4 facts to learn more about Tierra del Fuego
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WE TELL YOU 4 INFORMATION TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TIERRA DEL FUEGO:
1. A very Fuegian event that is celebrated in August .
Ushuaia Loppet is a race for athletes that allows them to earn points in the International Ski Federation by running 42 km. This year, national and international skiers are expected to come to Tierra del Fuego from the United States, Canada, Kenya and Chile, who will enjoy the destination and seal their Worldloppet Passports at the End of the World.
The other event is called Gran Premio de la Hermandad, it is an Argentine-Chilean automobile competition that takes place on the Big Island of Tierra del Fuego. It joins the city of Porvenir (Chile) with Río Grande (Argentina). Believe it or not, Fuegians are very fierce, this event has been held since 1974 and this month was chosen because August 17 commemorates the death of the General. San Martín and the birth of O’Higgins, on August 20.
And since it is a very Fuegian race, it could not not be in the middle of winter, being a great challenge for the pilots. In total, more than 400km are traveled along national routes and alternative roads with little traffic.
2. The ranch with the largest shearing shed in the world.
José Menéndez, one of the best-known landowners in southern Argentina and Chile, founded two large ranches in the Fuegian steppe. One of them is known as María Behety , in honor of his wife, located 15 km from the city of Río Grande.
This rural establishment began operating in 1897 and originally had 180,000 hectares of the 64,000 hectares it currently has. The center of the ranch is made up of a group of houses, warehouses and workshops around the main square. The building complex dates back to the beginning of the 20th century and is characterized by being structures covered in corrugated metal, gabled roofs and wood or iron decoration like the typical Fuegian rooms.
The Shearing Shed, with its capacity to house 7,000 animals and 40 shears, exceeds the capacity of sheds in continental Patagonia, Australia and New Zealand. This reflects the golden age of wool activity in Patagonia before the use of synthetic fabric. Likewise, each year the María Behety ranch produces 200,000 kilos of high-quality Corriedale wool, thanks to the 39,000 shearing animals, including sheep, capons, lambs and rams. Due to the historical value and architectural heritage of the María Behety ranch, it is worth visiting.
3. 95% of Argentina’s peatlands are located in Tierra del Fuego .
Peatlands are ecosystems that contain layers of dead organic matter originally from plants. Some of the conditions necessary for these environments to occur are: acidic soils, constant rainfall throughout the year, no water runoff, low temperatures to avoid evaporation and the existence of decomposing insects.
Due to meteorological elements and environmental factors, 95% of the peat bogs in Argentina are located at the eastern end of the Big Island of Tierra del Fuego, precisely in the Miter Peninsula, with an area of around 2,400 km2.
These environments are highly fragile since it is a process of thousands of years for a large cushioned layer of organic matter to form in full decomposition and covered with water. In fact, peat bogs that are more than 10,000 or 14,000 years old were discovered in Tierra del Fuego.
Because they are important?
Because they are composed of 90% fresh water and regulate water basins. These large sponges also cushion floodwaters and provide humidity in periods without rain. Furthermore, these large areas of peat fix carbon dioxide; if they were destroyed, all that CO2 would end up in the atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect.
Despite the great importance and fragility of this ecosystem for the Earth, local NGOs are still waiting for it to be a protected area.
4. Travel through landscapes from mountains and glaciers to the steppe and the sea in just 250 km of distance .
The landscape of Tierra del Fuego is amazing, it really has everything you can find in Continental Patagonia but without traveling great distances.
If you arrive in Ushuaia you will discover that it is surrounded by mountains, forests and glaciers. After traveling a few kilometers to the north you will find valleys covered with peat, lakes and lagoons that were formed in the last ice age.
After a visit to Tolhuin and continuing the trip north along RN 3, you will find that the mountains are losing altitude and the trees grow lower. Then we will find the ecotone region which is that transition place between the forest and the steppe. There we see the ñires grouped in the highest sectors of the relief. Until before reaching the city of Río Grande we find a plain covered with low plants, shrubs or coirones. This city is located 250 km from the provincial capital and at the foot of the Atlantic Ocean.
In Continental Patagonia it will take you almost all day to cross from the Andes mountain range to the sea coast and here you can enjoy the transformation of the landscape in a few hours.
What do you think about these 4 facts to learn more about Tierra del Fuego? We hope they help you to get to know and explore all its corners. We are here to accompany you on this adventure. Do not hesitate to write to us through our communication channels.