Customer Reviews

The highlight of the trip for me was definitely the riding on the Grey III and getting to experience the Glacier super close up. I also really enjoyed the day hike from Refugio Chileno to Domo Frances. Even though it was one of the longest hikes, it was the most scenic in my opinion. The landscape was just mesmerizing. I literally couldn't stop looking at the granite peaks to the right and the turquoise blue glacier lakes to my right :) I was able to see a few animals. Condor, Guanacos and I spotted a pair of Gray Foxes. We were blessed to meet some really cool people. I ran into a bunch of people ironically that were from San Francisco / The Bay Area. We met a couple of British Couples, a group of Norwegian friends travelling the world together and I met a REI Tour group that had previously visited MachuPichu. I personally documented my whole trip with my iPhone by taking a bunch of 4K videos and using my Nikon D750 DSLR to take a bunch of photos. I also took this opportunity to journal as much as I could everyday and I hope to release everything in a blog :) - Also want to add that thanks to my apple watch. I was able to constantly record my hikes and track the journey of my heart rate throughout the trip. I think it will add a really cool layer of visibility when I share it with my friends and family. The most magical moments for me were split between two scenarios. I was blessed to have to of my very close friends join me and share many of the experiences throughout this trek. They were also much more conditioned than me and at times hiked faster than me which provided me with times of solitude. Being able to experience both of these moments allowed me to truly enjoy the hike at my own pace.

Walking in the beagle channel in my bare feet

It was great to be out of internet range for a few days to completely relax. Even when I arrived at the estancia it felt as if walking onto a movie set. The peace and quiet and absolutely vast landscapes during the ride were mesmerizing. Felt one with nature

Seeing the Glacier - it was an unbelievable sight. This was a hard choice because wherever we went we had so many memorable moments. Walking with the penguins and sea lions, the scenery in the lake district, the walking in El Chalten were all amazing

Waking up on the second day in a completely snow covered landscape and enjoying the sunrise on Lago Grey which displayed a wide variety of beautiful colours on the mountains and in the sky. This was absolutely breathtaking. But to be honest it is very hard to pick one moment because I cherish so many beautiful memories!

Watching my dad do the hike to Torres del Paine and getting to the top together.

Seeing the vastness of the mountains and their snowcapped peaks as we approched the park. It was an unforgettable and moving sight.

So many memorable moments it’s difficult choosing one! Salar de Uyuni, climbing volcáns Lascar and Toco, the beautiful flamingo filled lagunas in Bolivia, flying over the Nazca lines.......

It's hard to pick just one but I really enjoyed the challenge of the Base of the Towers hike in the snow. It was a beautiful hike and I loved walking through the valley, the the forest, and then the step climb to the lake. Our guide Martin was great - we learned a lot about Patagonia but with a good balance of quiet time to be present and enjoy our surroundings as well. The towers were covered when we got there, but it was a good reminder that it's about the journey :).

Patagonia was a great place to walk. Lots to see and do. Open landscapes, spectacular mountain ranges and glaciers. We met some interesting people. Some of which were on a similar journey to us, some were more 'local'. Everyone seemed friendly and interested in our lives too! We completed the 'W' trek quite comfortably. We enjoyed the cosy accommodation and comradery of other trekkers. Everyone had their own agenda and were happy to share their experiences.

Hiking Torres de pines, riding horses with Guchoo on three ranches People very friendly Telling friends and family via Facebook with photos Would not probably return as there are other places in the world To go

Hiking to the base of the Towers in the dark, wind, and then snow (!) in very cloudy conditions all on our own, only to have the clouds open up and blue skies and views slowly appear before our eyes when we arrived at the top. So completely worth it!

Highlight — going across El Paso de las Agachonas while in the middle of a blizzard. We thought we were on another planet. People — INCREDIBLE. My favorite group was the first with Chile Nativo, simply because it was the largest (7 ppl) and every single person was amazing. I still loved the other groups too. Landscapes / wildlife — landscapes were out of this world, with all the glaciers taking the spotlight. Wildlife was pretty good. Friends and family — I let the photos speak for themselves. They told me that it looked legendary. Surprises — Dickson campsite. All the icebergs nearby along with the glacier itself. Very lovely. Magical moment — again at Dickson campsite, by the lake, there was this small bank on the lake with perfectly still water and I caught a photo with the mountain and glacier in the back with PERFECT reflection. Looked like a mirror.

EVERY moment was beyond AMAZING! 1) Our Guides were top notch: Carolina and Flo and driver Israel were beyond phenomenal. I greatly appreciated the fact that our group of 10 ladies had women guides who were fun, knowledgeable, and integrated so well. 2) WOW the food! SPECTACULAR! 3) The rooms were super comfy!

Joaquin and Benjamin and Ruta 7 were wonderful. The first third of our trip was the most unique....hiking in what felt and looked tropical with glaciers at the view points. The "paths" were most often ladders, planks and bridges and the scenery magical. Joaquin and Benjamin quickly accessed our fitness and interests and selected perfect daily hikes. They both are deeply knowledgeable, spoke flawless English, added wonderful energy and fun to our group of 3 couples. Highly recommend them to Swoop for future groups.

The trip was great! We liked that we started on the Paine Grande end and got the hardest hike out of the way first. We were lucky to have great weather to enjoy the beautiful landscape, except for some winds and drizzle on our last day. We were surprised at how nice the refugios were and happily pleased with the food.

Too windy to do initially planned itinerary; still had a great experience. Guide (Jaime through Serac) did a great job of outlining alternatives, including 3 unrelated hikers in decision-making Dramatic weather Super curious and concerned about the caterpillar infestation of the Lenga forests Watching a new friend be speechless at the expanse of ice at the top of El Paso del Viento.

The weather was the best part as we got lucky and out of 17 days had about a half of a day of rain. Beyond that, the hiking and landscapes were spectacular, the people were friendly, the guides were wonderful, the food and lodgings were all spectacular as well.

Tierra Patagonia

The circuit trek in Torre del Paine was by far the highlight. The remoteness and the untouched nature were amazing. Both of our guides on the hikes were amazing! The simple and quiet beauty is what we will remember forever.