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TREKKING

TREKKINGTrekking means walking on certain types of terrain. It is an activity that anybody can practice, no matter how much you weight or if you are not in excellent shape. As long as you can talk, you can go trekking. This sport allows visitors to walk through different places, be in contact with nature and it is cheaper than other sports, because the equipment needed is pretty basic.

To practice trekking you need a good and fitting pair of shoes, proper clothing, sunglasses, sunscreen, a cap or hat, compass, a map, lots of water, food, knife, flashlight, first-aid kit and a backpack to carry all these things.

Some of these items maybe seem an exaggeration, but it is always recommended to avoid accidents and danger, the weather in the region changes very fast so it is always best to prevent any unwanted scenarios.

The location to go trekking is up to you, and you and your group can go walking without a guide because the paths are well delimited and there are signals all along them, but it is strongly advised to give notice to authorities or administrative points of the place you are heading and the time you plan to be back. Never go alone and without giving out your destination to someone.

Once you begin walking keep yourself hydrated. Same as when riding a bike it is recommended to have a drink of water every fifteen minutes, pay attention to your own body while you?re walking and drink water whenever you need to. At the same time, get some rest every five minutes, it will allow you to recuperate your breath.

In Patagonia there are almost a hundred different routes for trekking, and only in the Torres del Paine National Park you can find more than fifty paths to choose from. That is why is necessary to inform yourself on all the paths available and, later on, about the ones you have chosen to avoid getting lost.

Torres del Paine is not the only place where you can practice trekking, in almost all the parks and national reserves there are paths established. Most of them won?t charge you an entrance fee, but they do have a cooperation bonus that you can always pay, which is never over the five dollars.

Some paths are days-long; they are circuits that include visiting a more extended territory. Because on those trips you will need a tent and set up a camping space, be careful and do not leave trash around that can damage the environment, and keep your group inside the established areas.

Getting out of them can lead to unwanted consequences, such as meeting and disturbing animals or getting to areas infected with hanta virus. You should also be careful with the litre, a type of bush that lives in the south, that can give you allergies or a terrible rush if you touch it.

Further south, in Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas, you can go trekking on ice, especially the circuit on the Grey Glacier. This practice is more complicated and demanding than normal trekking, so you should take into consideration your experience trekking and your physical estate before deciding on going to this area.

To climb and walk on the glaciers, you should contact a travel or tourist agency that can provide you with an instructor or someone to go with you on your trip, because it is very dangerous to go up a snowy and frozen mountain without someone who knows the area.