Coming right on the heels of the sea kayak debacle, the 24 day Patagonia trekking course in february restored my faith in my chosen career. From the start it was apparent that our group dynamics would be fine and the itinerary, split into three parts, would be challenging and spectacular.
We began with a five day "out and back" shakedown to Cabo Froward. This little known trek follows the coast of the Straits of Magellan to the very tip of the American continental landmass. The terrain alternates between beach scrambling and forest scrambling and gives the trekker a great sense of the interface between the ocean and the temperate rainforest. The going is often slow, as beach travel tends to be, but this only makes it easier to check out the tide pools and tundra bogs. The notorious wind and rain was at a minimum and we were treated to fantastic views across the straits to Tierra del Fuego. We crossed three significant rivers, for a total of six crossings, including a neck deep fording of the frigid Rio Nodales at 9 PM with a storm brewing. Travelers that reach the tip are rewarded with a final, airy climb to a giant cross sculpture, erected to commemorate Pope John Paul II's visit to Chile in the 1980's.
On the day we were there it was clear and beautiful and "the end of the world" actually seemed like an apt descriptor of the place. Aside from a stealth, late night attack on our camp by a pack of foxes, the course was off to a great start.
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