Join us in Patagonia for…
A RUGGED, WILD EXPERIENCE: We hike through spectacular, newly protected landscapes – 10.3 million acres of long-sought national parkland and adjacent buffer areas spanning ice fields, alpine forest, and sweeping grasslands. We encounter these places on their own terms, wading through glacial rivers, braving the Patagonian wind, and sleeping under the stars.
COMMUNITY AND REFLECTION: Our trips take time to deepen our relationship to the more-than-human world. In parallel, we work intentionally to build expedition communities that support, challenge, and inspire all group members. Many tell us this is the most meaningful aspect of their experience. Expect to put energy into taking care of yourself, your expedition-mates, and the places we travel through.
LIGHTWEIGHT GUIDING: We bring local knowledge, logistical support, and wilderness experience. You bring energy for seeing Patagonia and openness to share and learn. Together, we'll work to live well outside: navigating, evaluating and managing risks, making camp, cooking—building outdoor skills along the way. We aim to keep packs light, to allow us to move easily across varied terrain. You need not be an expert backpacker to join. All trips include transportation, food, logistics and guiding.
We run lightweight backpacking and horse-supported trekking expeditions. Our backpacking expeditions, which aim for base weights of under 20lbs, explore the mountains on and off-trail self-supported, resupplying food every 2-5 days. Our horse-supported trekking expeditions partner with local families to lighten packs and offer more cushy camp experiences, while walking long distances and camping in remote spots.
Each season, we run ~20 custom expeditions for school programs, ranging from high schools to MBA programs, conservation organizations, and like-minded groups of travelers. If you have a group of four or more hikers, please get in touch about a custom expedition!
In parallel, we offer several “open-enrollment” expedition, for those traveling solo or in smaller groups. These expeditions include four to eight participants, who universally find the new friends and group dynamic these expeditions offer deeply special.
2026 - 2027 Season
New Years: Taking the plunge
PATAGONIA NATIONAL PARK: For the first time, we’re offering two versions of our longstanding New Year’s Expedition: an extended thru-hike for those with more time flexibility, and a backcountry highlight reel, for those fitting the trip into a shorter window. This expedition focuses on stretching each day to its fullest, in the wildness of the scenery, exploration of ideas, and sense of (re)connection.
Cold plunges have long been core elements of our expeditions (even before they were trendy); here, the cold plunge is a metaphor for the full-immersion you’ll experience. Perhaps intimidating at first, but renewing, rejuvenating, life-affirming once you’re in. This expedition is envisioned for both new and experienced backpackers with a solid fitness base.
Sunday, December 27, 2026 — Saturday, January 2, 2027 (six days, $2250)
A long walk into the new year
PATAGONIA NATIONAL PARK: To welcome in 2027, we’re planning a sustained traverse across Patagonia National Park. This route, from “lake to lake,” connects the high glaciated peaks of Jeinimeni, the expansive grasslands of Valle Chacabuco, and the forests and dazzling lake views of Tamango. One of the longest routes we offer, this rich and varied thru-hike offers time for deep immersion and reflection, which feels fitting for the invitation that the changing of one year for another offers us. This expedition uses this moment of transition (on one hand, arbitrary, on the other hand, a powerful symbol) to explore the power of a long walk in the wilderness to explore the closing of one cycle and the opening of another.
As one of our longer expeditions, this program is appropriate for experienced and newer backpackers alike with a strong fitness base, ready for back-to-back ten-mile hiking days. We will pick up two food resupplies over the eight days of hiking.
Tuesday, December 29, 2026 - Thursday, January 7, 2027 (ten days, $2950)
Painting the mountains
Join our first-ever art-oriented expedition, an outgrowth of our Visiting Artists Program! On this horse-supported wilderness trek, you’ll pair the classic elements of an expedition with Chulengo—immersion in the backcountry, coaching in outdoor skills, context in natural and human history—with artistic explorations.
We’ve designed this itinerary to offer several hours a day for drawing, painting, and art instruction with John Springer, an oil painter (and NOLS instructor) who joined us as as visiting artist in January 2026.
You need not be an artist to join! When we’ve had visiting artists join our standard expeditions, most participants end up entranced with the artistic element even when (especially when?) they don’t consider themselves artists back at home. Think of this as an invitation to develop a creative practice, and deepen your powers of observation of the natural world.
Saturday, January 9 - Saturday, January 16, 2027 (Eight days, $2950)
• EXPEDITION DESCRIPTION AND LOGISTICS
Exploratory Mountain Travel
We’re carving out a week of time to explore a remote part in or around Patagonia National Park with a small team of experienced backpackers. Instead of deciding on a route ahead of time, we’ll sketch out 3-4 options with the team, and then decide on the final route based on the weather and other conditions.
Expect this route to include substantial components of off-trail travel. The Chulengo leader team will offer coaching and support, so you need not be an expert in off-trail travel to join—but we’re looking for folks up for the adventure!
Potential route highlights include: remote semi-glaciated passes, Tyrolean traverses over river crossings, bushwhacking, potential snow travel.
Saturday, January 16 - Saturday, January 23, 2027 (eight days, $2450)
• EXPEDITION DESCRIPTION AND LOGISTICS
autumn colors and reflections
PATAGONIA NATIONAL PARK: Autumn marks a moment for returning to our roots and embracing the winter ahead, as the expansiveness of summer tucks into quieter days of tremendous beauty. The lenga forest turns orange and red and the first snows decorate the peaks. Weather can vary and nights grow longer. We tend to have the backcountry to ourselves, making for a contemplative and soul-nourishing expedition. The generally-colder conditions make this expedition an engaging challenge for those up for fall camping!
We envisioned this trip as a sustained traverse, at a slightly more relaxed pace than the New Year’s expedition, to fit the shorter days and quieter mood of autumn. This expedition is appropriate for experienced backpackers, and those newer to backpacking with enthusiasm for the slightly colder temperatures that this season can bring.
Friday, March 26 - Saturday, April 3, 2027 (nine days, $2450)
2027 - 2028 Season
light packs through the mountains
IN AND AROUND PATAGONIA NATIONAL PARK: Few hut-to-hut trekking routes exist here, so we’ve developed the horse-supported trekking program as a loose equivalent: horses carry everything except what we need for the day, keeping pack weight minimal. The guide and horsepacking team establish camp and prepare meals, leaving more time for camaraderie and relaxation.
We find this style of expedition particularly freeing, letting us walk easily over varied, wild terrain while spending continuous days in the backcountry.
This nine-day expedition spends four days in the backcountry adjacent to the park, with horse support. From there, we transition toward day hikes in the main valley, mixing nights in comfortable cabins, backcountry and frontcountry camping.
Late January 2028
