The track from Ruta 5, the Pan Americana, winds
its way for some 40 km. through low hills, past small farm houses to
the entrance of the Fray Jorge National Park. For a good part of the
way, mature 'hedges' of ceroid cacti (Eulychnia acida
and Echinopsis
(Trichocereus) chiloensis
& T. skottsbergii)
line the track, while for other stretches huge grazing land with
ceroids dotted around provide grazing for goats and sheep, that might
explain why there are plenty of large Eriosyce aurata to be
found, we failed to find any seedlings or young plants.
