Patagonia is known to be where the world ends. Or is it where the world starts mused my guide, Dennis, as we sat sheltering from the rain and the 100mph wind that had whipped up, as we hiked Cerro Paine in Chile’s famed Torres del Paine National Park. We had plenty of time to ponder this. The one thing that is certain in Patagonia is that you are likely to witness all four seasons in one day and patience is key.
But rewind. I had started my Patagonian adventure in Argentina. In El Calafate to be precise, a town named after the local Calafate thorny bush. Here, set on a hill amidst the vast expanse of the Anita Valley, was the first stop on my trip, Eolo.
Designed in the style of Patagonia’s early estancias, 17 rooms sit under a gabled roof and throughout huge floor to ceiling windows allow you to take in the uninterrupted views of the vast expanse in front of you - from Lago Argentino in one direction and Torres del Paine over the border in Chile, in the other. Even the restaurant felt like dinner theatre with the vista beyond down to Lago Argentino and the sky above putting on a nightly show, as lenticular clouds filled the sky that turned from yellow to orange to red.
The main reason to travel to El Calafate was to see up close the Perito Moreno Glacier, which is one of over 250 glaciers in the 2,800 square mile Los Glaciares National Park, but the only one you can actually trek on. To get there I needed to take a 20 minute ferry ride across the gem-coloured lake. Getting closer and closer, the eastern edge of the glacier loomed larger and larger. Rising up to 40m above Lago Argentino (and over 100m below its surface) and extending over 19 miles, the mass of ice that is Perito Moreno is larger than the city of Buenos Aires.
Whilst most glaciers in the world retreat, Perito Moreno is one of the few that is advancing. This means that as the glacier grows in size, cracks and crevasses appear, resulting in chunks of ice breaking off before thundering into Lago Argentino.
The most popular way to view the glacier is by strolling a network of boardwalks and viewing platforms, which is close enough to the action to hear ruptures of ice collapsing into the lake. But I wanted to see the glacier’s blue veins reveal themselves from the inside. I got my crampons strapped on and headed onto the glacier’s surface with a small group and our guide, Inaki. Walking slowly, Inaki explained how wind and water have turned snow into curtains of ice as I peered into crevices where there was no bottom in sight. Our trip ended with a celebratory whiskey…served over glacial ice cubes of course!
There are only two towns in this part of Argentinian Patagonia: El Calafate (where I was staying) and El Chaltén (where I was heading), a town which was only created in 1985 by the Argentinians - to make sure Chile recognised this part of Patagonia as theirs until a formal border was created. Since then, it has blossomed into Argentina’s trekking capital and opens up the northern sector of Los Glaciares National Park.
A four-hour drive north through grassy plains and I arrived at my next stop, Explora El Chaltén, which sits in the private 14,000-acres Los Huemules Nature Reserve, 10 miles outside of town. Explora is well-known for pioneering the all-inclusive adventure lodge in remote pockets of South America and this latest venture is no different sitting in what seemed like a ferocious wind tunnel. As with all Explora properties, you get understated interiors so as not to detract from the views outside which, in this case, was the glistening Marconi Glacier.
My first adventure (you head out in small groups with expert guides) was in the Electric Valley to a viewpoint overlooking the glacier. We struck gold within a few hundred metres of the start by spotting the back two thirds of a puma - a very rare sighting. Then we walked through pretty forests and along the Rio Electrico. However, an innocuous wind whipped up into a frenzy so much so that after 3 miles, as we hit a high point on the trek, we had to hold on in fear of being blown away. At that stage our guide made the safe decision to turn back. That’s Patagonia for you.
Evenings at Explora always revolve around the bar, where guests chat over what they have seen and done that day and sit down with the guides to discuss what the next day will hold, which always depends on what the weather has install. I was lucky as on my second day the weather was forecasting low winds and sunny globes, perfect to ascend the base of Mount Fitz Roy, the 3,400 metre high saw tooth peak that symbolises Patagonia.
I departed the next morning at sunrise with my guide Fede, following the Rio Piedras Blancas up to its namesake glacier, which tumbles down a mountainside.
As we approached the campground at Rio Blanco, pretty coloured birds trilled morning anthems as we started the 1,400m ascent, zig zagging above the tree line. Reaching the summit, I beamed a huge smile. A true pinch me moment as the iconic peak, which lures hikers and climbers from all over the world, stood there majestically against a bright blue sky looming over mirror like turquoise Laguna de los Tres. Our early start also meant we were sharing this most amazing moment with very few other people, making it even more special.
My journey through Southern Patagonia now took me overland to Chile. Driving across the Patagonia steppe we passed many guanacos. Sitting between a Llama and an Alpaca in height, these camelids survive on little or no water, getting that from their food.
At the border, literally one road ends and another begins. Gravel and unpaved for Argentina and perfect tarmac for Chile. This was where I met Dennis who was to be with me for the next 4 days.
Heading an hour from the border towards Torres del Paine National Park, my final lodge on this part of my adventure was Awasi Patagonia. Located in an isolated position away from the crowds of the National Park, the 14 private villas all come with sweeping views over lakes, lenge forest and towards Torres del Paine.
The main lodge, with equally mesmerising views, is where the guest lounges are along with a small bar and the restaurant.
I have been fortunate to stay at the other two Awasi lodges: one in the Atacama Desert and the other at Iguassu Falls. I love the concept that Awasi offers, with all villas coming with a private guide and vehicle so that your stay really is how you want to spend it. There are no other guests to worry about. I was also very fortunate to have Dennis, who totally got me and the way I wanted to spend my time, and he planned my whole stay meticulously.
I wanted to see the iconic Three Towers, but without the crowds that the Base of the Towers trek attracts, especially in the peak season of January and February when I was there. Dennis decided on just the hike to fulfil my requirements….but it involved an 8km ascent straight up Cerro Paine. Making it to the top, after the unscheduled stop to shelter from the weather, we waited until the clouds finally cleared to get the most stunning view of the Three Towers, with no-one around except us.
On the way down we stopped to stand in awe as condors swooped over us, so close that I felt I could reach out and touch them.
Back at the lodge, the best way to soothe aching limbs was jumping into my private hot tub and to continue to be awestruck by the view.
The next day, in another bid to avoid the crowds, Dennis and I departed the lodge at 5:30am. It was worth it though, to have breakfast overlooking The Cuernos and to see the early morning light over Torres del Paine with not another soul in sight.
Food at Awasi is always fabulous, with wonderful dishes created using local ingredients and paired with amazing wines from the region. The chefs will also do something simple if that’s what you want and are masters at rustling something up off menu. Whilst Alejandro in the bar was also great at surprising me with one of his tasty cocktails.
My final day saw me heading out with Javier, a gaucho from Estancia Tercera Barranca, which sits just below the lodge and my trusty horse, Gauchito, where we saw the landscape from a different perspective and, with Dennis there to translate, I learnt about Javier’s life and the harsh conditions he has to withstand when winter approaches.
Patagonia is a remote, incredibly beautiful region and can feel like both the start and the end of the world. I guess it depends on which angle you view it from. It is a true wilderness spanning Chile and Argentina, sparsely populated by humans but home to puma, guanaco, penguins and the mighty condor. It possesses contrasting landscapes with the snow-capped peaks of the Andes, coastal inlets in Chile, turquoise lakes, semi-arid deserts, blue glaciers and forests. Its beauty is unquestionable and unique. If you would like to experience all that it has offer, then please do get in touch and let me bring this part of the world to life for you.