The highlight was definitely going over the John Gardner Pass. It was a tough but really rewarding day. One of the most magical moments was when we made it through the pass and had an absolutely gorgeous view of the Grey Glacier in front of us. I also really enjoyed going through the windy passes and fighting our way through the infamous Patagonian wind! It was a pleasure to meet other people on the trail and to discuss what we had seen already and comparing experiences.

Patagonia was a really wonderful experience - from the mountains to the beautiful lakes and the people that live there, it was phenomenal.

Maybe

From the beginning, Taylor at Swoop made me feel really looked after. He took the time to discuss what I was looking for and quickly connected me with Chile Nativo to secure my place on the trip. Before going on the O, I reached out to Taylor to talk about what else I could see in the region. He spoke to me about all the different things I could see and do in Chile and gave me an enormous amount of detail and great tips.

Swoop made it really clear how the process was going to work and I was pleased to be booking with a local partner who had a great knowledge of the region. I felt I had double the amount of people to ask questions to and answer my queries. The payment process was simple and straightforward.

The Full Circuit definitely lived up to my expectations. I was surprised at how smoothly everything went with the help of our two amazing guides, Gabi and Nacho. I felt really looked after and taken care of. We also cultivated a really great group dynamic and that also made a massive difference in how comfortable and fun the trip was. The highlight was coming over the John Gardner Pass - it felt really earned to have that amazing view of the Grey Glacier! Everything flowed really smoothly from the pick up all the way to the drop off at the end of the trip. The packing list was really great, however, if I could maybe change one thing, it would be to ask the participants to bring their packs to the briefing the night before so that the guides can review your packing. I think this would have helped me trim a lot of unnecessary stuff that loaded down my pack and add in things that would have been really useful!

It made me see that I can do these types of long treks and I would like to do more of them and venture out more. I also really appreciated learning about Patagonia and its flora and fauna as well as the history of indigenous peoples in the region.

I was a little shocked by the amount of plastic and packaged goods that were a part of the packed lunches. It would be great to see more homemade-unpackaged goods wherever possible, as we accumulated a lot of trash by the end of the trip.

Review your packing and take half of what you need! You'll end up wearing the same thing for a week anyways. Remember to bring the essentials and you'll be fine.