Planning and Logistics
In general
We aim make your travel experience to Patagonia as seamless and organized as possible (with room, of course, for spontaneity and adventure). Once you’re enrolled on an expedition, we’ll give you detailed instructions and resources on training, packing, pre-expedition reading, other places to visit in the region, and more. All that can be found in the “For Participants” page (you’ll get the password when you enroll on an expedition).
Some pointers, however, might be helpful as you consider an expedition with us. So please see what’s below as a taster of the resources to come!
Travel
All our expeditions in Chilean Patagonia start and end in Coyhaique, Chile, the capital city of the Aysén Region. The regional airport, Balmaceda or BBA, is about one hour away. In looking for tickets, international travelers will sometimes find better prices booking two separate tickets, one from their home airport to Santiago, and another from Santiago to Balmaceda; flights on Sky Airlines and JetSmart do not always show up in search engines.
Plan to arrive to Balmaceda the day before your expedition begins, to give some time to settle in and to accommodate for any delayed luggage. Coyhaique offers an ever-growing collection of restaurants, shops, and places to stay.
Aysén by air– we recommend a window seat for the flight south!
Gear
We’ll provide all group gear (as well as food) for your expedition–think stoves, tarps, pots and pans–and rent backpacking tents for a small fee; we’ll rely on you to bring personal gear like hiking shoes, a backpack, and a sleeping bag. You can explore our full gear list here.
Quick visual of the gear you’ll bring plus the food & group gear we’ll ask you to carry (for backpacking expeditions)
Training
A little bit of training can go a long way toward making a backpacking expedition more enjoyable and relaxing. Don’t worry if you’re not a pro outdoorsperson–we’ll teach the outdoor skills you need to live comfortably in the mountains. But if walking for several hours with a loaded backpack sounds very daunting to you right now, it’s worth making a plan for building endurance and strength in the lead-up to your expedition. Some having a goal to train for is helpful motivation! Here are some tips and context for preparing for an expedition with us.