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In 2007-2008, Cristian Donoso will lead an ambitious, five-month expedition to western Patagonia. His transpatagonia Expedition will cover 2,039km in a pristine and difficult environment.

Travelling by sea kayak allows Donoso to enter the narrowest fjords and explore little-known areas that cannot be reached by any other craft.

Donoso will explore diverse and largely uncharted territory that has snow-covered peaks, rocky islands covered by dense vegetation, narrow channels of frigid water and icy fjords.

Much of the time, western Patagonia is drenched by heavy rainfall and swept by hurricane-force winds. Donoso will face these harsh conditions for the five months.

Donoso hopes his expedition will gather new knowledge of western Patagonia that could contribute to its preservation and to the development of ecotourism in villages such as Tortel that border the region.

Donoso plans to study western Patagonia’s largely unknown environment and geology, and will collect fossils, soil and rock samples to be analysed by scientists.

Donoso and his team will travel mainly by sea kayak, a shallow, easy-to-manoeuvre craft. The expedition will demand rigorous physical, technical and mental preparations.

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Fearless commitment to exploration

Eager to protect the dramatic landscapes of western Patagonia, Cristian Donoso will lead an expedition by kayak to this region, one of the most inhospitable places on earth.

"In order to strengthen the protection of this territory, we have got to know what’s there.”

Spending five months navigating open seas and fjords and pulling their kayaks across glaciers, Donoso and his team will face daunting physical and mental challenges as they gather information that will inform Chile and the world about this little-known area.

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Explorer Cristian Donoso completed an Antarctic expedition, documenting the effects of climate change.

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Mission accomplished

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Project Location

Western Patagonia
Browse all Laureates
Related Links
patagoniaincognita.com
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Contact Information

Mr Cristian Donoso
Calle Unión Literaria 1986
Comuna de Ñuñoa
Santiago de Chile
Chile

Tel: + 56 2 727 12 13
cdonosochristie@yahoo.es

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