| Costs | £2995 / $5995 (US) / €3899 |
| Group Size | 4-7 with 2 guides |
| Countries Visited | Chile |
| Dates | 06 Mar to 16 Apr 2009 20 Sep to 31 Oct 2009 08 Nov to 19 Dec 2009 14 Feb to 27 Mar 2010 |
Patagonian Mountaineering School
Full Itinerary
Scale the summits of remote peaks, trek across Campo Hielo Norte (the Northern Ice Cap of Patagonia), packraft across stunning lakes, plan your own expedition, master glacier climbing and rescue techniques, learn wilderness first aid, mountain gourmet cooking, how to build an igloo, and how to survive in the wilderness of Patagonia and become a fully fledged ‘Leave No Trace Practitioner!
Patagonia
Week 1 and 2 - Learn mountaineering skills, build and sleep in an igloo, scale the summit of a remote peak
Our plane touches down in Balmaceda, from where we make our way overland to the lovely town of Coyhaique, which is surrounded by snow capped mountains and rivers. From here we will be driven to our initial base camp at the edge of the Exploradores Glacier, which lies deep in the heart of Patagonia. Our first few days at camp will be spent learning the basics of camping, planning the route we will take on our expedition, and packing the rations we will need for the next six weeks (though we will only carry ten days food at a time, as we will be re-supplied by horse or airplane on our way).
Departing basecamp on the morning of day three, we will bid farewell to hot showers for the next five and a half weeks, and say hello to the beautiful lakes, meandering rivers, and stunning mountains of the Patagonian Ice Cap. We will utilize a variety of mountain skills that range from ice climbing and crevasse rescue to wilderness first aid and expedition leadership, with even some lessons in gourmet expedition cooking to make us the most authentic of mountaineers! Climbing higher will take us away from the glacier and through the temperate rainforest that blankets the area (receiving nearly two metres of rain a year). Making our way through the rainforest for a few days will ascend us to snow level, where we will learn more mountaineering skills, including self-arrest, snow anchor building, snow cave construction, and how to build an igloo (that you will put to the test by sleeping in!). Our first fortnight in Patagonia will conclude with an ascent of a remote peak, to further hone your climbing skills, witness the spectacular views across the glacier and wet our appetites for the adventures ahead!
Patagonia
Week 3 and 4 - Cross a snow covered glacier, learn to ‘packraft’ on six beautiful lakes, paddle through icebergs.
Having mastered the basics of mountaineering our next challenge will take us on a three day expedition across an unnamed snow covered glacier. After being re-supplied by a local rancher we will make our way across the snow covered glacier, which is inherently tougher to cross as the snow hides any crevasses there might be. Our training will have fully prepared us for such terrain so any potential hazards we may encounter will be both enjoyable and thrilling, as we will know how to manage the risks. Completing our crossing we make our way higher still to ascend over a high pass before descending into a valley filled with six beautiful, different coloured lakes. Here surrounded by the breathtaking scenery we will practice ‘packrafting’ on portable one person rafts, practicing wet exits (capsizing the raft in the water to then get out and back to the boat), and paddling across the stunning lakes. Descending further, we will then paddle through icebergs on our way to re-join the Ice Cap. Mooring our rafts we will then prepare ourselves for our final voyage through the peaks and valleys of the Northern Ice Cap as intrepid mountaineers.
Patagonia
Week 5 and 6 - Lead the adventure by planning a route across the ice cap, climbing virgin peaks, packrafting a glacial river, celebrate your successes with a party and receive your qualifications
For the final stage of our adventure, it will be you the students that will be running the expedition. Rotating the role of ‘leader for the day’ will give everyone the opportunity to be in charge of daily planning, route finding, and managing the group, giving added confidence to your mountaineering skills and developing lifelong skills in leadership. Whilst you will be closely monitored and supported by your instructors, you will now have a fantastic knowledge of climbing to be able to successfully plan a peak ascent and plan the running of a successful expedition. The expedition will conclude with a traverse the Northern Ice Cap, climbing many peaks we encounter on the final part of the adventure. Ten days travelling across the ice cap will take us to another unnamed glacier, where we will leave the snow and descend to bare ice. Using our packrafts again, the river at the glaciers terminus becomes our road back to civilisation. When we arrive at the highway we will be transported to basecamp for our first shower in almost six weeks. Our final day will be spent repairing and cleaning gear, before we get our glad rags on for a large ‘Asado’ (a Patagonian barbecue) with some serious and well deserved celebration that guarantees everyone an ‘interesting’ award to take home! Patagonia is an area unparalleled in natural beauty, and on this wildly adventurous six week Yomps Adventure Expedition you will truly acquire the memories, skills, and stories of a lifetime!
