Further South - Torren Martyn
I recently had the privilege of visiting Chile and travelled North into Peru, following the Pacific coast during a year when the weather was behaving very differently from normal. El Niño was making its presence felt, with unusually warm ocean temperatures affecting the Humboldt Current and, in turn, the weather along the coast. Warmer seas bring more evaporation and moisture into the atmosphere, contributing in parts of the region to heavier rainfall, flooding and increasingly unsettled conditions.
In the south, flooding and persistent wet weather prompted me to explore further north, towards the extraordinary landscapes of the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, where rain is so rare that even a relatively small amount can transform the landscape into something truly unique.
As I continued into northern Peru, the connection between the ocean, weather and the people living along this coast became increasingly apparent. The warmer than normal water associated with El Niño was affecting the cold, nutrient-rich Humboldt Current, with consequences for marine life, fishing and the communities that have relied on these waters for generations. It was fascinating to see how closely everyday life remains tied to the weather and the ocean, from the fishermen heading out in traditional boats to the changing conditions they were experiencing at sea.
Along the way I was guided by new friends and met fishermen and local people, and travelled through a succession of remarkable coastal towns, deserts and landscapes, while getting a glimpse of the incredible number of long, sandy-bottomed point breaks that stretch along this unique and arid coastline. With the desert often running right down to the sea, the combination of huge open beaches, rocky headlands and long, exposed points creates a coastline that feels both wild and remarkably isolated.
The Western coastline of the South American continent stretches over 12,000 kilometres from the freezing waters at Cape Horn at 55 degrees south, up far north across the tropical equator into the northern hemisphere. The landscape across this continent is truely diverse with a fascinating diversity of culture and climate. I was down there exploring a small stretch of its coastline, playing around with some new surfboard designs, testing wetsuits and gear, while being fortunate enough to experience a truly unique part of the world.
