Expeditions in Patagonia
Here are some of the expeditions I’ve completed across Patagonia that I’ll be sharing on this blog. It may take some time to document each journey in detail, but once they’re published, you’ll find them under the Patagonia tab in Expeditions. Below is the list in chronological order.
Greater Patagonia Trail - Packrafting
Dates: 20 November - 19 December 2025
Length: 15 + 15 Days
Sections: GPT17P Rio Cua Cua, Lago Neltume (2 days), GPT18 Lago Pirihueico (4 days), GPT22N Rio Ventisquero and Rio Puelo (5 days), GPT71 Espolon (1 day), GPT27P Alto Rio Palena (4 days)Rio Cua Cua
Total Distance: 241km
Type: Group of 2-4, Camping + Acoomodation in Towns
Our first month in Chile was spent packrafting sections of the Greater Patagonia Trail - a month of rivers, lakes, heavy packs, and wild Patagonian landscapes. We explored remote sections including Rio Cua Cua, Lago Neltume, Lago Pirihueico, Rio Ventisquero, Rio Puelo, Espolón, and Alto Rio Palena, travelling through beautiful forests, lakes, and valleys by foot and packraft. One of the best parts was the freedom of reaching places that felt inaccessible any other way. Along the journey, we met wonderful people — including Jan and Meylin, creators of the GPT route — caught our own fish , enjoyed surprisingly affordable cherries , and appreciated how easy it was to find budget camping in towns, often in someone’s front or backyard.
Of course, Patagonia also came with challenges: carrying 25–30kg packs, paddling endless headwinds, adjusting to jet lag, and surviving on fairly repetitive Chilean supermarket food. But compared to our previous Hollyford-Pyke Loop trip, the weather felt wonderfully kind. It was a month of slow travel, simple living, and discovering a new corner of the world one river and lake at a time.
Greater Patagonia Trail - Hiking
Dates: 21 December 2025 - 18 January 2026
Length: 19 + 10 Days
Sections: GPT32 Cerro Castillo (5 days), GPT33H Torres de Avellano (7 days), GPT34H Ferry Chile Chico (1 day), GPT35 Parque Patagonia (9 days)
Total Distance: 245km
Type: Group of 2, Camping + Acoomodation in Towns
Our second month in Chile was spent hiking the Greater Patagonia Trail — a lighter, more settled, and deeply scenic section of the journey. Highlights included the dramatic landscapes of Cerro Castillo, which became our favourite section, and the vast wilderness of Parque Patagonia, filled with guanacos, flamingos, foxes, and abundant birdlife. We were incredibly lucky with the weather, experiencing only one rainy day and generally dry conditions, which made the hiking much more enjoyable than expected in Patagonia. Carrying lighter packs (around 12.5kg with food and water) allowed for easier movement across long days, while national park facilities and hitchhiking helped with logistics along the way. Of course, there were still challenges — expensive groceries, limited food variety, strong winds filling our lunches with sand, thorny bushes, and the occasional logistical puzzle — but overall it was a beautiful continuation of our slow journey through Patagonia, shaped by big landscapes, simple living, and steady movement through one of the most stunning regions on Earth.
