December Reviews

Highlight: thermal therapy in glacier los perros!! And Xmas eve - beach party with the lodge staff! And how awesome my group was (literally couldn’t have been better - made lifelong friends) Landscape was fabulous, so varied and spectacular. Not much wildlife. Our group was awesome - all young, fit, full of energy and life! Will tell my grandchildren about all of it! Surprised by how good the food was - especially dinner.

Hiking the very first day to Serrano camp

The ice hiking stands out the most, I wish I knew I would enjoy it so much I would have done the Big Ice Hike instead of the mini-trek. I enjoyed the Chilean side of Patagonia more than the Argentina side.

Seeing a glacier for the first time was indescribable. The weather was wild, we had our heads down as we hiked because the rain and wind were coming at us sideways. My husband actually thought it was hailing due to how hard the rain drops felt as they hit our faces. We started up a hill to a look out of Grey Lake and when we hit the top we saw they most stunning glacier, the Lake was this soft velvety grey, and to the right the sun was shining through the clouds and lighting up the snow covered mountains. It was this mix of crazy chaos from the wind and rain and the most peaceful joyful moment of seeing such incredible beauty. As we headed down the hill my son told me that he thinks he just had the most amazing experience of his life.

The adventure would seat between great holiday and life changing, i feel like there needs to be something in between. But it would be closer to life changing, more than a 'holiday'. the scenery was stunning, we were lucky with the weather. I just loved how untouched/peaceful it was. so 'clean' no noise. I do wonder how it was years ago, if less touristy... i just can't imagine it getting so much busier/touristy. or things would need to be put in place to avoid it.

The sheer beauty, , enchantment and strength of the natural world of Patagonia was unexpected and spectacular. From the different colored lakes to the calving of the glaciers, all was extraordinary but none was more memorable than the other.

There are too many to count. The second I saw the park it was so amazingly beautiful. And as I walked through the park, I liked seeing how the landscape changed. The ice hike was an incredible experience.

The highlight of the trip was day two. A moderate hike next to the most beautifully blue lake I have ever seen. I have been all over the world and Patagonia is by far the most beautiful. A group of nine strangers quickly became lifetime friends. Amazing humans plus amazing landscapes makes for an unforgettable trip. Camillo and Josefa (Pepa) were the best guides anyone could ask for. Extremely friendly, knowledgable and informative. I learned that a fifth season exists, it's a combination of all the other seasons at their very peaks, it's called Patagonia. And it's an experience of a lifetime.

This was the trip of a lifetime. We were amazed by the beauty and magnificence of the glaciers and the mountains. The wildlife we saw was incredible, giant woodpeckers, huemuls, caracaras, condors, guanacos, and rheas. We were fortunate to be part of a very interesting and fun group. We all got along beautifully and intend to continue to stay in touch. We hiked in sun, rain, snow and strong winds at times that made the trip magical. Our guide was engaged, caring, knowledgeable, funny and took great care of all of us.

Making new friends and hanging out with them at the paine refugio

Climbing to the "base of the towers".

Staying in explora in el Chaltén and going on the Laguna de Los tres hike

Walking over the John Gardner pass and looking down at the glaciers and the southern ice field.

There were too many memorable moments to list. However, I will say that being able to see the pristine nature of the valleys and the rivers was inspiring and troubling. It was troubling when we thought about how much was at risk in terms of losing it like so many other wilderness areas. We felt very lucky to have been able to see the untouched beauty of nature there. I would also say that our stay at Cathy's island was quite enjoyable. A very nice way to end our trip and another beautiful location that is unspoiled. Of course, the fact that we were able to do this as a family made the trip inspirational and we are very thankful to Cathy for accommodating the novice nature of our riding abilities in such a safe manner. The support for the rides was fantastic and were the horses.

Standing with our small group at Laguna Amarga Ranch as a pregnant puma walked very close to us! Being able to observe pumas as they played, chewed on guanacho bones, "eeked" to call their cubs and teach them to hunt.

Seeing something like 10 glaciers on a perfect weather afternoon as the ship took an extra and unexpected spin into a fjord. And when a double rainbow had all the guests AND crew running outside for photos.

Early morning light on the Torres~ Sun-kissed with dark clouds behind them. The stillness of the air. The magnitude of the sky in that moment.

Gem was an exceptional guide. I loved his spirit and love for the area. My FAVORITE moment was the glacier hiking. I felt we were the only ones on the planet. Great guides. The Refugio’s were run very well and organized.

Every minute. We packed so much in - our motto was "Every day is the best day". It was all beyond expectation!

Arriving at the John Gardner saddle and seeing the Grey Glacier