Lago Desierto.

28th November, 2018. Lago Desierto, Argentina. The night before walking across the Chilean border.

In 2018/19 we walked a linear, 1000 mile route through Chilean Patagonia. We broke it down into sections which used horse trails and drover’s routes in some of the most remote areas of the country. We carried all our equipment and food for up to 9 days at a time, often meeting no-one on the path.

A duck whistling. A fish rising. A black faced ibis on a post. Dusk is a very busy time for the ducks, squabbling on the bank and on the lake, taking turns to shoo each other away and then whistle prettily in triumph. Blue mountains turn a shade darker as the sky behind starts to glow yellow peach, fading to powder blue. The water moves constantly, a very light breeze pushes gently at its surface, ripples reflecting the sky colours. Small birds cry out ‘goodnight’ from the forest. All the ducks are moving out to the water now, to land with a crash and chortle. The breeze stiffens and changes direction, flattening the ripples for a moment and then sends them shivering the other way. Darker shadows creep across the lake, the snow patches on the hills now in greater contrast. Two brown mares crunch across the pebbles along the shore, barely distinguishable infront of the forest. The Ibis is preening his feathers as more ducks flap overhead, flashing white as they pass. I look back, and he has gone.