The Valley of Wolves in the winter

Those who have read Jack London and have understood the real message of one of his best books, namely The Call of the Wild, know that talking about Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, involves beyond all doubts coming close to this kind of accounts in which man and nature prevail, and especially the wit of the former to rule over the latter.

A Cat Surrounded by Dogs

The Valley of the Wolves, half an hour away from the City of Ushuaia, amazes all those who reach this destination either by recommendation or out of pure curiosity. The point is that an indescribable amount of Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes specially bred to pull sleds, become the protagonists of all looks. Only one man can be their master and be respected by them. His name sounds weird being surrounded by so many dogs: Gato (Cat) Curuchet.

Gato Curuchet was born in Tandil and he had dreamed about seeing the ice of Alaska ever since he was a little child. He set out on a journey that would change his life forever. He was heading for Alaska, the indomitable lands of Jack London and his dogs. But fate played a great trick on him: he lost his ship and stayed in Ushuaia for good, where he found an environment similar to that he had always dreamed of but on Argentinian soil.

Winter Comes

And everyone feels like getting on a sled pulled by dogs and touring around incredible sites very coveted by visitors to the City of Ushuaia. Gato has various tours to make the dream come true. In addition to the dog-sled rides, snowshoeing and hiking tours around the forest can lead them to the beaver lodges (famous all over Ushuaia) and to ancient constructionss raised by the first dwellers in the area: the primitive yamanes.

The Most Traditional

The White Bonfire, Kilak Tour and the traditional Valley of the Wolves are some typical excursions in the winter that let visitors make contact with this magical nature which has its own codes, experiences and anecdotes shared by all once they get familiar with this life perspective. Just watching Gato and his dogs lets everyone understand that words are rarely necessary for them to understand one another. A look, a gesture, a click and all of them understand what comes next and what each member of the sled team is supposed to do. Something all of us having our debut in this activity were just learning about.

Mandatory Rest

As we toured around Carbajal Valley, a beautiful place indeed, the sleds advanced leaving their track through a kind of snow that seemed to have just fallen and Gato made a stop all eight of us appreciated. Both dogs and men needed to rest. Therefore, our friend began to gather up firewood and made a nice fire on which we roasted some meat. As we ate, life experiences, travels, anecdotes and especially the love for this land invaded our conversation. The harmony created by the blue look of the dogs and the landscape gave proof that we were having a unique experience, as if in a short story. A magical sensation.