The condor, soaring effortlessly above me, cut through my perfect view of towering Mt. Fitzroy, rock and ice sparkling in the sun. Below a small ice shelf calved into the milky azure lake. A slight breeze tickled the beech trees next to me. Sitting on a rock, enjoying a tasty spinach empanada and the company of my hiking friends, I thought “Yes, I am in paradise, also known as Patagonia.”
Join us for a Patagonia Adventure from Jan. 10 to 23. Sign up by Sept. 15 and the cost is $4,350 per person; sign up after that date and it goes up to $4,450. Read itinerary details here.
Patagonia is a magical place comprised of most of the southern part of Argentina and southeastern Chile. The grand landscape is stark, yet nestled into the peaks of the Torres del Paine and Fitzroy massifs are forests of beech and berry that soothe the eye and hiker. Separating the mountain massifs are grassland plains, spotted with cattle or sheep and occasionally vicuna, fox, and flamingos. Huge glacial lakes abut the mountains, remnants of the glaciated past. It is no wonder that the climbing legend Yvon Chouinard named his archetypal company “Patagonia” after this otherworldly place.
Why Patagonia is a must-see place
For the hiker and active adventurer, a trip to Patagonia has several “must dos.” These include walking the trails of Torres del Paine to experience the grandeur of the soaring peaks and iceberg-filled lakes above the beech forests. On the Angeles Chapter trip in January, we spend four days hiking below the watchful eye of the Torres, with hikes of flexible length to vistas, mountain huts, and lakeside experiences. The second iconic area is surrounding the Fitzroy range, where we enjoy very special lodging below the massif and hike the classic trails for five days. We even take over completely one of the most charming Patagonian country lodge with epicurean local cuisine and views of Fitroy and beyond. Mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, friendly people -- it is all here.
Our visit also includes the Glacier Museum, an avant-garde structure resembling a tumbling ice block, that has excellent exhibits about glaciers and the area. It also has an “ice bar” where everything is made of ice: benches, bar, art, and drinking glasses! Here as well as on our trip we learn more about some of the conservation issues confronting Patagonia — grassland conservation, massive hydroelectric projects, and tourism. We also stop at La Leone Roadhouse, a traveler rest and recovery center that has been in business for well over 100 years.
But if one goes to a place only to hike the trails and see the iconic landmark and museums, one might miss some of what is more the essence of a place.
A berry tasty ritual
Cruising to our visit to an estancia or Patagonian ranch on our last trip, we encountered two young gauchos, maybe 8 or 9 years old, picking the luscious purple Calafate berry (technically the Magellan barberry). Their lips and teeth were purple, and they smiled and offered berries to us as well as showed us how to pick them and not be stabbed by the prickly spines. It is said that anyone who eats a Calafate berry is destined to return to Patagonia. Needless to say, we will be visiting our estancia again this January and enjoying a Patagonian barbeque, watching a shearing event, and riding horses or just enjoying the vastness.
Meet the leaders
Needless to say, leaders Kath Giel and Shlomo Waser ate many of the Calafate berries. Kath, who led this trip in 2013 for the Angeles chapter, has been leading for the Sierra Club for almost 15 years. In addition to domestic trips, Kath leads international trips to places such as Antarctica, Madagascar, and New Zealand. Shlomo, who led the Angeles trip to Israel last fall, has led for the Sierra Club for 7 years and his favorite trips, in addition to Sierra Nevada backpacks, are hiking in the Alps.
Both Kath and Shlomo take pride and pleasure in introducing hikers and travelers to remote places of the world and hope you will join us on this great adventure. Join us!
The Angeles Chapter sponsors several Travel Adventure trips to destinations aroung the world. Our volunteer leaders know the best places to visit, from hiking to cultural experiences. And here's the best part: When you take a Travel Adventure, the Chapter receives a donation. So make your next travel trip count.