Ushuaia, adventure in the snow at the end of the world

Pablo Bizon

08/15/2021 6:31 AM

• Clarín.com

• Travels

Updated 08/15/2021 6:31 AM

We went up from the base by the

Del Bosque chairlift

up to level 480 where there is a confectionery with great views and the "magic carpets" by which the boys who learn to ski at the school climb, and there we just take the

Las Piedras chairlift

to the top, at 1,057 meters above the level of the sea ​​and with impressive views of the long

Valley of Tierra Mayor

.

We nailed the boards in the snow and climbed a few meters on foot to the edge of the mountain.

The strange north wind that hits us in the face as soon as we look to the other side, makes the temperature much higher than usual.

On the other side of the edge, you can see hills covered in white, towards which

Cerro Castor

could be enlarged

with new means and slopes, Francisco Paranza, Marketing Manager of

the world's southernmost ski resort

, tells me

, and the landscape confirms that in a winter of drought and very little snow in the entire Patagonian mountain range, the only "refuge" for snow lovers, at least until mid-August, is the end of the world.

The Del Bosque chairlift, at the base of Cerro Castor.

Travel Photo

Because in

Ushuaia

, capital of Tierra del Fuego, and its surroundings, there is no shortage of snow this winter.

And we are going to experience it firsthand in these four days in the city.

We put on our skis and descend: an

excellent powder snow

invites us to enjoy a zigzag along the Águila Mora slope, join Senda Guanaco towards the east until Cota 600, where there is another confectionery with great views, and then continue along the Cauquenes track , a gently sloping gorge in the middle of the lengas forest.

At one point Francisco stops and shows me a white extension next to the track: it is the artificial lagoon that was recently created on the hill to supply water to

the artificial snow generation system

, which already supplies 30% of the mountain and allows you to ski to the base throughout the season.

The Piedra Negra trail and, below, Cota 480, in Cerro Castor.

Travel Photo

We finish the tour in the most "remote" part of this hill crossed by tracks and connections: the Del Este teleski, which ascends quickly together with its twin Del Sol to give access to an off-piste area and to three red or difficult slopes - Austral Gaviota, Albatross, Petrel- which

are enjoyed almost in solitude even though there are many people

on the hill.

A long time on the skis takes us to the base, and without hesitation we go straight to

Águila Mora

, the star restaurant of Cerro Castor, passing the

ice skating rink

- it is the only ski center in the country that has a ski rink. these characteristics-.

With a

steaming lamb casserole

as a meeting point, they tell me about the three rentals, the eight gastronomic points and the exclusive locker system that allows - with the same electronic media upgrade pass - to store clothes and equipment - own or rented - in a heated place at the end of the day, to remove them dry the next day and in a few minutes to be back on the slopes.

Until mid-August, Cerro Castor is the only ski center in the country with all its tracks enabled.

Photo Travel.

Almost opposite you can see the

new bridge that was built over Route 3

, with which the Falcon Peregrino track -one of the black tracks, for experienced skiers- now reaches directly to the base.

Flavors on the shores of the Beagle

When the sun begins to dim its light, we meet at Cauquenes Point to get on the combis that take us back to the hotel.

One of the luxuries of staying at

Los Cauquenes

, one of the three five-star hotels in the Fuegian capital, with the waters of the Beagle Channel almost within reach.

Spider crab, black hake, lamb, mushrooms and wild fruits are essential elements of Fuegian cuisine.

Photo Los Cauquenes

After an exhausting day of going up and down the frozen mountain, what better way than to relax in a

warm pool looking at the snow-capped peaks on

the other side of the Beagle.

Some guests leave their children at the nearby

game room

-there slide, trampoline, foosball, table games to Ximena care, while enjoying a restorative

massage

,

treatments

facial or a relaxing foray into the

sauna

.

At dinner time, in the two shifts -8pm and 10pm-, the dishes of chef Haydée Paredes invite in the menu of the Reinamora restaurant.

There is no shortage of

trout

,

Fuegian lamb

and

black hake

, gastronomic stars of

Tierra del Fuego

always led by the

spider crab

, which comes out of these waters, very cool all year round.

Jacuzzi with views of the Beagle and the mountains, in the spa of the Los Cauquenes resort.

Photo Los Cauquenes.

However, the gastronomy of Tierra del Fuego, Haydée warns, is much broader than these classics, because there are also

mussels from Brown Bay

, and in summer a

great variety of ingredients from the area are used

, such as wild mushrooms -especially the delicious morels-, forest herbs, fruits such as elderberries and there are always very fresh fish that go beyond the most famous.

