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Mountain runner covers 120km to save nature

Words by Smiley Team

Chilean mountain and trail runner, Felipe Cancino, went to live in Cajón del Maipo, a canyon in the Chilean Andes, for tranquility – to run along high passes, and enjoy nature. But all that was disrupted when a hydroelectric project came to the area.

In a recent film from clothing company Patagonia, Run to Save a Watershed, Felipe explains why he ran the length of the project’s tunnels, raising awareness of the issues it will cause.

From an early age, Felipe has been involved in environmental campaigning and has a strong affinity with nature. “If we continue this rhythm of consuming, consuming, consuming the truth is there will be nothing left for those who come in the future," he says.

"We are the ones who can do something and can change the situation.”

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So when he started to see the negative impacts of Alto Maipo, the hydroelectric project, he had to act. 

First, the trucks arrived, bringing noise and disruption to the valley. Then signposts emerged, prohibiting access to certain parts of the valley. 

The valley he lives in will be one of the worst affected areas due to this project. “It’s like living in a mining operation,” he says. 

The president of environmental NGO Ecosistemas, Juan Pablo Orrego, describes how the project will take a terrible environmental toll on the Maipo River, destroying local livelihoods. Meanwhile, there's only a minute market for electricity in Chile, so the power will just be exported, making it a useless profit-making scheme. 

“It would be impossible to imagine my life far from the mountain,” Felipe says, “and if they take that away from me I think that’s the end of me.” 

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Rather than stand by and watch disaster unfold, he decided to campaign against it. “The impact that Alto Maipo has in these natural places is painful," he says. "I intend to do something about it, within my capabilities and my way of action - to run.” 

Felipe ran 120km, the full length of the Alto Maipo tunnels, to show people the impact it's having. It’s a treacherous journey requiring much stamina. But he achieved his goal, reaching an audience of hundreds of thousands around the world.

To watch the film visit patagonia.com.

This article aligns with the following UN SDGs

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