Trip Report Cruceros Australis
June 25, 2013 - 9 minutes readFrom Kiki Paris on her recent expedition with Cruceros Australis:
We set sail under a brilliant, full moon with the lights of Ushuaia flickering behind us…surely an auspicious beginning to my Patagonia expedition cruise with Cruceros Australis. The captain’s earlier champagne welcome and instructions for our Cape Horn excursion the following morning only added to my anticipation.
The night was rough, and the morning’s weather even rougher. I should interject that it isn’t unusual for me to get motion sick in elevators so I wear acupressure bands on both wrists on ships. Even though I felt woozy, I managed to get dressed in multiple layers, and with my life jacket went to the deck for disembarkation instructions. The 204-passenger ship, Stella Australis, ROCKED in the choppy waves. I watched the expedition zodiac head towards the crashing white waves against the shore – Cape Horn was living up to its reputation. The announcement came that we would not be able to disembark just as I made it back to my cabin to throw up….until there were only dry heaves. I called reception and the ship’s doctor was dispatched immediately to administer care to this landlubber. He took my temperature, blood pressure then gave me the Spanish version of Dramamine, which knocked me out for hours.
I managed to get up for lunch for my first food of the day and then do the hill hike on Wulaia Bay. Even though the swaying motion didn’t stop, it was good to be on land, hiking uphill and burning off a few calories. It is here that Charles Darwin found the Yaghan aborigines in the 1800’s. Even today the beauty and remoteness are powerful – one can hear the wind whisper through the trees and nothing else in the stillness.
In this 453 nautical mile journey, our highlights included seeing whales, visiting the Aguila Glacier in southern Tierra del Fuego, Magdalena Island to see the Magellanic penguin colony (love them!), sailing through the Beagle Channel and Magellan Strait.
Names from long ago history classes came flooding back and I realized what a unique and privileged experience this was to be sailing along the same route as the early explorers. To realize that 800 ships wrecked and an estimated 10,000 sailors died trying to navigate Cape Horn in hopes of discovering a more direct route to the Pacific and North American west coasts was quite profound. I can imagine they were awe struck at the incredible beauty of the land and terrorized by their wooden ships being wind blown and tossed around in the violent waves.
Poet Sara Vial memorialized the sailors who lost their lives crossing Cape Horn:
I am the albatross who awaits you
at the end of the world.
I am the forgotten soul of the dead seamen
who sailed across Cape Horn
from all the seas of the world.
But, they have not died
in the fury of the waves,
today they fly on my wings,
towards eternity,
in the last crevice
of the Antarctic winds.
We docked in Punta Arenas, Chile where I had a few hours to explore before embarking on the 128-passenger Via Australis back to Ushuaia.
Weather was much better this trip and we were able to take all of the scheduled zodiac excursions. Highlights included seeing a large elephant seal on the beach, frolicking dolphins that played in our zodiac wakes, sea lions and numerous bird species including the black brow albatross. We walked through the southernmost forest on earth, learned how a forest is birthed from lichen growing on rocks and walked through thick forests with waterfalls. We visited Ainsworth Bay, Marinelli Glacier, Pia Fjord, Pia Glacier and Glacier Alley. The glaciers and calving are spectacular, as are the mountains. One of my favorite excursions was the zodiac excursion at Tuckers Islets for bird watching. We saw: Magellanic penguins, skua, Rock cormorant, Imperial comorant, Steamer duck, Baird sandpiper, Turkey vulture, Kelp geese, Dolphin gull, Chimango caracara, Upland geese, Kelp gull, and the Crested duck. Quite impressive even if you’re not a birder!
The last day of this itinerary was back at Cape Horn and Wulaia Bay. Would weather allow me to finally step foot on Cape Horn?
I woke up around 3am to ROCKING waves again, dreading a repeat of my first day. Disembarking would be early – before breakfast, so I decided to stay in bed believing aa prone position would help me not get seasick. 15 minutes prior to launch time, I got dressed, hurried to the deck and was surprised we received the go-ahead.
The first thing you notice upon landing on Cape Horn is the wind and the 160-step staircase you have to climb. Cape Horn is a World Biosphere Reserve / UNESCO site and the albatross monument at the top is stunning to see. Once again, it is an overwhelming experience to be on the southernmost point of land and contemplate the exploration of thousands and the lives lost that enabled me to stand there. With the winds whipping around 50-60 mph, it was a beautiful but desolate place.
A Chilean Navy officer lives with his family on Cape Horn for a one-year stint. As Cruceros Australis passengers are the only people they see besides other navy men making monthly food drops, the officer braces the windy conditions and personally greets each person walking up the stairs. His wife runs a small gift shop in their lighthouse home, I have to believe grateful for the human interaction for 8 months of the year.
On board both the Stella and Via, you will find spacious, comfortable cabins with lovely down comforters, pillows and nicer than expected bathrooms including hair dryers. Each ship has several lounges, bar and dining room, small gift shop, library and the Stella has a gym with 4 cardio machines.
Breakfast and lunch are buffet style and dinner comes with a meat or seafood choice. My vegetarian requirements were met ease along with other passengers who were allergic to garlic and shellfish. The wine flows freely at lunch and dinner and the bar, all-inclusive, seemed to be open many hours!
The best of Cruceros Australis is the crew, from the expert captain, engineers, guides and hospitality staff. The most interaction will be with the guides (well, other than the bartenders) and they are passionate, well educated and knowledgeable about wildlife, fauna, glaciers, or history. The presentations they do on-board are extremely interesting with a bit of humor to keep things fun. The Shackleton documentary is fascinating as are the presentations on glaciers, fauna, and wildlife.
Groups are divided by language – typically German, Spanish and English speaking groups with guides who converse accordingly. You typically stay with the same guide on the various excursions and have assigned tables for dining, which allows you to get to know your fellow travelers. The people you meet will all share the following characteristics: intellectually curious, adventurous, well-traveled, looking for novel experiences and generally fun.
