Water surrounds us, sets limits and at the same time traces paths for us. Earth, fire, water, air and emptiness are the elements of antiquity that represent the understanding of the cosmos where all that exists coexists.
Located at the confluence of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans is Patagonia, an indomitable territory where the sky blows your name, where at night you see a sky full of stars, where you realize that glaciers command and can open and close new roads when they want. A land that is shared by 2 countries but breathes as if it were one, with volcanoes and forests that make this place a destination of elements.
“Patagonia is known as the Land of Fire, yet it should be known as the land of the elements.”
-Miss Nana, inhabitant of Patagonia.
With that phrase said goodbye to one of the most wonderful people I met on my last trip to Patagonia, Miss Nana, she is an authentic Patagonian who lives near the Hudson volcano and with whom you can contact to make the hike up to that place.
She inspired me to write about one of my last trips that ended up being a journey through the elements of nature that take on another meaning in Patagonia.
Fire element
The fire element is associated with the idea of warmth as a sign of health and life. This was one of the most primitive discoveries made by man that has given more development to mankind, it is also related to light and is present as a very important sign in all religions.
Fire in Patagonia is related from the beginning with our senses, when you go to a volcano like the Hudson, although its crust is made of ice, it happens as in many snow-capped mountains that can erupt, fire can be an explosion, but also the passion or that internal energy you feel when you have been walking for hours with the desire to reach a destination.
The elements are transformed and fire is no exception, the opportunity to make a bonfire to share with your group of friends, makes it a very intimate moment, curiously that same fire becomes food when you cook a barbecue. Thus, fire accompanies you in Patagonia and if you respect it, it can be your best ally during the trip.
Places related to fire: Domuyo Volcano, Hudson, Lautaro, Tronador, Lanin, Copahue and Tierra del Fuego.
Fire-related activities: Volcano climbing, campfires, wood cooking and volcanic eruptions (unlikely to be seen).
Water element
Feminine and fecundating characteristics are attributed to it, it is related as a source of life. This is one of the elements that represents the change of emotions, you can find calm water of a lake or the aggressive waves of the sea in some beaches of the world.
Curiously, Patagonia is full of water, you can see how it coexists in a liquid and frozen state, but at the same time it is a desolate destination where you can easily spend a day without seeing another human being. Those of us who have ventured into inhospitable places know that the purity of nature is maintained in ecosystems full of life, with animals and plants that can only be seen in that place.
Water accompanies you in Patagonia in different ways, through its rivers that allow you to move from one place to another, with glaciers (frozen water) that you can admire in the North or South Ice Fields and even walk on them, with the unpredictable rain on the way, as hydration in the streams or lagoons that are on your way and from which you can drink calmly, and finally with the fishing areas of some places that also provide you with food.
This element is one of the most important in Patagonia and at the same time the most abundant, it is one of its most precious treasures and the community, with the support of activists, has managed to stop several mining and energy projects that threaten the precious liquid.
Water-related sites: all fjords, glaciers, rivers, lakes, lagoons and rainwater.
Activities related to water: Sea exploration, fishing, kayaking, rafting, rowing and ice sculpture creation (festivals in Ushuaia).
Wind element
Better known as the air element, it is present in all religions and represents freedom, movement and is considered the creator of cyclical processes.
In Patagonia this element is present at the top of the mountains where the wind level is impressive, as in Torres del Avellano, which has climbing points where the force of the wind makes you stop for moments, but that is when you manage to detach yourself from the material and put yourself to the test.
The Patagonian wind is perhaps one of the least polluted on earth, breathing in this place is an experience to cherish, where you can stop for hours and know that life does not go at the chaotic pace of the city.
Wind related places: Torres del Avellano, the last gaucho, the mestizo ridge, chicken run, cerro castillo, el diente, Valle Leones, cerro mocho and more than a hundred unexplored virgin hills.
Wind related activities: climbing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, bungee jumping, bungee jumping, zip lining and rappelling.
Earth element
It is considered a passive and feminine element, it is closely related to the “pacha mama” or mother earth, it represents solidity as the basis of everything, and strength of body and mind.
This element is presented to us in the immensity of the plains, prairies and roads to explore, likewise this element is transformed when we go down a steep path that requires us to have the strength to solve problems, not to give up and continue.
Places related to the land: Douglas Pumalin Park, Yendegaia, Lanin, Carretera Austral, Navarino Island.
Activities related to the land: trekking.
Empty element
Although this is not considered an element by our western culture, because it cannot be appreciated with the senses, it is worth considering because I dare say that it is only found in Patagonia.
Emptiness means a total absence of forms and even of existence, that is, many of our beliefs are fantasies that we project about causes that are not reality, in fact the great majority of our problems come from this need to fill the void, to somehow give meaning to life.
In Patagonia there is a vacuum before, during and after the trip. Before traveling is when you feel the curiosity to know the place, you go with your set of beliefs to face a trip that you do not know how it will transform you. During the journey when you arrive in a lonely land where few people arrive and where it is possible to go for days without seeing another adventurer. After the trip, when you return to your destination and process the number of experiences you have had, you may feel nostalgic or slightly sad.
Places related to the vacuum: every point of Patagonia visited without haste.
Activities related to emptiness: Moments of reflection and thoughts found between being and being, all in relation to space and landscape.
The union of the elements makes the trip and the desire to experience them makes the traveler.
This is how the elements coexist in this territory, creating a perfect balance. When you visit a place in Patagonia you can see and feel how all the elements accompany you, surely you have never considered the option of taking a trip through the elements of nature.
This way of doing tours is called “tol-wen”, which means in the language of the Selkhan tribe “how the heart” which gives origin to the small Patagonian city called Tolhuin and this is how it was born. Tolhuin Expeditions with the idea of providing adventurers with heartfelt experiences that allow them to connect mentally, emotionally and spiritually with the territory they visit.
And today I can confirm with satisfaction that in recent years we have achieved this.
