READER STORY
Vivian and Hanlie Gericke sent their Land Rover to South America by ship and went camping in Patagonia.
Two years ago, Vivian and Hanlie Gericke did what many of us would think is impossible: They sent their Land Rover Defender to South America on a ship, then flew over and went camping in Patagonia.
It’s early morning on 13 January 2017 – Hanlie’s birthday. Last night was bitterly cold in our wild campsite below the Exploradores Glacier. I zip open a corner of the window of our rooftop tent and I’m greeted by the first rays of the sun shining through the mist on the glacier above. It’s an incredible sight, especially for two people who are more familiar with Kalahari sand. Am I even awake? Maybe I’m still dreaming? I pinch myself and it’s true. We’re in Patagonia!
But how did we get here? The prospect of retirement in 2016 was a daunting one. What on earth would Hanlie and I do? We knew we enjoyed overlanding, but we’d been to most of the usual destinations in southern Africa – we wanted something different. It was then that a good friend, Johan Verloren van Themaat, suggested we explore South America. Wait for it… In our own vehicles. It seemed like a crazy idea, but Hanlie and I thought about it and we realised that it might just work. That is, if we went immediately. We both knew that life and its associated obligations would get in the way if we decided to delay. And that’s how our far-fetched dream started taking shape. Another reason we chose South America is because Hanlie and I are both mountain people – we met while hiking in the mountains of the Boland 40 years ago. And ever since our student days back then, we’ve always
wanted to see the Andes. So, one fine day in October 2016, after intensive research and preparation, we drove from Pretoria to Cape Town where a 44-foot container was waiting in the harbour. Our Landy was first inside, followed by Johan's Land Cruiser. The vehicles were tied down, the doors of the container were closed and sealed, and we nervously said goodbye to the cars, wondering if they'd arrive intact on the other side. If at all… The vehicles first sailed to Spain and then to Montevideo in Uruguay. Six weeks after we dropped them off in Cape Town, we flew to Buenos Aires and caught a ferry to Montevideo. It took three days to complete the paperwork and pay the necessary duties, then the seal on the container was cut and the doors were opened. To our delight, both vehicles were exactly as we'd left them. After reconnecting the batteries, both also fired on the first spin of the starter. What a relief! Reality soon kicked in, however, when we drove out of the harbour late on a Friday afternoon and straight into peak-hour traffic. I battled to stem a rising tide of anxiety: the three months of unknown that lay ahead; the challenge of driving on the right-hand side of the road; not being able to understand a word of Spanish… What would we do if the Landy had a mechanical problem? What if we were involved in an accident? What if we needed medical help? We simply had to go with the flow. My nerves were on a knife edge! From Montevideo, we crossed back into Argentina and drove south along the east coast to Ushuaia, the southernmost town in Patagonia. If you consider that Montevideo is roughly on the same latitude as Cape Town and we drove 5 000 km from there to Ushuaia, you get an idea of how far south we went. In Ushuaia we met our son Tiaan, who had flown over to join us for two weeks, and from there we followed the spine of the Andes north again, zig-zagging across the Argentina/Chile border a few times. Here are five things from the trip that will be imprinted in my mind forever:
1 The Andes
The Andes were magnificent. We spent quite a bit of time in the mountains, camping and hiking in world-famous places like Torres del Paine National Park, the Southern and Northern Ice Fields and Cerro Castillo, and we got close to famous peaks like Mount Fitzroy. Torres del Paine (“blue towers”) is probably Chile's most famous national park and is visited by thousands of tourists every year. There are several hiking trails and some of the most incredible natural scenery in the world. Standing at the viewpoint and gawking at the three granite “towers” was a poignant highlight. (See sidebar.) A few hundred kilometres north of Torres
del Paine, on the Argentinian side of the border, is Perito Moreno Glacier. ( See p 72 in go! #145 – Ed.) Unlike the vast majority of other glaciers on earth, Perito Moreno seems to be growing and not retreating. Listening to all that creaking, rumbling ice was an otherworldly experience. North of Perito Moreno, still in Argentina, is El Chaltén, a small tourist town inside Los Glaciares National Park. Mount Fitzroy is the attraction here – a peak that draws climbers from all over the world. We spent a memorable few days hiking and camping in the park, and we got the chance to meet some climbers on their way to and from Fitzroy.
2 Wind, cold and ice
The Patagonian Ice Fields between Chile and Argentina are the largest in the world outside A SOUTH AFRICAN FIRST In January 1974, a group of South African climbers, led by Paul Fatti, made the first ascent of the 1 300 m East Face of the Central Tower in Torres del Paine National Park. At the time it was the highest vertical rock face in the world that had been summited. The team climbed in terrible weather conditions. They took a whole month to reach a position near the top, only to be chased down again by a storm. They dug a snow cave and huddled inside for eight days, waiting for the weather to clear. When it finally did, Mike Scott and Richard Smithers prusiked up the frozen ropes to the previous high point and continued to the summit. It took 30 years before the route was repeated, once again by a South African team led by Alard Hufner, and it’s still known as the South African route to this day.
the polar regions. The Southern Ice Field is about 350 km long and covers an area of about 12 300 km², feeding dozens of glaciers in the area. Together with the smaller Northern Ice Field (4 200 km²), the total area is about 85 % of the size of the Kruger Park. The sheer expanse of ice was mind-blowing. I didn’t know where to look. It was sad too, because both ice fields are in retreat as a result of climate change. Patagonia is known for wind and it didn’t disappoint. We experienced winds of up to 100 km/h. When it came from the front it often pushed the Landy to a crawl. Near Mount Fitzroy we experienced a scary incident where Hanlie was grabbed by a gust that literally took hold of her backpack, lifted her off her feet, spun her around and threw her into nearby rocks. Being at the mercy of something so elemental was intimidating, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately invigorating.
3 The lay of the land
The landscapes in Patagonia vary widely. In Argentina it almost feels like you’re in the Tankwa Karoo – dry, desolate and arid. As you drive across the Andes into Chile, where rainfall can exceed 3 500 mm per year, the landscape becomes lush and green with rainforests in some places. Chile is long and narrow and the southern third of the country is a patchwork of islands, rivers and estuaries. In the Chilean part of Patagonia there’s only a single road running north to south, known as the Carretera Austral. It’s probably the most beautiful road in South America – or anywhere. There’s water all around: rivers, lakes, ice and more rivers. In addition, there are numerous salt-water lakes that link to the Pacific Ocean. By necessity, the Chileans have established a network of ferries throughout Patagonia. The number of ferry routes is mind-boggling and we did several crossings.
4 Camping wild
Argentina and Chile are relatively safe and we camped wild about every third night. We used an app called iOverlander ( ioverlander. com), which is continuously updated by other overland travellers. It came in handy when we were looking for any campsite, whether it was wild or formal. We only camped – we didn’t stay in any guesthouses or B&Bs. It was thrilling to sleep so close to nature, to be self-sufficient, and to experience the raw power of the landscape.
5 The fellowship of the Land Rover
Ever tried explaining to a mechanic – in Spanish – that you need the universal joints greased on your Land Rover? It’s difficult, believe me! That said, the bond between Land Rover owners is just as strong as it is in southern Africa. You might not see as many as you do back home, especially not the newer Discovery or Range Rovers, but the drivers of the Landies you do see will always greet you. And if you need assistance, the Land Rover Club of Argentina has a strong and active membership – there’s always someone willing to help. The answer to the inevitable question from Cruiser people is: No, the Landy didn’t let us down once!