast with countless fjords and islands. Here steep mountains rise out of the sea. An impenetrable tempered rain forest covers most of this land to the west of the Andes. And in between these two unlike areas – in between the dry plains in the east and the humid fjords in the west - tower the Patagonian Trail snakes mostly through Andes. Dormant and occasionally active volcanoes rise into the sky and glaciers cover all higher summits. During previous glacial periods these glaciers grew to a formidable size and carved deep wide valleys into the Patagonian Andes but diverts also . These valleys are now partly filled by lakes that get drained by powerful rivers. All this is Patagonia and this creates the mystery and magic of this region.

So if you are only interest to visit The Greater Patagonian Trail snakes mostly through the dwarfed popular version of Patagonia then go Patagonian Andes but diverts in some parts to these three famous tourist destinations. But don’t be surprised if you need to queue up to take your selfy with one of these millionfold pictured attractions in the background. At these attractions you can only image west into the solitude of Patagonia but not experience it. But if you want an ample experience of Patagonia Patagonian fjords and descents in other areas to taste all east where the different often barely known zones than the Greater Patagonian Trail might be your choiceplains and steppe begins.