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Well another sea kayaking trip has come to an end for us. This time things went a lot smoother for us than last year. We successfully managed to kayak around the coast of Tierra Del Fuego without any real problems apart from strong winds and the cold. We changed our plan a bit and decided not to do a circumnavigation but kayak from Punta Arenes in Chile down to Ushuaia at the very bottom of Argentina travelling clockwise along the Atlantic side and then do it anti-clockwise down the Pacific side. I’m pleased we did as on the last few days we saw so many amazing sights and were able to take our time exploring some incredible places and stop to watch penguins, sealions, whales, dolphins, otters and so much more.

After having to stop the trip last year due to having a wrist injury it was very nice to complete the trip injury free. Everything was different this year. Sorting things out with both the Argentinian and Chilean authorities went so much smoother. In fact it was nice to see some familiar faces in the Argentinian Prefectura and the Chilean Armada. We had already made friends over here from last year and it was great see them again. The nordkapps were already here waiting us. Even the weather was different. Last year there were almost constantly strong winds whereas this year because of the El Nina weather system we are enjoying a wonderful summer here (wonderful weather here isn’t what most people would think of as wonderful weather though). So although it was a challenging trip in many senses it could have been a lot more difficult. I think this was the year to do a trip down here.

We have been incredibly fortunate again, being given some fantastic kit from several manufacturers which all worked out really well for us. I think the thing we have been most fortunate with is the help we have received from people we have met whilst we have been here. It never ceases to amaze me how many complete strangers insist on taking us in out of the cold and wind to feed us and sometimes give us a bed for the night.

Even now that the trip is over we are sitting in a warm cozy house in Ushuaia knowing that we have somewhere to stay until we fly home in just over a week. There are just so many people to thank including friends at home, some who sent messages of support on the sat phone. They were great to receive when spirits were down a bit. Friends who packed a few treats away for us to open whilst on the trip. Messages from people I have never met. Although the biggest thanks of all have to go to Moni and Marcelo in Argentina and Kiko and Vero in Chile. They took us in and made us feel so welcome in their homes and introduced us to friends as well as giving us an incredible amount of support throughout.

We didn’t have a vehicle driving along the coast meeting us at the end of each day so maybe that means I can say we did an unsupported trip? Not a chance! This was very much another supported trip and we both appreciate every bit of support we had from everyone before, during and after the trip. Also I owe a huge thanks to Justine for organising everything and being a great paddling partner.

Barry

We made it all the way around Tierra del Fuego!! It’s very exciting to be back in Ushuaia after paddling about 800 miles around this wild and beautiful part of the world. Some statistics:

Leg 1: Punta Arenas – Punta Maria (near Rio Grande): 8 days paddling in 2011

Leg 2: Punta Maria – Ushuaia:  13 days (paddling every day) in 2012

Leg 3: Punta Arenas – Ushuaia: 17 days (paddling every day) in 2012

Total paddling days was 38. Longest paddling day was about 42 nautical miles exiting the Magallenes Canal last year. Shortest day was on the Brecknock peninsula where we battled a mere 1.5 miles into the wind to find a more sheltered campsite.

We expected the strong winds to be our biggest challenge around Tierra del Fuego but this year’s weather was very strange and we had quite a lot of fairly calm days. We had our share of battling into headwinds but it wasn’t an every day occurrence as we had expected when heading towards the west. This also meant that we didn’t get to whoop and yee-hah our way back to Ushuaia when we started heading east. We would have welcomed a strong blast on our backs to give us a helpful push in the right direction, but more often than not the few yachts we saw had their motors on, and we could even seen our reflections on several occasions!

The challenges were different to what we expected. It was often hard to find a campsite in amongst the impenetrable steep cliffs or walls of bushes that rose from the top of beaches. The day of our strongest winds, we paddled about 8 miles into the wind before finding a place that we could put a tent that wasn’t blasted by the wind, on a slope, in the intertidal zone, or on sharp rocks. Due to the many islands and channels here, we could sometimes stay out of the main blasts but had to brave the full force of the wind around headlands and crossing bays.

