Overall it was good, we were lucky with the weather and the group was fairly easy to get on with.

Patagonia was sensational, I have been looking at photographs for over 40 years and it was brilliant to be there in person. The mountains were even better than the photographs and the birdlife was amazing

Yes

Swoop's service was great and the itinerary included all the places I wanted to see.

This part of the trip was excellent for the most part. Accommodation was very good and the hotel was very central so the town was easily accessible. We joined the group for some meals together but also ate on our own. The group tended to eat later and as it was a big group the meal took ages to come so we were happier to go somewhere on out own and eat a single course. Our 'tour guide' Juliana Eguia was fantastic, a lively, bubbly, enthusiastic young woman who very quickly got to know which aspects of the trip were important for each individual. She was a mine of information about the area, the history and the wildlife. A really really lovely person and great at her job. The mountain guide Sofia was not so good; she was a pleasant person and although she (presumably) had qualifications showed lack of experience in dealing with groups in the mountain environment. She gave out information whilst some of the group were still walking, then set out immediately the 'tailenders' arrived rather than giving them the same opportunity to catch their breath, take off or put on an extra layer or hear from others what had been said. At lunch stops she tended to announce 'off we go' when she was ready without giving any warning so that others could finish a sandwich and pack their bags. Often she set off whilst some of the groups still had rucksacks on the ground. Had I been assessing her for British Mountain leader certificate (which I have done regularly in the past) she would not have scored highly.

It was amazing to be in among these big mountains which I know so well from photographs. The scenery and wildlife certainly exceeded expectations. However, the organisation for this section of the trip was not good and some of the timings were unrealistic. I don't think there will be room here for me to raise all the issues experienced in this section of the trip so have written them separately and will send them directly to Tom at Swoop

We went with Swoop because we did not have time to do all the planning necessary for doing the trip on our own. If you are used to being in the mountains then the tracks in this area are so obvious that a guide is unnecessary (and in our case a disadvantage). Speaking with others who had organised for themselves one advantage was being able to book the Refuges, individuals found this difficult to do. (presumably as tour groups had made block bookings)

Please see separate communication sent directly to Tom at Swoop