Soon, I will be headed on another travel adventure. This one will be another trekking adventure with Trekking for Kids (TFK). With TFK, I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, hiked the Transylvanian Alps in Romania, and “pilgrimaged” on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. I am thrilled because I get to return to a part of the world that is remote, pristine, and with which I fell in love the first time I went in 2010, to have an adventure: a trek in Patagonia. No, not the store but the southern part of the continent of South America.
Beginning of the adventure: Buenos Aires
The trip begins in Buenos Aires, Argentina. OK, it really begins at the Atlanta airport but that’s just a technicality. I will spend a few days in the Argentine capital working with two local children’s home that are benefiting from our TFK trek. Each trekker has fundraised so we can fund the work being done to the children homes. It is really exciting to be able to spend some of my vacation on such a wonderful effort.
I am lucky to have visited Buenos Aires a couple of times and it is a great city. I always enjoy getting to experience this magnificent and lively metropolis, no matter how much time I get to be there!
ilivetotravel in Buenos Aires MANY moons ago!
A detour before I begin…
I decided to take advantage of having some flexibility and will arrive in Buenos Aires a couple of days early. The goal is to head over to a lesser-known jewel in neighboring Uruguay: a colonial charming town appropriately named Colonia del Sacramento. Colonia, as it is commonly referred to, is mentioned in the book 1,000 Places to See before You Die. Not planning on dying anytime soon but better safe than sorry, no? 🙂 Colonia is an open-air “museum” of vintage cars (something I only discovered when I went).
Starting the trek in Argentina’s Patagonia
After the work with the children’s homes in Buenos Aires, we will fly down to the town of El Calafate on the Argentine side of Patagonia. From there we will hike around the iconic Fitz Roy peak and its siblings, and visit the famous and imposing Perito Moreno glacier.
Note the size of the glacier when compared to the boat in the red circle on the upper right
Onward to Chile
After visiting the glacier park, we will transfer the next day to Puerto Natales, the Chilean town that is the real gateway to the wildness and beauty of Patagonia (I like the Chilean side better!).
At the waterfront in Puerto Natales, gateway to glacier boat tours (from my 2010 visit)
Example of the local architecture in Puerto Natales
The route for our trek in Patagonia: the W Circuit
I stayed in Puerto Natales when I visited in 2010 and there is something about its remoteness, its simplicity that was very appealing to me. From there, we will launch our trek to the impressive Torres del Paine, surrounded by lakes and glaciers. Our route is the typical route to trek there – it is called the “W” route. Take a look at the map (with the route in red) and you will see where the name comes from!
The W circuit
I am thrilled at this upcoming adventure and have tons to do to prepare. I also wonder if I am physically ready enough as I will be needing to carry about 30 lbs on my back – a first for me in any of my hikes. Wish me luck on my trek in Patagonia and stay tuned for future write-ups on the experience!
After I concluded the trek in Patagonia described before it happened above, I have written extensively about the experience. Read more here!
- Day 1 of the trek in Patagonia (W Circuit)
- Day 2 of the trek in Patagonia (W Circuit)
- Day 3 of the trek in Patagonia (W Circuit)
- Day 4 of the trek in Patagonia (W Circuit)
- Day 5 of the trek in Patagonia (W Circuit)
- Puerto Natales, entryway to the Torres del Paine
Other hikes around the world that may be of interest:
