2020 Wilderness Travel Catalog of Adventures

We bring you to the pristine grandeur of South America’s newest national park, with its exquisite Lodge at Valle Chacabuco. PHOTO: JAMES Q MARTIN MICHAEL KRABS LINDE WAIDHOFER Patagonia’s Wild North SPECTACULAR PATAGONIA PARK AND THE UNDISCOVERED AYSÉN

Hike the spectacular trails of the new Patagonia Park, a vast slice of Patagonia that has been “re-wilded” and donated to the people of Chile by Tompkins Conservation. Still largely undiscovered, this enormous new national park has been hailed as “South America’s Yellowstone” for its epic landscapes and resurgent native wildlife, including puma, flamingo, and vast herds of guanaco. We also explore mountain-ringed Lago General Carrera, Chile’s second largest lake, where we hike below massive glaciers and kayak in the surreal beauty of the Marble Caverns. Your journey will support one of the world’s greatest conservation efforts in Chile’s pristine Aysén region! Days 1-4 Balmaceda / The Aysén / Patagonia Park We meet in Balmaceda in the Aysén, an untamed region of northern Patagonia that was named one of 2017’s “Top 10 Must Visit” regions by Lonely Planet. In Patagonia Park, we’ll find stunning peaks, untrodden trails to high lakes, endless beech forests, and guanaco herds on the grasslands. The centerpiece of the park is the vast Chacabuco Valley, a former estancia (large private ranch). From the park’s elegant lodge in Valle Chacabuco, we hike across rolling grasslands to ancient forests laced with mountain streams, often sighting condors and guanacos. The park’s

pioneering re-wilding efforts include the largest- ever grassland restoration in Chile, resulting in burgeoning populations of native wildlife. Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Tompkins Conservation joined forces in 2018 to create five new national parks in Chile, adding more than 10 million acres of new national parklands and fulfilling the vision of Doug and Kris Tompkins for a “Great Route of National Parks” stretching to Tierra del Fuego. Days 5-7 Lago General Carrera / Glacier Hikes The remote Aysén region is filled with natural wonders, including glacier-fed Lago General Carerra, a 700-square-mile body of intensely blue waters shared by Chile and Argentina. From our lakeside lodge, we’ll hike into the lenga (beech) forests above the lake to see marine fossils in the rocks and enjoy vistas of snow-capped San Lorenzo (12,158') and San Valentin (13,331'). Boat rides across the lake bring us to our trailheads for hikes below towering glaciers. Days 8-9 Marble Caverns / Coyhaique / Balmaceda From lakeside Bahia Mansa, we set out by kayak for the Capillas de Marmol (Marble Caverns), a natural wonder of fantastic caverns, pillars, and tunnels on Lago General Carrera. The caverns are accessible only by boat, and we’ll paddle right into these otherworldly geological formations, the result of 6,000 years of extraordinary carving by the lake’s waters. Overnight in Coyhaique and depart on Day 9 via Balmaceda.

HIGHLIGHTS • Hike the wild mountains of Patagonia Park, one of South America’s newest national parks • Support the conservation practices that created this unique park • Enjoy the spectacular Lodge at Valle Chacabuco, with phenomenal access to park trails • See Patagonia’s wildlife, from herds of guanaco to flamingos and soaring condors • Cross cobalt-blue Lago General Carrera by boat, hike below the Leones Glacier • Kayak to the Marble Caverns on Lago General Carrera DETAILS • 9-day trip begins and ends in Balmaceda • 8 nights lodges • All meals included

DATES Nov 16-24, 2019 Feb 15-23, 2020

Nov 15-23, 2020

TRIP COST FALL 2019 / SPRING 2020 $5695 (11-14 members) $5995 (8-10 members) $6295 (5-7 members) Single supplement: $970

TRIP LEVEL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 hiking days on moderate to steep trails, 2-6 hours a day, altitudes below 5,000 feet, extreme winds and sudden changes in weather may affect the final itinerary

FOR MORE DETAILS ON OUR LATIN AMERICA TRIPS, VISIT WILDERNESSTRAVEL.COM/TRIPS/LATIN-AMERICA 130