Having just completed my 800+ mile bicycle ride on the famous Carretera Austral, I must admit that I rode it with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I marveled at the magnificence of Creation, with the soul-calming effects of the natural beauty of verdant forests, majestic mountains, lakes, glaciers, waterfalls, fjords, and numerous animals and flora. On the other hand, the Carretera had such other-worldly scenery that I saw many people come as consumers of the environment for their own pleasure rather than let it teach us about our humbled place in the world. I wondered if I might be one of them– someone I don’t want to be. Many confusing messages have been roiling in my mind.
That’s why I’m glad the words of Douglas Tompkins came along to surface and center some of my thoughts. Tompkins, besides being the founder of The North Face and Esprit, outdoor equipment companies, was not only instrumental in founding a movement that seeks to preserve the natural landscape of Patagonia (and the world), but to also let the natural landscapes teach us about our place in the world:
The Carretera Austral is perhaps the most spectacular road in the world. If there is another that provides access to nearly 20 national parks, as well as wild and wide open landscapes, soaring mountains, lakes, glaciers, forests and fjords, then I would like to know where it is. Having travelled to many parts of the world, I have yet to find anything comparable. It is nothing short of a wonder. So, if you are not yet on this Southern Highway ‘Route of Parks’, then don’t hesitate to make plans for a trip that you will remember forever. The landscapes are unrivalled in their beauty, and the people are friendly and will welcome you with open arms.
[But do] consider the ‘development model’ with which Chile, as a country, evolves its economy. The story along this road is familiar – one of human colonisation that is common throughout history across the world. You see, roads are many-edged swords, and if we start with the old adage that ‘it is hard to destroy wilderness without roads’, we promptly arrive at the grain of the argument. As beautiful and awesome as the Carretera Austral may be, it has been pivotal in human development. Overgrazing, burned forests, mining, and industrial fish farming are all present as a result of the roads built. Yet saying all that, we are really bemoaning the state of the world: and Chile is just another country caught up in the ‘Myth of Progress’. Yet, no matter where we may be from, we are now united in the challenge to reverse this massive environmental crisis in which we find ourselves and the world embroiled. We are now in what is the 6th Mass Extinction Event, the worst environmental crisis in the last 65 million years. Additionally we have, as a civilisation, had a negative impact on the climate as well – what could be worse than that? So, as we traverse the Carretera Austral, let’s pause to reflect about these sobering issues, and when we return home begin the work, as socially responsible citizens of the world, to start paying our rent for living on the planet. There is a place for everyone along the long front of environmental and conservation activism to lend a hand in directing humanity towards harmony with nature.
Douglas Tompkins was co-founder of The North Face among other enterprises, and a major conservationist in Argentina and Chile. He created numerous parks along the Carretera Austral.
From the foreword of Chile–The Carretera Austral: A Guide to One of the World’s Most Scenic Road Trips. (Hugh Sinclair and Edward Menard, authors)
Well said Thuan! Keep pedaling! 😆
Great post! You all should put a book together from these posts.