Frequently Asked Questions
How much experience do I need?
None. All of our expeditions are structured so that beginners and seasoned hikers alike will be challenged, but also have the opportunity to learn and use the skills necessary to travel in the remote wilderness.
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How fit do I need to be?
Your level of fitness will have a direct impact on your (and the group’s) happiness. Our expeditions are more strenuous than most and you should be fit and healthy. That said, you don’t need to be an Olympic athlete.
Our recommendation is to begin a regular exercise program now (if you haven't already). The more used to exercise you are, the more your body is able to recover, allowing you to enjoy the expedition. What you do isn't really important. Go run or swim or cycle or do whatever you enjoy doing. If you arrive in good shape (and are mentally prepared to still be a bit sore) you’ll be fine.
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How hard will the trip be?
Hard is a very relative thing. Absolutely, the trip will be hard physically. We often have long days, lots of elevation gain or loss, all while carrying a heavy backpack. Some days will be hard mentally, walking over difficult terrain or learning new skills. Some days will be hard emotionally; maybe you’re just having a bad day or we’re doing something that you find challenging personally. The good news is that often the days that are hard, for whatever reason, end up being your most memorable moments and certainly your best trip stories. And they are balanced out by the days when we reach a summit, with the world at your feet, or wake up on a pristine beach near a glacier. Those are the magic moments.
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What is your Male/Female ratio?
While this varies from trip to trip, our expeditions are made up of about half women and half men.
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What does it feel like to spend so much time in the wilderness?
When you first leave on a long trip it seems like you have all the time in the world and the end seems so far away. But time in the field goes by very quickly. The beauty of being out for so long is that is gives you a lot of flexibility. It also means that you have a lot of time to practise and to really learn (and retain) all the new skills coming your way.
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How much walking/paddling will we do each day?
This will of course vary by what we're up to. A general rule is that we would aim to do 8-10 hours of moving on any given day. The distances we cover will vary quite a bit. Sometimes it’s flat ground and easy going and we can cover 30 kilometers (20 miles for you Americans) in an easy feeling day. Sometimes the going will be uphill and technical. We’ve had days where we walked hard for nine hours and collapsed, exhausted, in camp 900 meters from where we started (nearly half a mile). Most days will be somewhere in between.
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What will the weather be like?
Ah, the infamous Patagonian weather. The answer is: varied. On a long expedition you can expect a smorgasbord of weather from divine to intense (or in tents). By being prepared with the right equipment and making good decisions we can work around the weather and will adjust what we do, day by day, according to what the weather dishes out.
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What kind of food will we eat?
Part of what we will teach you is how to make good, tasty food with ingredients that we can carry. If you’re feeling good, you can make a pizza for dinner (and a chocolate cake for dessert) or scrambled eggs and salami for breakfast. If it’s raining and you just want to go to bed, whip up a quick curry or soup. We have years of experience making incredible food you never thought possible in remote places. Imagine fresh, hot cinnamon rolls accompanied by a beautiful sunrise, just before heading off for a day of ice climbing. Mmmmmm.
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Will I be able to take a shower while on the trip?
There may be opportunities to bathe in the alpine rivers or lakes if weather permits or to have a sponge bath if you really need to (baby wipes help). Remember, after a week you’re going to smell bad, but so is your tentmate. Going for weeks without a shower isn’t nearly as bad as it sounds. It’s really part of the experience. And that first shower after you come out will no doubt rate as one of the best of your life.
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What do we do about toileting?
Depending on what kind of terrain we are in we have different methods so we create the least impact. We will teach you how to poop responsibly in each different type of situation, following Leave No Trace principles.
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Are there any dangerous animals in Patagonia?
Fortunately, Patagonia is blessed with relatively few things that want to eat you. No bears, no tigers, no piranhas. Pumas are around, but are almost never seen. We may see, on the other hand, numerous other types of animals. There is a native deer called the huemul, an ostrich-like bird called the nandu, and a llama relative called the guanaco. There are also condors and falcons roaming the skies.
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What about bugs?
Patagonia has the usual annoying bugs: mosquitoes, sand flies, and horse flies. Predicting how many bugs there will be is a bit like predicting the weather, difficult at the best of times. You may want to bring a bug net and some bug spray if you’re worried, but you probably won’t use them much. One of the bonuses of mountaineering is that there aren’t many bugs on glaciers or above snow line.
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Do I need insurance?
The Patagonia Mountaineering School does NOT provide medical or travel insurance. All expedition members are required to have medical insurance that covers field evacuations. Many medical insurance plans do not cover trekking, kayaking, or climbing, so be sure to purchase a policy that does. Your local mountaineering club often provides wonderful insurance at an a reasonable price.
It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance as well to cover eventualities with gear or trip interruptions.
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Are there any other costs?
For the duration of the expedition, all your transportation, food and accommodation is paid for. Assuming that you bring all of the equipment recommended on the gear list, you shouldn’t have to spend any money. We provide plenty to eat as well as beer/wine at the final party. Any extras, such as film or souvenirs, are at your own expense. See our Fine Print >>page to learn exactly what is and isn’t included in the trip.
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Do I need a visa for Chile? Are any vaccinations required?
Please contact your local Chilean Embassy or Consulate for information regarding visas and vaccinations.
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How much money should I bring?
Chilean Pesos are often difficult to get while in your home country. Luckily, both Santiago and Coyhaique have readily available money exchanges (Casas de Cambio) where most major currencies can be exchanged. There are also ATMs at the Santiago airport, at many banks, and in most supermarkets. You usually get a better exchange rate with cards than you do at the money exchanges, so you may want to consider bringing a bit of cash from home and cash card to use when you arrive.
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Building an Ice Anchor
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Inside an Ice Cave
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Journal Writing
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Just Enough Space to Swing a Cat
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Hmmm, What to Cook
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Lazy Buggers
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Learning Self Arrest
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Testing V-Threads
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-Pete C., 38, England
