We awoke to what we had been dreading the whole trek … rain! As we huddled in the Refugio Paso del Viento for breakfast, Juan tried to cheer us with the comment that “now you’ve experienced the full gamut of Summer weather in Patagonia“. But we were less than enthusiastic when we had to leave […]
Trekking Argentina – Southern Patagonian Icefield Expedition – Huemul Pass – Day 7 Read More »
After 5 days of strenuous effort, today was our “rest” day. That’s not to say that we stayed put and did nothing. Not at all! But the distance to the next campsite was not far, the wind was less (though still quite strong), and the promise of a food re-supply sustained us. Our route today
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Juan woke us at 7am to discover that the clouds had not disappeared and the winds had not abated overnight. If anything, the wind was stronger than the day before! This meant that we really had to focus as we trekked across the ankle-turning surface of the Icefield. I mentioned before that glacier hiking requires
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The weather forecast over dinner last night predicted clear skies and little-to-no wind for our first day hiking down the Southern Patagonian Icefield to the Circo de los Altares campsite. Or not… The day didn’t start out too bad to be honest, but within an hour, the clouds had completely obscured the mountains and the wind
Our Day 3 of the Southern Patagonian Icefield Expedition – the climb to the summit of Gorra Blanca (White Hat) – doesn’t actually exist in any of the information made available by Serac Expeditions or Swoop Patagonia. Due to the unpredictable nature of Patagonian weather, the expedition has extra days built into the schedule, and this summit
The trip description from Serac Expeditions for the Southern Patagonian Icefield Trek says this about Day 2: …we trek up the glacier until nearing the Marconi pass – entrance to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. This will surely be the Expedition’s toughest day. This is what had been fueling my fears for months! We awoke to rain and
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I slept surprisingly well despite my nervousness about the trek, and was at the office of Serac Expeditions just before 8am. There we added 1/2 of a tent (the tents were shared) and our specialised equipment for the Southern Patagonian Icefield Expedition (crampons and harness) to our packs, as well as food for the next 6 days.
Trekking Argentina – Southern Patagonian Icefield Expedition – Río Eléctrico – Day 1 Read More »
In 2015, I did the 7-day Torres del Paine Circuit trek with Swoop Patagonia. Although I had hiked most of the trails of the Torres del Paine National Park in my 3 previous visits (it really is one of the most spectacular places on the planet), I specifically wanted to do the Circuit for the moment
Trekking Argentina – Southern Patagonian Icefield Expedition – Prelude Read More »
A quick half-day hike just outside of Quito is to the cross on Volcán Ilaló. And, unlike most of the hikes in this hiking mecca of a country, you can actually get to the trail-head on public transport! However, it turns out that I didn’t need to worry about that as my friends Suzi and
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San Cristóbal was the last of the islands I visited on this trip to the Galapagos and, for chilling out, it is by far the best. There are numerous and different eating options in town (I can highly recommend eating breakfast at the small café outside the Hostal Galapagos, and the Sabor Cuencano Bakery on
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