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Epic Hikes of the World ( PDFDrive )

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© sylvain cordier | Getty

trekking ever upwards.

As I trudge back through the Valle Ascensio – the Valley of Silence – I reflect on

how fitting its name is. Like me, every single hiker I pass seems to be utterly lost for

words. OB

ANIMAL MAGIC

Torres del Paine National Park is one of the last strongholds for the wild puma in

South America. A relation of the cougar and mountain lion, pumas can reach 8ft

(2.4m) from nose to tail tip, run at 40mph (64kph) and leap up to 18ft (5.4m) in the

air. They’re solitary predators, with a territory covering as much as 80 sq miles (129

sq km), and survive mainly on a diet of small mammals and their favourite prey,

guanacos, although occasionally their fondness for sheep also brings them into

conflict with Patagonia’s gauchos.

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