"For example, I love the

Beagle silverside

, because it has an incredible flavor, very different from others, and also the sea bass," he says, while he gives us to taste a delicious aceto made on the basis of Patagonian wine.

After dinner, nothing better than a good time relaxing in the soft armchairs of the fully glazed winter garden, to see how an almost round Moon illuminates the snowy peaks, and from time to time it hides behind the clouds.

The forecast says that soon the north wind will change to the west, and

a cold front with rain and snow is coming

.

By train through the national park

But the next day it dawns almost like a summer one.

Full sun, not a drop of wind, the Beagle ironed like a mirror.

An ideal time to navigate the canal, go around the famous Les Eclaireurs lighthouse and see cormorants, sea lions and the city and mountains from the water, but the truth is that today we have another appointment: the

End of the World Train

.

The most interesting part of this nice little narrow-gauge train is undoubtedly its history, which begins to be known at the End of the World Station, 8 km from the city and almost at the gates of

Tierra del Fuego National Park

.

The train runs on three steam and two diesel locomotives.

Photo Martín Gunter / iInfuetur

A story that goes back to the early years of the 20th century, when the construction of the then famous

Ushuaia prison began,

which housed prisoners such as Petiso Orejudo, the Ukrainian anarchist Simón Radowitzky and numerous political detainees after the 1930 coup, and was it closed in 1947 for “humanitarian reasons” - which we listen to with headphones as

the train moves into the park

.

Before, we visited the workshops, where an

admirable, truly artisan

maintenance

job

is done

: the five locomotives - three steam and two diesel - are replicas of old machines from England and South Africa, and

all the spare parts are made right here

.

"We manufacture screws, bearings, all the parts that wear out and have to be replaced, and even here

several wagons were manufactured

, the blue ones," Alejandro Caamaño, a turner who works, glass through, tells me. public.

The trip can be done in three classes: Economy, First Superior and Premium.

Photo Travel.

“The drivers check the moving parts of the locomotives, such as bolts or a bushing, every day, and you hardly notice a bit of play, they are changed, on the same day.

And last year, with the

quarantine

, we took the opportunity to do

a very deep service

;

all the locomotives were dismantled and

all the parts that needed to be changed were changed ”, he says.

And he shows me a piece that is nothing less than the beginning of a new locomotive that is beginning to be put together, little by little, in the workshop.

“It would be

the first armed steam locomotive in Tierra del Fuego

”, he enthuses.

The whistle blows: to the train!

It is our turn in the last car, all made of wood, small and very cozy, with heating and some hot chocolates, bills and chips.

In the front, a group of friends is enjoying a lunch with

dishes of their choice that include lamb casserole, spider crab or lentil stew

, among others: pleasures of making the trip in Premium class.

The train at La Macarena station, Travel Photo

After a few minutes of smooth running in which the story of this train is narrated, in which the prisoners from the southernmost jail in the world were brought to cut trees whose firewood was used to heat, cook, build or supply the power plant.

On both sides of the narrow road you can see the remains of that work: hundreds of trees felled from the base - the "

tree graveyard

" -, on a colorful peat soil with patches of snow, crossed by the zigzagging Pipo river and dotted of horses grazing.

To the right, the high peaks of the Cordillera

are disappearing into clouds

, and when we go down at La Macarena station to go up some steps to a waterfall, we notice that it is colder and begins to sparkle: a sleet that seems to anticipate the storm that is coming. comes.

Alejandro Caamaño, turner in the workshops of the End of the World Train.

Travel Photo

At the end of the tour, we go down as the locomotive turns around and hooks up on the other side.

During the return, the audio -in 7 languages- tells details of the southernmost national park in the country.

A nice route that allows you to get to know a

part of the park that is not accessible by road

.

When we return to the idyllic views of the hotel, the snow that fell on the mountains already reaches the shores of the Beagle:

two days of heavy snow

are coming

.

Hugo Flores on a sled in Siberianos de Fuego.

Photo Luciano Campregher

Happiness, to the face of a dog

"Hugo Flores is synonymous with dogs in Ushuaia", Hugo Flores himself tells me in the warm cabin -salamander by means of- that makes the base for

Siberianos de Fuego

, which Hugo himself defines as "

the largest Siberian and Alaskan Huskies kennel of

South America ”.

Outside the snow does not stop falling and

150 dogs

bark, howl, play with tourists, throw themselves in the snow to scratch their bellies.

