A Hike on Isla Zealous

Today we went on a hike. We rowed ashore and started to bushwhack to a rocky ridge we were hoping to climb. From Sila, we could see a big boulder jutting out of the trees, looming over us. As we bushwhacked, I noticed it was different from the other time we went bushwhacking in Chile. Moss was everywhere. The tree branches, tree trunks, and the ground were covered in abundant mosses that varied greatly.

It was only 300 meters to the rocky ridge but the dense trees, bushes and ferns got in the way and it took us over 30 minutes to get there. Finally, the forest thinned and we were walking noticeably up. We broke through the tree line. There were giant masses of stone jutting upwards and we scrambled over them. Walking on the rock was at least ten times as fast as hiking in the bushes.

Sila was anchored and tied with shorelines in a tiny inlet below us. Across the cove, a large mountain climbed high while next to it, another mountain made out of cliffs hid its peak in the moving clouds. There were rolling hills with dense vegetation on them with the occasional treeless rock like the one we were on.

Mama noted how much more at home Sila looks here in Patagonia than in the tropics. It looked like Sila was meant to be here in Chile, secured in a tiny cove with shorelines, rather than basking in the sun and clear waters of the Caribbean. I am at a loss for words to describe how beautiful and amazing the view was from this rocky ridge. I am excited to go on more hikes, even if we have to scramble through the dense forest, to see the views that Patagonia features. - Jack Rabbit