Gap Rock ’24
Hello from Patagonia. On November 10th we touched down here after many hours of plane time. We were kindly greeted by the beautiful landscape of Patagonia and an unreal ferry ride across lake Buenos Aires to our base in Chile, Chico. After a couple days of lounging around and packing we headed out for our first expedition in Patagonia. The first day was brutal. It started out nice with beautiful rock formations around us and ended in a storm of rain in wind. We all struggled to get our tents up and to cook dinner with frozen hands but we managed, and when we woke the day after, the land was covered in snow. It was a warm welcome and almost felt like a test to see if we were ready for the rest of our journey.
After a couple more days of backpacking we had finally made it to Apidame, our new beloved climbing crag. We spent the next week climbing these amazing routes and progressing our skills further. Each day having to hike an 1000ft approach from our base camp to the crag. It felt as though we were getting a lot of things done and working better as a group in helping each other with personal goals. Something new some of us were introduced to was multi-pitching. We each got a chance to climb 3 pitches of a climb set up by our very own Chris Barlow and it was the coolest thing ever. Thank you Chris Barlow. As the days of our expedition started coming to an end we were all satisfied with our stay and definitely a little beaten down by the harsh environment of Patagonia. Two nights before we left we had one of our tarps tear apart in the middle of the night because of the crazy winds. And one night during circle we all watched some guanacos duel it out on the hillside. There were many moments I’ll never forget, and I’m thankful for the harsh environment for beating us into shape. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Gap Trek ’24
Hi! This is Livija writing to you from our lovely hostel in Chile Chico. After over 24 hours of travel, we found ourselves eager for our next adventure in Patagonia, Chile. We spent our first days exploring Chile Chico and preparing for our third expedition. We left the hostel, Nandu, excited to explore the northern region of Patagonia. Not long into our first day, we came across a herd of guanacos, a sight and sound we would quickly become familiar with. We would also become accustomed to the unpredictable weather patterns of Patagonia. We rolled into camp the first day sopping wet from rain and hastily set up our tents. Despite being wet and cold, the rainbows in the sky kept our spirits high. We awoke the next morning surrounded by snow and set off for another day of hiking. Over the course of the next days we learned that layering up would be key to handling the mosh pit winds of Patagonia and gained valuable navigational skills in this new landscape. We walked through marshy, muddy fields and up rocky mountains hoping for places to camp with the best wind pro. We got used to getting our feet wet through ice cold river crossings. Our wildlife sightings went beyond just the guanacos. We saw rocks that looked like flamingos— and then we saw real flamingos flying through the sky! We came across a curious fox and hiked by pastures full of horses and their foals.
Halfway through our trip, we met up again with Rock at the base of Cerro Apidame. We swapped stories and baked delicious meals. During the second half of the expedition, Henry, Annie, and I began planning our S.P.E. (student planned expedition), as it would be our responsibility to prepare and plan everything. With the beta from Syd and Steph, we planned an exciting trip for our final expedition. The day we hiked out of the park was our longest day. We started our day early and set out for Chile Chico. Springtime in Chile is lush and beautiful but by the end of the day we were drenched in sweat. Instead of the hostel, we headed straight for the lake and dove right into the glacial water, clothes and all. A very refreshing way to end an amazing expedition.
