Customer Reviews

Our last day, the weather finally cleared up. We got to see Laguna torre, zip line over rio fitz roy, traverse sideways on a mountain to meet, have lunch at the top of that mountain with a beautiful view and meet up with the loma del pliegue tumbado path. Our guide (who was amazing) said that “trail” we took is only done with a guide since it’s not an actual trail and I’m glad we got to experience that!

My most memorable moment was arriving at the Towers at 83 years old and twenty years after my quadruple bypass heart operation. I had been climbing for six hours by myself with a gash in my hand that required four stitches, a sprained wrist, and cuts on my nose and lip from a fall at camp.

Seeing glacier grey for the first time in 60-70km/hr winds. The views from French valley lookout were also spectacular.

Patagonia camp

Pia Glacier, Cape Horn wind and the penguins

Hiking to the top of the Base of the Towers with our entire group and being mesmerized by the beauty and grandeur of this National Park.

The cruise was a unique experience, Australis crew was very knowledgeable, took utmost care of our safety, accommodating when it came to dietary needs for vegetarians and overall a memorable experience.

Wow, It's incredibly hard to pick just one moment. We were so lucky to have a great guide and crew, fantastic weather. Just to mention something I'll say the hike to catch the sunrise hitting the towers. It was the last day, the sun only partly came out but we sat there in all of our puffy clothes, inside our sleeping bags for a few hours and it was a great end to a super trip

The great hiking coupled with the amazing food and drinks, a winning combination

The main highlights were seeing the glaciers, climbing to the top of one of the waterfalls and walking among the penguins. Patagonia is one of the most serene places we have ever been. It is truly a place where you can enjoy the natural beauty that the world has to offer. During one of our excursions, the guide asked us to take one minute to enjoy in silence the sites and sounds that Patagonia has to offer. In that moment, we were truly able to appreciate the landscape, as well as the sites and sounds of the birds and other wildlife. Our stay at the Barraco Lodge was also very unique. The hospitality of everyone at the lodge and the level of service they provided was truly amazing.

The highlight was walking on the Grey glacier. This is a totally different experience from hiking and takes some getting used to. Walking on a river of ice with crampons is daunting at first, but one soon starts feeling secure and can appreciate the amazing surroundings. Our guide, Anna, was fun to be with - she took great care of us and we thoroughly enjoyed her company.

Too many highlights. The landscapes are extraordinary. The Chilean were very welcoming, and all the other travelers I met along the way were super friendly. There were a few magical moments, riding into a rainbow, or experiencing a storm in Cape horn, or watching the pinguins.

Everything! The views, the ice hiking, and even just hanging out each night at the refugios

The adventure tat Swoop organized for us was perfect in very respect. It was beautifully coordinated with the two major venues in our itinerary; The Ventus Australia’s Tierra del Fuego expedition cruise and the time we spent in Patagonia Camp. Both segments of the trip were of quality outstanding quality run by highly professional, safety conscious, warm and caring staff. Everything from the beauty of the glaciers to the surreal vistas 9f snow covered mountains is something that is embedded in out souls and or memories for the rest of our time here on the planet.

Choosing one memorable moment is like asking me which child is my favourite. Difficult because I had so many wow moments however, it wasn’t all about the mountains and grand glaciers, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting fellow hikers and my guides.

Honestly, after hiking all day in El Chalten, going to the Glacier Piedras Blancas, then arriving at camp to find our tents completely set up with sleeping bags ready and a lovely dome with snacks and drinks prepared! That was such a beautiful sight after a beautiful hike!

Getting to see pumas up close!

Day 4 of puma tracking. My wife and I spent 3+ hours walking with a puma. It was our best puma outing, and just so happened to also be my birthday. Spending a morning with my wife, walking with a puma in one of the most beautiful places is a lifetime memory.

Pros: excellent scenery, guiding was fair to excellent, reasonable value, swoop organizers were helpful and responsive to issues. Cons: lodging was variable..refugios are not a highlight...some better than others, food options also variable, should have easy hikes first and move to progressively harder hikes instead of the reverse!!! If you can afford it, choose a better option...if not, grim and bear it!

Patagonia - Ecocamp and El Chalten