The cold was an unexpected challenge. Last year on the East coast the sun shone quite a lot, even when the wind howled almost constantly. I wore a thin set of thermals under my drysuit and don’t remember being cold. I wondered how there could be glaciers down to sea level here but now I know! The stretch besides the high Darwin mountains can be REALLY cold! The thermometer on my watch often said 5 degrees while we were paddling, and one day read 3 degrees. It didn’t rain, it hailed on us every time a squall passed (which was frequently). I wore 2 thermal tops and was still cold when I stopped paddling for more than 5 minutes.

About 50 miles west of Ushuaia is perhaps the most spectacular stretch of coastline. We enjoyed a rare blue sky day as we paddled alongside blue glaciers that pour into the sea, or hang precipitously hundreds of metres above the water, impossibly perched on vertical rock faces. We took a 16 mile detour up the spectacular Seno Pia, at the end of which we were promised ‘one of the most spectacular views in Tierra del Fuego’. The paddle to get there was exciting as 5 miles in we were surrounded by small bits of ice which gradually got thicker and thicker until we had to nudge them aside to make our way forwards. The reward at the end was 3 glaciers – 2 of which reach the sea. Loud heart-stopping cracks stopped us in whatever we were doing every 20 minutes or so as an unseen part of the glacier fell off and crashed down.

Overall paddling around Tierra del Fuego has been a wonderful experience. The stunning scenery, plentiful  marine life, wild remoteness & the friendly and kind people we have met combine to make it a very special place to paddle and visit. I think Barry and I are the first people to kayak the entire coastline of Tierra del Fuego, although the first continuous circumnavigation is still unclaimed! Having said that, let’s not forget that over 100 years ago, men, women & children were navigating these channels is bark canoes wearing nothing more than an animal skin which barely covered them – so we are not so tough!

Big thanks to  Karel Visel for sending us daily weather forecasts to our Iridium satellite phone. Thanks to Sarah Outen and Iridium for use of the satellite phone. Thanks to my mum for updating the blog every day. Our trip map was made possible by our SPOT tracker and Trackleaders.com, who make great interactive maps for trips and events.

The silk sleeping bag liner was one of the best accessories from Sea 2  Summit and really helped keep the chill out on the colder nights.

Our Icebreaker thermals kept the chill and the smell at bay – both while paddling and off the water.

 

Our Keen  shoes were really comfy and neither of us got wet feet in our waterproof Keen land shoes so big thumbs up to Keen aswell.

There wasn’t enough surf to wear my Shred Ready  Shaggy helmet but I was glad to have it incase. It’s time will come I am sure!

We were sustained every day by yummy and healthy Nakd and Trek bars, made by Natural Balance Foods. All the bars are 100% natural fruit and nut, and Trek bars have high protein content.

This trip would have been incredibly difficult to organise and make happen without very generous help from local paddlers. We are deeply grateful for all the assistance we’ve had from Monica & Marcelo in Argentina, & from Kiko & Vero in Chile. They’ve hosted us in their houses for weeks, driven us from place to place, been our contact with the authorities, laughed with us & become great friends. Muchas gracias amigos.

Day 42, Day 17 from Punta Arenas – Friday 2 March.

7.18am: There was a lovely sunrise this morning for what will hopefully be our last day paddling around Tierra del Fuego. Bring on Ushuaia! There’s a bit of a north-ish wind – a bit of westerly wind may help.

4.32pm: We have finished!! After quite a long day on the water we are in Ushuaia, having paddled the entire Tierra de Fuego coast. Yeah!
Our passports have been stamped and we are heading for Marcelo and Monica’s with a lot of grubby kit!

Day 41, Day 16 from Punta Arenas – Thursday 1 March.

7.33 am: Enjoyed a bit of a lie in this morning until 7am, followed by pancakes for breakfast. After that it’s on to Yamana.

12.23pm: We have now paddled the 6 miles to Yamana against an easterly head wind. What happened to the westerlies again?! We’re drinking tea and talking to the family who live here for a whole year.

6.55pm S54.57.9 W69.02.2: We are now at Caleta Sonia, just 30 miles from Ushiaia. We hope to finish our trip tomorrow if conditions are ok!