Mei-Mei
United States Of America
Customer
Rating
8
Customer Rating On return from their adventure we ask customers: “On a scale of 0-10, with 10 being the highest, how likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend or colleague?”
Mei-Mei's Trip Date:
13th Dec - 31st Dec 2022
What was your most memorable moment?
360 degree views near the Frances mirador and hearing glaciers calving Walking on Grey Glacier and seeing all its tongues from the Grey Navigation boat. Fabulous views and hikes at El Chalten.
Which of the following best describes your adventure?
Great holiday
On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely is it that you would recommend Swoop to a friend or colleague?
8 out of 10
On a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate your trip: Discovering Torres del Paine?
8 out of 10
On a scale of 0 to 10, how would you rate your trip: Highlights of Los Glaciares?
10 out of 10
Tell us about Los Glaciares
Wonderful mountain range; beautiful valley with curving river; cute little town. More accessible than TDP of course. Laguna de Los Tres took us 9h with lots of breaks: total of 15 miles and 3535 feet elevation change. But the killer is in the last .6 miles, which soars 1,312 feet over rugged bolders. It rained, snowed and blew on us that day and Fitz Roy did not appear. Make sure to go down to the lake and around to the left for the second gorgeous viewpoint. We were exhausted upon our return home. Laguna Torre was a walk in the park, nearly, by comparison: 13.2 miles, 2326 feet elevation change in 6 hours. The views along the way are as impressive as the lake itself.
Tell us about Torres del Paine
The W trek was tough, beautiful, fun, exhausting. We loved getting to the Towers in clear weather; sitting at Frances Mirador and watching glaciers calf (my daughter went up to Britanico, which made for a very hard day from Cuernos then onto Paine Grande. Make sure you go about 15 minutes past Frances to get more amazing views.); ice hiking at Grey Glacier and seeing its three tongues from the Grey Navigation boat. The refugios were about as expected. What was better than expected: pretty well heated everywhere; separate men and women's bathrooms; plugs (USB) mostly accessible; wifi purchase available everywhere. What was worse than expected: the food. Watery soups, tough, unnamed meats, tasteless mashed potatoes. For breakfast, runny scrambled eggs with toast, some cereals and yoghurt. Vegetarian options were also bad. The best was the chicken and rice when you could get it. Packed lunches had giant pieces of bread with some unnamed meats or veggies; energy bar; apple; trail mix. Do yourself a favor and buy the pizzas even though the food is paid for!
Do you have any tips or advice for other people planning a trip to Patagonia?
As others have said, bring lots of cash. You get a great rate for US dollars at Calafate and Chalten. But most places take credit cards, too. It wasn't so cold as it was windy. But the wind was so fierce, parkas were needed to help buffer. Some people sat down to let big gusts past--others laid down!
Would you consider another trip to Patagonia with Swoop?
No
Would you be interested in travelling to Antarctica with Swoop?
No
Would you be interested in travelling to the Arctic with Swoop?
No
Was there anything else Swoop could have done for you to help you prepare for your trip?
Already mentioned previously. Awaiting a refund from Chile Nativo for the canceled kayak at Grey Glacier due to winds.
Do you have any recommendations for Swoop, or feedback about the team?
In addition to already mentioned: Some of us really like details and would appreciate more rather than less info! I came across info about the strike at TDP and asked Carys about it. She was responsive but it would have been nice to get a proactive note saying, "FYI and we'll keep you informed" rather than let me discover problems myself. On our last day in Grey, the winds were so strong they canceled a Grey Navigation. That prompted us to wonder about our options the next morning as our schedule relied on the Grey navigation to get out of the park. I felt I had to work too hard to get detailed scenarios from Chile Nativo should our boat be cancelled. Meaning we would have had to walk back to Paine Grande with our extra 10 kilos of weight and get there in time for a late ferry.
Has your experience changed your perspective in any way?
Not really.