Paso de los Pehuenes: the route of the raids
The truck moved slowly along the way but every time there was more snow. Already reached mid wheel. My wife, with GPS, I said that there was still a thousand feet up to reach the top step (port, as they say in Spain). "Three hundred meters is a lot," I thought. Flakes fell thick, could not see the road, there were no tracks or signs of the passing of anyone out there. Something was wrong. Pare, I went down and mumbled; the snow was almost knee. It could not be this way. I carefully turned around while I wondered how he got there.
Soon after independence gained, Argentina made an effort to expand its internal frontier, as I said at the time the border with Indian Territory. In the absence of rivers or mountains that separated all the Christians of the Indians was the immensity of the Pampas. The tribes settled no less than three hundred miles of the forts and from there launched their attacks called "raids". But the Indians did not point to the soldiers but to the halls of the settlers who thought they were safe behind the border. Riding at night so they do not see the dust rose and fell in a surprise dawn stealing cattle, thousands of heads, and women and children. Like lightning returned to the heart of the endless pampas before the army could be organized.
A curious place on the edge of Lake Alumine, with a volcano and a small ski resort run by a Mapuche community ...!
I had decided to combine our winter vacation to research my book "The Conquest of Roses" and for this we chose the small town of Villa Pehuenia, in northern Patagonia. A curious place on the edge of Lake Alumine, with a volcano and a small ski resort run by a Mapuche community ...! Down the slope of the volcano Batea Mahuida have an incredible view of Lake Moquehue and fearsome volcanoes Lanin, Villarrica and Llaima.
Back in the Indians divided tolderías, between chiefs and capitanejos, livestock they needed to survive. If the raid had been successful, they could separate a good portion of the heads to be traded with the Mapuche of southern Chile; but it had to cross hundreds of miles of desert and crossing the mountains herding livestock. Only a few knew the way by steppe that had lagoons and pastures to the mountains.
It is estimated that, between 1830 and 1880, more than two million head of cattle crossed from Argentina to Chile through the mountain passes a few whose location was a closely guarded secret by the Mapuche. Pehuenia Villa is located near three of these roads. We had chosen to make a circuit of three days crossing into Chile through the Paso Tromen and returning to Argentina Icalma Pass. In Argentina, Gendarmerie assured me that both were qualified for vehicles equipped with chains.
When the Perito Moreno explored the Andes of Neuquén was taken prisoner by the Indians. He met the chief Sayhueque but eventually the two struck up a close friendship that became compadres, something like "blood brothers". Moreno Sayhueque asked permission to explore the lakes of the region and was awarded. Then, more confident, asked to learn the steps to Chile. Sayhueque changed its face and attitude. That was impossible. Moreno lost the confidence of the chief and had to escape his toldería.
At night we had a few hot springs under the stars at an ambient temperature of just 1 above zero degree Celsius
The rise on the Argentine side to the Tromen, or Paso de los Pehuenes, is smooth and passes through a forest of Araucaria, has abundant water and pasture, ideal to raise cattle. The descent on the Chilean side is more abrupt but slow cattle were not to have more difficulty in descending. The Chilean side and stroll through the outskirts of the city of Pucón and Villarica volcano smoking. Lagos, snow and lots of birds made us an interesting day. At night we had a few hot springs under the stars at an ambient temperature of just 1 above zero degree Celsius. He returned to Argentina crossing another step, that of Icalma.
"All steps open" confirmed me in the office of Tourism of Chile. I faced north and then east on the rise that should take the other side of the Andes, but the snow did not let me. I gave up and retraced all those miles. I went to the office of Carabineros de Chile, seeking an explanation. Were not all enabled? "The passage of Icalma is a mountain pass so Winter is not on Tourism reports" the officer told me; adding that the next time the police to ask, Tourism not.
I was unaware of the passage of Icalma, so the following summer I passed through the area. I could not resist to find this way of cattle-lined our truck to Icalma. Pehuenes less water and less than the Tromen but with a gentle slope that reached the port, this was also suitable for cattle over. It was clear that both steps were used by the Indians taking cattle to Chile where exchanged for pieces of silver which in turn changed in grocery stores in the pampas Creole snuff, sugar, mate and hot water.
Some time later I read in an old book that someone had noticed, without finding an answer, in winter there were fewer raids in the rest of the year. ¿Porqué? I had found the answer: not always allowed to cross the mountain range the product of his sacking.
The reader will want to know what the raids was the life of the captive? We leave that for another entry in this blog.
Comments (3)
Ana Elisa
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I loved the monkey puzzle, gives them a certain charm to the geography of these areas, toured some of these roads, and actually have the first mark of the stories lived and all the time!
Very good your story. I am a traveler and I understand the passion of walking paths, and the way I do cultural tourism, as a writer and plastic.
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Valeria
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Are there many native Indians in Patagonia? I have understood that there were mass killings and wanted to many they are closing in on stocks ended almost. I love your articles. Congratulations.
Valeria
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Gerardo Bartolomé
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Yes, Indians are in Patagonia. There are two ethnic groups, Mapuche (Araucanian) in the north and Andean Patagonia in south central tehuelches. The Mapuche population in Argentina is a few thousand, but there are many more in Chile. Tehuelches, very few.
Much is discussed about alleged killings. Of course there were conflicts 2 the 3 centuries as both the Pampa in Patagonia. And since the ejérciro armed with rifles made the fight was unequal. But you must not think of shooting and killing systematic.
It is a subject where many people speak without knowing and immediately take radical positions on one side or the other. I am writing a book on the subject.
Thanks and greetings to Ana and Valeria for their comments
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