The Winter W-trek was a truly unique experience, and part of our bucket list of places around the world to go hiking. The highlight of my trip was reaching the Grey Glacier after a long distance hike and having lunch facing the glacier in silence - a moment of pure tranquility. The landscapes we saw varied day to day and we were lucky to see a herd of guanacos, condors and even a wild puma! We got on very well with the other people in our group (from the USA and China) and learned a lot from them - they inspired us and gave us more locations to add to our holiday bucket list! The guides were very knowledgeable and friendly. I have some amazing pictures and have been showing them to everyone at home and at work. We hope to visit Patagonia again in the future, perhaps to experience it in the Summer.

Patagonia is a unique place to visit with beautiful landscapes and wildlife and the opportunity to experience the culture and good food in the major cities.

Yes

Swoop provided good information in a timely manner and were very helpful in arranging the trip at relatively short notice. They gave good advice about hiking in the Winter and the website has a lot of information about travelling to Patagonia. The Winter packing list that was provided was also very useful, especially as we haven't been hiking in the Winter before and weren't sure what to take. I have already recommended Swoop to a friend who is looking to travel to Chile and would definitely use them again.

The local partner was excellent - they were professional and organised. They were able to book us local transport and take card payment in their office. Any queries I had were answered promptly by the appropriate person.

The Torres del Paine Winter W-trek is a unique way to experience the National Park. Torres del Paine is a beautiful place with varied and breathtaking landscapes and I was lucky to get some amazing pictures. We saw only a few other groups during our trek which was nice as the rifugios were not busy and we were able to really appreciate the views. In general the rifugos were comfortable, although the main rifugio where we stayed did not have heating for the first 2 nights (there was no gas delivery due to the reduced boat service in the Winter). The food (dinner and lunch that was provided) was delicious and a great way to experience local cuisine made with fresh ingredients. The rifugio where we stayed on the last night had not been used by the company before and was very cold, although the beds were warm and comfortable - I'm not sure whether the local partner will be using this location again. The guides were excellent - they were very knowledgeable and friendly and good at motivating the group. I felt safe with them, especially as some of the routes were very icy and slippery.

Travel light - you'll thank yourself after a long hike with a full pack! The packing list provided by Swoop is useful and I took travel wash. Most places take card and USD but keep some local currency with you for taxis and markets.