In late October 2025, our Head of Operations, Eve, set off to celebrate her 40th birthday (a happy mix of work and pleasure) in the wilds of Patagonia, joined by the “fittest and most adventure-seeking travel partner you could ask for” – her dad!
“After flying halfway across the world, we got our breath back in Buenos Aires, before heading down to our first stop: El Chalten, the hiking mecca of Argentine Patagonia. On our very first morning, we conquered the Laguna de los Tres hike, a 22-kilometre, 9-hour round trip that included 1,000 metres of elevation gain. It was a rare wind-free, blue-sky day, which we enjoyed to the fullest, navigating forests, rivers and steep, zig-zagging trails to get above the snowline.”
“The view of glimmering Fitz Roy mountain and its surrounding glaciers was breathtaking (and certainly worth the 2 days it had taken to get there from Cape Town). Our fabulous guide, Julie, really brought the place to life with her knowledge of the history, flora and geological formations. Honestly, to do this trail without an expert local guide would be doing it a total disservice.”
“Next up was the bustling little town of El Calafate, just the place to be if you want to get up, close and personal with a roaring glacier. We met our guide early in the morning to get suited and booted before hopping into a kayak and paddling towards the Perito Moreno Glacier. To be in such proximity to this force of nature, which is close to 20,000 years old, was awe inspiring to say the least.”
“The glacier is one of the most dynamic in Patagonia due to its regular calving and we were gobsmacked to witness this dramatic scene as huge chunks of ice splashed into the water just a few hundred metres from where we were kayaking. We spent the afternoon exploring the boardwalks of Los Glaciares National Park, really getting a look at Perito Moreno from every angle.”
“We journeyed on, this time crossing into Chilean Patagonia and making a beeline for Torres del Paine National Park. We spent nearly a week in 3 different areas of the park, so we could really explore to the fullest, and every time we gazed upon the same mountain range, the view looked different in some way. You could never get bored here!”
“Our first day was spent on an endlessly scenic drive through the park, welcomed by local guanaco (a member of the llama and alpaca family). Our first home-away-from-home was Kau Rio Serrano, where we enjoyed an evening by the fire, sipping on calafate sours – a local re-imagining of the pisco sour, and staring at those mountains.”
“Our base for tackling the iconic Grey Trek was Patagonia Camp, which is truly one for the books with luxury yurts, delicious cocktails and the best food of the trip. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on our side and the journey to the Grey Glacier was extremely windy. With hail being blown into our faces at 70kmh, let’s just say it was an experience and leave it at that! A word of advice: you really do experience all seasons in one here, so come prepared to change plans at the last minute and give yourself enough days to move activities around to match the weather.”
“The final stop was Estancia Cerro Guido, which offers an entirely unique experience. A traditional working farm, guests are able to get involved in the daily running of things – and we enjoyed a veggie garden tour and riding out with a real-life Gaucho. Hearing all his stories was enlightening – if ever there were a job purely driven by passion and tradition, the life of a Gaucho is it! We also went on scenic hikes and e-biked through the valleys in the shadow of Torres del Paine.”
“The major reason for visiting Estancia Cerro Guido is to track the rare and elusive puma, something that had been on my bucket list for a very long time. This estancia is known as one of the best places to track and find puma in South America, thanks to the incredible conservation work they have been doing to ensure the species and land they walk upon is protected for years to come.”
“We spent a wonderful morning with the trackers and, after several hours, we were lucky enough to find a large male puma. We kept our distance and watched as he moved around his territory completely unaffected by our presence. After 40 minutes we said our goodbyes and left him to continue his hunt for something to eat. I know so many people that have come in search of a puma and not been so fortunate, so I fully appreciate what a privilege this was.”
“I went out with the trackers again in the afternoon and spent over 5 hours checking camera traps and searching for tracks. This time, luck wasn’t on our side but it only made the events of that morning all the more special. After watching the sunset, we headed back to the lodge where I slipped into a comfy bed and readied myself for the long journey home after the most remarkable trip. How lucky am I to call this work and that I got to share it all with my Dad!”
Fancy doing something similar? Have a look at Eve’s epic trip to Patagonia – or start building your own from scratch or get in touch with one of our Latin America specialists here.
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