November Reviews

Overall the trip was fabulous. The highlight was probably the cruise on the Stella Australis - the weather was so good we were able to sail around Cape Horn. The landscape was amazing ranging from the peaks of Torres del Paine to the geysers of the Atacama. The wildlife was another highlight with penguins to condors to flamingoes & guanacos, rheas & llamas. Our only regret is not seeing a puma! The local people were lovely as were the travellers we met - sometimes the same people at opposite ends of the country!

Our trip was amazing! We only wish we could have stayed longer. Patagonia Camp was superb. The service was exceptional and the yurts were very comfortable. We enjoyed the community there and meeting fellow travelers. It was a highlight each night to come back and enjoy good conversation about the days adventures over delicious wine and beautiful views.

The Chilean fjords had just about everything: humpbacks, penguins, sealions; remote location; great scenery; glaciers; boat trip; small group, no crowds. Trekking from El Chalten was somewhat hampered by the weather, with some wet walking to viewpoints with no view! But managed to see Fitzroy and Cerro Torre on the last day. National park felt over-managed: signposts, guides, large numbers of people. Enjoyed the Viedma Glacier trek but group too large and disparate (approx. 30). Retreat of glacier now means longish scramble to access: not a problem for me but there were three falls (and one submission!) among the party, and I heard that the subsequent trip herded 60 people around together, with one person requiring x-ray after a fall. Better to split into small groups of similar experience. Packed lunches in El Chalten dreadful: unimaginative and repetitive. Sailing to Cape Horn excellent, with great landscapes, wildlife, and charming and highly experienced skipper. Hadn't expected tourism to be so highly developed, but met some interesting people from all over Europe, as well as locals, and overall a great combination of varied activity with good accommodation and restaurants.

There were so many great highlights of the trip. I very much so appreciated the progression of hikes and thought the order in which we encountered them was perfect. I think if things had gone in any different order, it would not have been nearly as good. The very best part though was our guides. Juli and Claudio were perfection. Thank you for trusting us to them - they both did a phenomenal job! I can't recommend anyone more highly. They went out of their way so many times to ensure we had an unforgettable trip.

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.

The Patagonian ice field when we first saw it after .John Garner pass Stunning scenery and surprisingly varied with the steppes, mountains ,glaciers, mountains and lakes. The animals and birds were very different from any I had seen. Many species of birds. I enjoyed the wild flowers which were flowering as it was spring. In Buenos Aires generally the people were not as friendly but the taxi drivers and reps were fine. The guides, hostel staff, porters, etc were all very friendly. Being able to drink from a mountain stream was a surprise. If I have grandchildren I will tell them that this trip was one big adventure.

Big Ice Trek - Which I could have done without Swoop.

Torres Del Paine

Day 5, hiking over Paso John Garner pass in a snowstorm to have the skies clear up for breathtaking views of Grey glacier and the Los Perros valley.