Exploring Southern Patagonia Pt. 1: Chile Edition

August 25, 2020

Exploring Southern Patagonia Pt. 1: Chile Edition

In "simpler" times when you could still travel and an American passport actually worth something, I escaped society and set off to explore the beauty and bounty that is Southern Patagonia.

Patagonia, the place, not the brand. One of the most pure, humble, and majestic destinations I've ever witnessed in real life. I was fortunate enough to jet off on an epic adventure throughout Southern Patagonia in both Chile and Argentina right before Covid hit the world hard. We touched back down in Chicago on February 17 and little did we know how much would change in just one month. Nevertheless, we did the damn thing, we did right, and we did it in the knick of time.

The entire trip was about sixteen days, and we split that time equally with a week on the Chilean side, then crossing the border by bus into Argentina, spending our second week in El Calafate and El Chalten. Before we headed out for the W-Trek in Torres Del Paine National Park, we got to explore small southern cities (more like town, tbh) like Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales. But probably, the coolest thing we did before hiking was see the los pinguinos de patagonia on Magdalena Island. Who doesn't live to see a penguin in the wild? Oh and the other most exciting thing we discovered? Centolla! Centolla is Chilean King Crab, much like the Alaskan King Crab we're accustomed on the Northern Hemisphere, and it's everywhere in Chilean Patagonia! Punta Arenas is a super sleepy coastal town, which you can likely conquer in a day. For food enthusiasts, head straight to Mercado Municipal. The indoor market spans several different floors, each dotted with different food stalls selling everything from centolla seafood stew to salmon ceviche. The one thing you cannot leave without getting is a centolla y queso emapanada. The perfectly fried, crispy dough. The piping hot queso stringing from side to side as I split open the handheld savory pie, and the luscious and fresh centolla sandwiched in-between it all. It is an item of complete culinary perfection, and a street food snack built for champions. So perfect, I immediately ordered a second after finishing my first one. Centolla obsession tangent aside, after a couple nights in both Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales, Chile, we began the first leg of our Patagonian Adventure. We carried our own backpacks that would house all our necessities for the next five days while trekking among sheer granite peaks, snow-spotted mountains, glacial lakes, and the magnificent Magellanic Forest.

Los Pinguinos de Patagonia

We saw hundreds of pinguinos on Magdalena Island

In the background are the Chilean flag and the flag of Magallanes

A serious bounty of seals at Isla Marta

Un plato de centolla, por favor!

This centolla y queso empanada will seriously change your life

By far, my favorite bite of the trip.

Between hiking and camping throughout Torres Del Paine National Park along the W-Trek in Chile, to trekking and mountain biking picturesque trails surrounding THEE most quaint mountain town of El Chalten, Argentina, there was no shortage of views, landscapes, and scenes to explore. Torres Del Paine was one of those destinations I stumbled upon on Instagram or Pinterest years ago that looked like a mythical place I always dreamed of going but was never sure I'd actually get to. It's in one of the most Southern parts of Chile after all, and once you're in the national park, you still have another 22 kilometer hike until you arrive at the three granite towers. So getting there isn't exactly an easy feat. In fact, it's pretty challenging. If you want to see and snap the site (and capture that instagram shot), you're going to have to work hard and earn it. But all the best things in life require putting in a lil effort, right?

As we navigated our way along the W-Trek, we were constantly greeted by different landscapes, mountain ranges, glacier views, and lakes that boasted psychedelic blue hues. Each night we ended up at a different refugio, a hostel/campground hybrid that each had its own identity and vibe. They were a great spot to end a long day of hiking, and get to share stories with other hikers and mountain guides from around the world. You got the feeling like you were at sleep-away camp in a different country; set dinner menu every night where everyone gets served at once in the mess hall, locals strumming their guitar as the sun sets over the mountain range and people gather to listen in, shared bathrooms and bunks, you get the picture. I loved the evenings in the refugios. Getting to meet people, hear their experiences and background, what brought them to Patagonia. To me, nothing in travel is more enriching than those human interactions that shape the memories of a trip. And all the while, we were exchanging enticing conversation surrounded by some of the most spectacular, untouched views on the planet Earth. That's the thing about nature, especially for a city slicker like myself. You can set out into the wilderness, fall off the grid while getting lost in nature and relaying on nothing but the bare necessities. But if you walk away from that outdoor experience without any stories about the people you met or the strange situations you encountered with both others and the earth, then are you really stepping outside your comfort zone? So to find a trip that was able to combine both, the rich culture and communication of the native people, plus the breathtaking adventure of the outdoors, one could ever be so lucky. And for those two weeks, I was so very lucky to experience something that would last a lifetime within me.

