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Sadly enough, most if not all the photographers replying to this message- including you Lance- Have hardly any pictures posted from Chile! Such a shame to do so much talking but not post any of the goods. I knnow you've already gone to Chile, but im sure my rpely will be seen by someone else who needs it.

Im going to Chile for 15 days, and leave in 3 weeks. I choose locations there to visit just as I would any state in the US. Searching the web, doing image searches for place names, looking at tourist guide sites, and most importantly by web searching info about the National parks. Knowing nothing when I started, I now know all of the place names of places Im going and all the places Im not! Im going south to Districto Lagos. P.N. Nahuelbuta, P.N. Conguillio, P.N. Puyehue, and what I believe to be the crown jewels of my trip- P.N. ALerce Andino and P.N. Vincente Perez Rosales. Locals I have met with through Myspace.com and Friendster.com, including a local Lake District Tour guide operator, say Chiloe Island (also a N.P.) is not to be missed and one of her personal favorites. Unfortunately I may not have enough time to visit. Type any of these words, or any Chilean National Park title, into google image search to get an idea of what you want to see and capture on film. My local friends also unanimously mention the Atacama desert... I mean I know that rainforests, Waterfalls, Hot Springs, Volcanoes, Azur Lakes and Mountains are spectacular, but this extremely high country desert with volcanos and geysers must be really special for so many locals to rant and rave about it. Of Course, Torres Del Paine is always mentioned... but it literally is the same distance between Boston and Miami, Berlin and Madrid, or Bejing and Hong Kong. It seems that far south must be done as a trip in and of itself, unless you have more than 2-3 weeks to spend in Chile/Argentina!

Chile is 4000 miles long top to bottom- Its going to take me 10 hours minimum drive time to get to the Lake District from Santiago in my rental car, let alone if you were to take public transportation. You can fly to the Lake District, or to the Atacama desert, but then loose travel freedom with no transportation unless you locate a local car rental service. With time at a premium on any vacation, especially a vacation so far away, the public modes of trnasportation seemed to be too restrictive to me.

Heres a great site:

http://www.gochile.cl/eng/Guide/ChileNationalParks/Chile-National-Parks.asp

http://www.gochile.cl/Attr/Attractions.asp

http://www.interpatagonia.com/loslagos/index_i.html

http://www.viajeporchile.cl/vers_eng/mapas.htm

And lets not forget some things about The Country and Its people. Chile, Like Argentina, is often compared to Europe rather than South America in terms of the people and development. Especially Chile, whose small geographic slice of land leads to a higher standard of living and health care. Police corruption and being robbed in the countryside are nonexistent. Of Course, Santiago(5+ million) is probably an exception and no safer than say, Miami, Los angeles or New York! I have seen a statistic than less than 10% of the population in Chile speaks english, and of that 10% Im sure a majority are in Santiago and at the 'Front lines' at Major tourist hotels and resorts.

hope this helps!

Stephen

PS-- be Sure to check out my pictures Ill be posting in March of my trip! ;)<div></div>

From a lot of these posts is seems like if there aren't any signs that say "stay off the trail" then the near royalty level "photographer" can do as they please. NParks and wilderness areas are established for preservation first! If we have a contract with a preservation agency and know our photographs will go towards increased conservation or awareness, then it seems trampling over extremely sensitive areas in a cautious manner might be justified.

Just because it seems like we are the only ones within 50 miles in a given wilderness area or backcountry locale, doesnt mean its ok to walk around sensitive lake shores and through meadows!

I live near sequoia/kings/yosemite parks. When hiking up in the high sierra, wood is scarce at alpine lakes. Imagine if one person thought, "well its cold tonight and wood is everywhere, Ill make a fire- besides theres no signs, and when the snow melts its just going to wash away." So the fire is made, burning 3 pounds of wood. If this lake site gets an average of 300 visitors a year finding no one else there and each makes a fire, thats 1000 pounds of wood up in smoke! Wood thats used to make new soil, as a home for organisms... etc- Unless we are working on our doctorate on Wilderness Ecology of the specific area we are in I doubt we can have true "knowledge" of what we are doing to the environment. Small actions multiplied a thousand fold cause serious problems! Just look at the sequoia's in Mariposa grove at yosemite. there are trees 10 feet from the trail with no railings that practically have holes in them from one person saying "just one touch cant hurt". And this damage has been done in the last 50 years! Its amazing how a 2000 year old tree can be fell in 200 years by the touch of one hand multiplied a million fold. Basically what Im saying is no one knows everything, and even if we did there are things we still dont know! Its ironic how preservation areas are set aside specifically to protect them from the deleterious effects of human traffic, and the very people that enjoy and appreciate them most are the ones who contribute to their destruction. If we dont hike off trail, who will?

In 50 years, 50 days or 50 minutes another young photographer will come on the same spot you once faced, and think to themselves "I know I shouldnt go off trail, but this one tiem wont hurt."

The problem is individual thinking. Collectively considering all of us as humans is the only way to preserve these areas. It shouldnt be "If I tip-toe lightly will it matter?" I should be "If people tip-toe lightly will it matter?"

Is the satisfaction and prestige of a good picture worth deteriorating pristine areas of nature specifically set aside to not be impacted by people. Dont ask yourself if its ok for YOU to venture to some destination off trail, ask if its ok for HUMANS to venture to that destination!