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Torres del Paine National Park
Torres del Paine National Park is a Chilean National Park comprising mountains, glaciers, lakes and rivers. The Cordillera del Paine is the centerpiece of the park. It lies in a transition area between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes. The park is located 112 km north of Puerto Natales and 312 km north of Punta Arenas. Bernardo O'Higgins National Park is its neighbour to the west, while Los Glaciares National Park is located to the north in Argentine territory.
History
Lady Florence Dixie, in her book published in 1880, gives one of the first descriptions of the area and refers to the three towers as ''Cleopatra's Needles.She was the first tourist to visit what is nowadays called Torres del Paine National Park.
In the following decades, several European scientists and explorers visited the area, including
Otto Nordenskiold, Carl Skottsberg and Alberto Maria de Agostini.
Gunther Pluschow was the first person to fly over the Paine massif.
The park was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1978.
Geography
The landscape of the park is dominated by the Paine massif, which is an eastern spur of the Andes located on the east side of the Grey Glacier, rising dramatically above the Patagonian steppe. Small valleys separate the spectacular granite spires and mountains of the massif. These are: Valle del Frances(French Valley), Valle Bader, Valle Ascencioand Valle del Silencio(Silence Valley).
The head of French Valley is a cirque formed by impressive cliffs. To west rise abruptly the colossal walls of Cerro Cota 2000and Cerro Catedral''. The former is named for its elevation and the latter is named so because its east face resembles a cathedral's facade. To the north stands the granite arete called Aleta de Tiburon (Shark's Fin). To the east, from north to south, lie the peaks Fortaleza (Fortress), La Espada (The Sword), La Hoja (The Blade), La Mascara (The Mummer), Cuerno Norte (North Horn) and Cuerno Principal (Main Horn).
Silence Valley is where standing face to face the gigantic granite walls of Cerro Fortaleza and Cerro Escudo (Shield Hill) with the western faces of the Torres del Paine. Ascencio Valley is the normal route to reach the Torres del Paine lookout, which is located at the bank of a milky green tarn. The highest mountain of the group is Paine Grande, although its elevation has not been determined with precision.
Much of the geology of the Paine Massif area consists of Cretaceous sedimentary rocks that have been intruded by a Miocene-aged laccolith. Subsequently, orogenic and erosional processes have shaped the present-day topography, being the glacial erosion the main one responsible for the sculpturing of the massif in the last tens of thousands of years. A good example of the latter are the Cuernos del Paine, whose central bands of nicely exposed granite strongly contrast with the dark aspect of their tops, which are remnants of a heavily eroded sedimentary stratum. In the case of Las Torres, what once was their overlying sedimentary rock layer has been completely eroded away, leaving behind the more resistant granite.
Southern Patagonian Ice Field mantles a great portion of the park. Glaciers include the Dickson, the Grey and the Tyndall.
Among the lakes are the Dickson Lake, Nordenskjold Lake, Pehoe Lake, Grey Lake, Sarmiento Lake and Del Toro Lake. Only a portion of the latter is within the borders of the park. All of them characterize vivid colors due, in most of the cases, to rock flour suspended in their waters. The main river flowing through the park is Paine River. Most of the rivers and lakes of the park drain into Ultima Esperanza Sound via Serrano River.
Biology
Flora
Torres del Paine National Park is adorned with beautiful vegetation. Among them are
the evergreen Embothrium coccineum, which produces vivid red flowers grouped in corymbs and the Calceolaria uniflora, of striking shape and colors.
The park has 7 documented species of Orchidaceae, including the Chloraea magellanica.
In the park have been recorded 85 non-native plant species, of which 75 are of European origin and 31 are considered to be invasive.
The park contains four vegetation zones: Patagonian steppe, Pre-Andean shrubland, Magellanic deciduous forest and Andean Desert.
Patagonian steppe
The vegetation of this zone is dominated by Fescue species (mainly Festuca gracillima), which are resistant to harsh winds and weather conditions that are typical of the Patagonian region.
Pre-Andean shrubland
Some of the dominant plant species of this biotic zone are the Mulinum spinosum (a cushion plant) and Escallonia rubra, which are frequently associated with other species, including Anathrophyllun desideratum and Berberis buxifolia.
Magellanic deciduous forest
The Magellanic deciduous forest is home to various species of trees such as the Nothofagus pumilio and Nothofagus antarctica.
Andean Desert
Above tree line, Escallonia rubra, Empetrum rubrum and Senecio skottsbergii take the place of Nothofagus pumilio trees.
Wildlife
Guanacos are one of the most common mammals found in the park. Other mammals include Cougars and Foxes. It is also home to the endangered Chilean Huemul.
The park contains breeding populations of 15 bird of prey species and other two are likely reproducing here. Among them are Andean Condor, Black-chested Buzzard-eagle, Rufous-tailed Hawk, Cinereous Harrier, Chimango Caracara, Magellanic Horned Owl, Austral Pygmy-owl, to name but a few.Other birds occurring in the park include the Chilean Flamingo, Darwin's Rhea, Coscoroba Swan, Black-necked Swan, Magellanic Woodpecker, Magellan Goose and Buff-necked Ibis.
Tourism
The national park is a popular hiking destination. There are clearly marked paths and many refugios which provide shelter and basic services. Views are breathtaking. Hikers can opt for a day trip to see the towers, walk the popular "W" route in about five days, or trek the full circle in 8-9 days. It is a national park and thus hikers are not allowed to stray from the paths. Camping is only allowed at specified campsites, and wood fires are prohibited in the whole park.
In 2005, a careless Czech backpacker camping illegally used a gas stove and caused a fire that destroyed 160 km of the park. Replanting, with assistance from the Czech Republic, was set to begin in September 2005.
External links
Patagonia Webcam and maps from Paine and Puerto Natales
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Torres del Paine National Park