Our first refugio of four. This was Torre Norte, where we stayed on our first night after hiking to Torres Del Paine

This was our first refugio, Torre Norte, and definitely our most basic one.

The sticker-adorned windows of our second Refugio, Refugio Los Cuernos. Los Cuernos was by far my favorite. Awesome vibe, picture perfect views every way you looked, and the coziest bunk beds.

Some of the elevated tents of the refugios, which often served as overflow when the bunk rooms were full.

Setting off on day one of our five-day trek on the W Trail in Chile. First up, hike 22 kilometers to Torres Del Paine's three granite peaks.

When we needed to refill our water bottles. the lakes, streams, and rivers all served as a source. Nothing like fresh, self-bottled spring water to get ya going.

The color of the rivers and lakes were otherworldly due to the rich minerals in the terrain.

Early morning to get going for day two. We were still able to see the peaks of Torres Del Paine in the backyard.

After a long day hiking to Los Cuernos Camp, we spotted an orange tent and knew we were close.

The best part about hiking the W-Trek was that every day seemed like we were in a different state. Between contouring around the northern shores of Lago Nordenskjold and ascending to incredible views of Paine Massif, to kayaking around larger than life icebergs in Lago Grey and ice hiking on an actual glacier, it's hard to imagine those were just a few of the spectacular moments we encountered over just five days.

Just when the moment couldn't get more magical, a fox made a special appearance for my final shot.

One of the most magnificent landscapes I've ever hiked.

The trip wouldn't be complete without passing some local gauchos on the trail.

The tranquil color of Lago Nordenskojold

Needless to say, this wasn't a relaxing beach vacation. Each day we were up with the sunrise and didn't sit down to dinner until around 9 p.m. every evening. Which was followed by a quick shower then off to bed to catch some ZZZzzzz's before we wake up in a few hours to gladly do it all over again. One of the amazing things about being in Patagonia during their summer, is that the sun doesn't set until between 10-11 p.m., so we really got to experience the full spectrum of outdoor splendor. Before knowing how intense and active this trip would actually be, I eagerly signed myself up for an optional add-on, the ice hike excursion amongst Chile's Grey Glacier. Tired, exhausted, and just wanting a morning to sleep in, chill, and read a book while indulging in multiple cups of coffee, I regretted signing up for something called an ICE HIKE. What about the term, "ice hike," actually sounded appealing to me at the time? With a little encouragement from my mom, tour mates, and exceptional and most lovely guide Alvaro, I decided what the hell. When at a glacier, right?

We packed up our gear, hopped on the small speed boat, and set out with the crew from Big Foot Patagonia, with the mission to walk on and amongst one of the greatest glaciers in the world. After carefully navigating through both massive and melting icebergs that consume much of the real estate of Lago Grey, we hiked for 45 minutes until the rock and ourselves met the glacier. After carefully crossing over, I knew this was going to be one of the coolest experiences of the trip I almost didn't do.

Setting off on Lago Grey to begin our epic ice hike, or what I like to rebrand it as a glacier hike.

The rock formations and natural elements are stunning from every angle.

Super crazy rocks and minerals on the mountain.

Came all the way to Patagonia to fall into an ice hole.

Shades of blue I've never seen before IRL.

Ice cave.

Basically a professional Patagonian ice hiker now.

If I can recommend anyone a single thing when they go to Southern Patagonia, it's DO THE ICE HIKE. There are only so many glaciers left in this world which one can actually safely get and maneuver around, and hiking Glacier Grey might be as close as we can get to being on another planet. The ice amongst the glacier acts like a kaleidoscope, projecting a spectrum of various blues while ice covers the terrain in front of us for as far as I could see. The entire thing was spectacular and one of the coolest, most out-of-this world things I've ever done.

Patagonia's weather is brash, unbashful, and pretty unapologetic. The conditions can be fierce, and unbearable for the average traveler. But then there are those few times you get super lucky and are graced with some of the best weather both locals and our tour guides ever experienced. You know when you see locals giddy with excitement surrounding the optimal weather, it's something special. Like when we have out-of-towners visit Chicago in March, and it's randomly sunny and 65. Every day was sunny, fairly warm with a nice breeze, barely a cloud in the sky, and the sun shining down as our constant reminder of how fortunate we are to be able to experience this majestic place on earth, at its finest moments.