"They are very social and friendly, that is why many schools and children with disabilities usually visit us, because an incredibly positive energy is generated between the children and the dogs," says this "come and go" from San Juan almost 40 years ago.

We have just returned from a beautiful ride on a dog sled through the Tierra Mayor Valley, 25 km from Ushuaia and close to the slopes of Cerro Castor: Siberianos is in 

Las Cotorras

, one of several winter centers that along from this valley, to the north of the city, offer activities such as sledding, snowmobile rides, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing excursions.

With every word Hugo conveys his love for these dogs, which he seems to know like no one else.

He tells me the story of the

Argentine polar dog

, a breed created to work in Antarctica in the 1940s - before the dog was declared an exotic species and all specimens had to be removed from the white continent.

Hugo Flores defines Fire Siberians as "the largest Siberian and Alaskan Huskies kennel in South America."

Photo Luciano Campregher.

And it tells the differences between the

Siberian huskies

, a pure, wild breed, and the

Alaskans

, which are mongrels, the result of various crosses to achieve sporty, attentive, fast dogs that interact very well as a team.

“They can

do the same as the Siberian but faster

.

On a crossing, for example, the Siberian husky does not go faster than 20 km / h, while the Alaskan can run at between 30 and 40 km / h ”, says Hugo, who created this site 21 years ago, initially to rescue dogs, and in which today informs and educates visitors.

“It is a breed that almost no one understands because the Siberian husky is considered for its beauty and not for its instinct.

It is a very wild and intelligent animal but very independent, which

needs to run between 25 and 50 km per day

, and does not have a good time in the heat ”, he says before getting up for the triple daily ritual that he does with his children and collaborators: feed the 150 dogs that live happily in the snow.

The sleigh rides recover ancient traditions of the original peoples of the Northern Hemisphere.

Photo Luciano Campregher.

It continues to snow as we get on the plane, mentally listing how

much we have left to do

on a next visit: 4x4 excursions through snowy forests, trekking to Esmeralda Lagoon, trekking to Martial Glacier, visit to Puerto Almanza and Harberton Ranch, helicopter overflights. ..

The list goes on as they clear the wings of ice and snow, we take off and, through the storm clouds, we contemplate a hypnotic sunset.

Postcard of Ushuaia, the southernmost city in Argentina.

Photo Getty Images.

MINI GUIDE

How to get

Aerolineas Argentinas (at least three daily flights) and Jetsmart (since September, three weekly) fly from Buenos Aires (Aeroparque and Ezeiza).

Round trip in August-September,

from $ 35,025

(AR) with checked luggage.

Where to stay

Los Cauquenes Resort & Spa: from $ 20,277 for a standard room on a double basis, prepaid rate, for August-October.

Includes breakfast, access to the spa, transfers to the center and Cerro Castor (US $ 25, approximately $ 2,560, round trip).

And the possibility of doing exclusive excursions such as Senderos del Parque ($ 4,100) or Navigating the Beagle ($ 10,100, www.loscauquenes.com).

The Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, a typical postcard of walks along the Beagle Channel.

How much

• Cerro Castor: daily pass, $ 4,300 adults, $ 3,000 minors.

Cross-country ski pass, $ 250;

cross-country ski equipment rental, $ 1,000.

Ice skating pass, $ 650;

skate rental, $ 650 per hour (www.cerrocastor.com).

• End of the World Train: Economy class, $ 3,800;

First Superior, $ 7,700, Premium, $ 9,100.

Children from 4 to 12 years old, $ 1,900, $ 3,850 and $ 4,500, respectively; children under 4, free (www.trendelfindelmundo.com.ar).

• Fire Siberians: guided tour, $ 500;

sleigh excursion, $ 4,500 seniors, $ 3,000 minor (6 to 14 years old);

free for children under 6. Complimentary hot chocolate, tea and coffee (www.facebook.com / SiberianosDelFuego /).

Helicopter flights over the city and mountains may include transportation to or from Cerro Castor.

Photo Heliushuaia

• Helicopter flight from Ushuaia to Cerro Castor, with an intermediate descent in the Cordillera (30 '), $ 37,750 per person on a double basis (www.heliushuaia.com.ar).

• Navigation through the Beagle Channel (3 hours), from $ 4,400;

excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park, from $ 3,800.

• Remís from the city to the Fin el Mundo Train station, $ 830;

to Cerro Castor, $ 2,000 to $ 2,300 one way.

Where to find out

Tel. (02901) 43-2000 / 2001/7666

turismoushuaia.com

Whatsapp +54 9 11 3575 3720

findelmundo.tur.ar

patagonia.gob.ar

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