Hiking the Forests of Pumalin
To enter Pumalín Douglas Tompkins National Park is like going into a lost world. An immense area, at first glance it appears seemingly as if it has remained up to now unblemished by almost any human activity. Dense and deep temperate rain forests descend from the heights, forming a vast green lung where water is the sustenance of this great ecosystem, where annual rainfall reaches 6,000mm.
Everything flourishes i n Pumalín. Life blooms and occupies every inch of space, no matter how small. Fungi, moss and lichens cover the soil, tree trunks and branches, while the towering, ancient alerce trees stretch their branches so high they seem to touch the clouds and sky. Also known as lahuán,
the alerce is a veteran custodian of these forests, with some specimens more than 2,000 years old. This park accounts for about 25 percent of the remaining alerce population in Chile, and is the southernmost concentration of these trees in the country.
Hiking the forests of Pumalín is an explosion of the senses. The smell of the leafy earth, the fibrous and furrowed bark of a giant sage, the dew and wet breeze billowing from a deafening waterfall, the birdsong of the native chucao and hued hued, or the more frantic call of the rayadito, all fill the senses. These forests move you, and anyone who is immersed in them will probably return, and do so imbued with a deep appreciation of nature. Perhaps this park i s Doug
Tompkins’ greatest legacy, its stunning natural richness makes it abundantly clear why the conservationist project of the late American philanthropist was born here.
The following is a recommendation for three short hikes in Pumalín that provide ample rewards. It is a nice glimpse of what Pumalín has to offer close by the park offices, camping and lodging at Caleta Gonzalo. All of the hikes are also relatively near each other and can be reached and begin via the Carretera Austral road, which runs the length of the park.
Laguna Tronador Trail Difficulty: medium-high Duration: 4 hours
The jewel in Pumalín’s crown. Though the trail starts in a fire-damaged forest, as you gain height the path passes through older trees with species like mañío, tepa, canelo, notro and luma. Passing a viewpoint of the
great snow-domed Michimahuida volcano, you enter a forest of ancient alerces, where you will be wowed by the height and girth of some of these giants whose trunks can reach more than one meter (3.2 feet) in diameter. Finally you descend to a mountainous amphitheater. From the steep granite hills carpeted by forest, countless waterfalls tumble from above to feed a beautiful lagoon straight out of Eden.
Los Alerces Trail Difficulty: low Duration: 40 minutes
Ideal for those with less time but who want to catch a quick glimpse of one of Pumalín’s iconic alerce trees. With the birdsong of Chucaos in the background, you will walk in awe contemplating these 1,000 year-old giants. The trail continues via a footbridge over the Negro River before reaching a clump of alerce trees
“Dense and deep temperate rainforests descend from the heights, forming a vast green lung where water is the sustenance of this great ecosystem.”
where man’s presence and his insatiable thirst for wood is apparent. But it is just a brief reminder. Not much further, you come across trees with trunks reaching several meters in diameter, survivors and witness to the ages.
Hidden Waterfalls Trail Difficulty: medium Duration: 2 hours
Forests and water, the hallmark of Pumalín, converge perfectly on this trail. After a half hour walk among the trees,
a flight of stairs takes you to near the base of a 20 meter (65 foot) waterfall. The water pushes through rocks and emerges forcibly, and almost unexpectedly, into a beautiful pool surrounded by ferns and moss, and which beckons the weary hiker to take a dip. The path continues slightly uphill to a viewpoint overlooking the high waterfalls and lush green landscape. Upon return, it is recommended to take a small detour that leads to a beautiful thicket of alerce trees.