USHUAIA, Oct. 25 -- From halfway up the mountain, we could see the wide expanse of the Beagle Channel. The blue waters, as crisp as a winter snap.

We could see the catamarans departing from the pier, tourists eager to photograph sea lions and penguins. They will pass the Lighthouse at the End of the World and return home with postcard memories.

Sometimes it's the less obvious journey that we miss out on. The path not taken.

When we first began our ascent earlier that morning, entering Reserva Natural Cerro Alarken, an Argentinian national park within the Tierra del Fuego Province, the detour seemed a foolish one. Everyone else was out at sea. That's where the real sights were.

Peat bogs can be found in many parts of the nature reserve...