Perfect Days in Patagonia

I’m on the edge of beyond in Northern Patagonia, where the wind howls down the plunging valleys and ricochets between the imposing mountains, forests, rivers, and endless, barren steppes. Traveling through Patagonia is no small undertaking. Today I flew two hours south from Patagonia to an area renown for its fly-fishing and remoteness. I have trouble pronouncing the main town’s name, Coyhaique.

A half-hour out of the tiny airport we spotted condors circling overhead. They are impressive birds of prey with 12- foot-wingspans. As I snapped a photo four of the elusive, wild Chilean Huemules crept out of the forest followed by four Elk-like animals. The paved road ended after an hour and we continued on a dirt road for another four hours, through sun, rain, snow and wind tunnels. No cities, no telephone lines, banks, cell-phone reception or billboards.

I’m not roughing it though. After a soothing soak in the jacuzzi with a backdrop of the lake, ice fields and glaciers, I sipped Chilean Pinot Noir, dined on fresh water salmon and stoked the embers in the fireplace in my room at Tres Lagos (www.haciendatreslagos.com), a luxury lodge on the edge of nowhere. Tres Lagos means three lakes and it’s right in the middle of turquoise, black and dark blue lakes.

Think the area is unknown? Michael Douglas comes to fly-fish and get away from it all, Kevin Costner has a home here and Julia Roberts dropped in to drop out. I’ve been zip-lining through the forest canopy between 9 platforms, with glimpses of the lake, glaciers and the lodge below. One morning I went bushwhacking in a dense forest with the mountain guide and we collected morels.

The scenery is spectacular.

Every day has been, as they say here, a three or four-season day, warm sun, wind, rain and occasional snow. Patagonia is dramatic!

Green, Clean & Glistening Santiago

I arrived safely after a 21-hour trip and stop in Lima, Peru.  Only 4 hours of sleep in the past 24. I am enjoying the people watching in the lobby of the ultra chic W Hotel in the downtown financial area of beautiful Santiago. It is the first W in South America. The hotel is on the 4th and 5th floors of an office building, filled with business men in blacks suits, white shirts and ties. Conservative dress but very good-looking. By the way the women are beautiful too.

Santiago is GREEN, CLEAN and GLISTENING with new, modern shiny skyscrapers. Very prosperous looking. Building everywhere and little tree-lined neighborhoods with pastel-colored homes and outdoor cafes and charming restaurants filled with antiques. Bella Vista is my favorite neighborhood, filled with students, yuppies, art galleries, tree-lined small streets, flamingo clubs, and unique street sculptures.

I am really amazed by the cleanliness and prosperity of the city and how modern many of the buildings are. They’ve had an economic boom for the past 20 years. USA used to be their largest trade partner and now it’s China. Everything WORKS from cell phones to internet cafes. About every 3 blocks there is another park, all well maintained and green and filled with lovers on the grass. The guide said to me “Ah Seniora, it is spring you know.” The city has 6 million inhabitants and is squeezed between the snow-covered Andes and the sea, with a river that flows right through the middle of town. A freeway was built for 3 miles under the river and town so you can easily get around. Very progressive. The largest, most fortified building I have seen is the American Embassy.

What a land of contrasts. The fish market had the largest king crabs I have ever seen and people were playing guitars and singing as others dinned at 4pm which is the end of lunchtime. I was told not to bother going out for dinner until at least 9pm.

You get glimpses of snow-capped mountains and even a huge glacier between the skyscrapers.

Gotta run. Thanks for your good wishes.

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Packing Pains

Why do we obsess over what we pack? The worst things to forget are a cell phone charger, passport or photo ID, enough cash and the name and address of your hotel.

Nevertheless, packing can be painful even for an experienced traveler. The night before my trip to Chile I found myself in frenzy mode packing one small roll-aboard suitcase for 3 weeks and covering climates from Santiago and Buenos Aires warm and sophisticated, to Patagonia trekking, to Tierra del Fuego freezing and zodiac boat cruises right up to glaciers. Seems like I always need more time to pack and plan and research. It helped a lot to Google the weather for the next 10 days in all three areas of Chile (north, Patagonia and extreme south). So I packed 3 pairs of shoes…light sandals for the city, light but sturdy and water proof hiking boots, and very light tennis shoes. I’ll need the tennis shoes when I bike through the wine area. Heavy things I can leave at home: hair dryer and more than one reading book.

What does one do on a 16-hour flight? I’ve downloaded podcasts, news programs, music and my favorite CD’s, and I always bring my inflatable pillow and silicon ear plugs.

Now I’m euphoric. Packing done, boarding pass in pocket, good music, good book and time to relax and read the pages I copied out of the guidebooks. Adios!

On top of the World…almost. The easy way.

Last summer, at the peak of the wildflower season, my college-age daughter and I flew to Calgary and joined a group of hikers with Canadian Mountain Holidays (www.canadianmountainholidays.com) for an unforgettable adventure heli-hiking (and one exciting day of world-class rock climbing) in one of North America’s most dramatic settings — Canada’s mini Himalayas — in British Columbia.

I used to backpack in the Rockies and Sierra Nevada Mountains, but nowadays, it’s hard to find the time for those week-long outdoor escapes. If you’re an adventurer in love with mountain wilderness but short on time, consider the rewards of helicopter hiking.

The idea is to by-pass days of arduous back-packing and to be air-lifted directly to a comfy, remote lodge, (with sheets, down comforters, fresh fruit and vegetables), located in a pristine area far from roads, trails, or signs. You can hike to your heart’s content and end the day with a massage and glass of Pinot Noir.

After a short flight to Calgary, British Columbia, and a comfy night at the Banff Springs Hotel and Spa, we headed northeast to a helicopter pad and a short fight into the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia.

Unlike my mountain excursions in the good old days when I backpacked and ate freeze-dried food, I awoke each morning at the Bobbie Burns Lodge and indulged at a buffet laden with ripe raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, freshly baked breads, scones, muffins, home-made muesli, granola, Eggs Benedict and French toast.

After our first feast of many, we divided up into small groups and were whisked away to remote ridge tops and mountain lakes. We hiked as hard as we wanted, with experienced guides. Some flower aficionados strolled by streams and identified flowers.

The last day, a hardy group of us opted to go “mountaineering”, which means white-knuckled, adrenaline-pounding technical climbing up vertical peaks. We didn’t have to have previous climbing experience. Thanks to the support, encouragement and knowledge of our expert climbing guides, who ensured our safety, we rose to the challenge and made it to the summit.

The helicopter dropped us off near the base of the climb. Roped in we found hand and foot holds, and slowly made our way, one-foot-at-a-time to the summit, where we collapsed with dizzying drops in all directions and panoramic views of neighboring peaks and glaciers. And then we rappelled 150′ down to the base of the peak and glissaded (slid) down an ice field to the helicopter. We were whisked back to the lodge where we relaxed in the warm Jacuzzi as the sun set behind lush forests and jagged snow-capped mountains.

The adrenaline-rush, exhilaration and thrill of climbing surpassed even our wildest expectations.

If you’re an adventure traveler and have a “must-do” list add heli-hiking in the Canadian Rockies.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Contact Canadian Mountain Holidays in Banff, Alberta, Canada to answer your questions about five wilderness lodges, guides, family trips, climbing, mountaineering and lodge-to-lodge hikes.

800-661-0252 www.canadianmountainholidays.com