Experience is key! We fell in love with Patagonia on our first scout back in 1972 (when there was only a solitary guard in Los Glaciares National Park besides our party!). Four men, including Leo Le Bon (co-founder of Mountain Travel), spent about a month exploring in Patagonia – trekked around the famous Torres del Paine, hiked in Los Glaciares, and drove across Tierra del Fuego to Ushuaia. They returned from the scout trip declaring that "Patagonia has the finest and most beautiful parks in the World."

Today, Mountain Travel Sobek is the most experienced adventure travel company in Patagonia and one of the few U.S. companies to operate the complete Paine Circuit trek. We pioneered this trek in the mid-1980s and it's now rightfully considered a "classic." (It's one of the treks included in Leo Le Bon's book "Twelve Great Treks of the World".) We know every nook and cranny of Patagonia and have crafted comprehensive itineraries that maximize your hiking time, minimize the driving time, and showcase the very best there is to see.

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The World's Best Guides

Our exceptional trip leaders have years of international guiding experience, including backgrounds in mountaineering, so you can rest assured you'll be in the most capable of hands. Meet part of our Patagonia team:

	Bob Stanley is one of the most energetic and personable guides you will ever meet (his enthusiasm and love for the outdoors is infectious!). He started backpacking on his own in the Sierra at the age of 12 and was a backcountry park ranger in California's Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks for many years. Bob has more than 15 years experience guiding on some of the world's most challenging rivers, and manages our river operation on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. Since 1997, Bob has led many of our treks in Patagonia. When not guiding trips, he lives in Sonora, California.
	Erik Perez was born and raised in the province of Asturias in northern Spain and has been climbing the local mountains since he was a boy. Before guiding in Patagonia, Erik had made several trips to this region to climb some of its peaks. Erik also guides our popular hiking trip in Northern Spain and treks to the Everest region in Nepal. He operates a mountain guide company in Spain, and has written two books about the mountains of Asturias. Eriks love for the mountains and his ability to share that with you makes him an ideal guide.
	Sergio Fitch-Watkins, a native of Mexico, is one of Mountain Travel Sobek's senior guides (he's been with us since 1977). He led many of our past mountaineering expeditions to destinations all over the world (including Antarctica), and now leads our most challenging treks in Nepal, Peru, and Pakistan. Sergio is at home just about anywhere in the world and is one of the most capable and unflappable guys we know - just the kind of person you want to be with in a remote wilderness.
	Sergio (TC) Bahamondez was born in Puntarenas, Chile, and grew up in Tierra del Fuego, where he developed his love for the outdoors. He studied psychology at La Plata University in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has a degree in Patagonia Biodiversity from Magallanes University. Sergio has more than 10 years of experience as a tour leader, and his explorer's spirit has taken him to nearly every continent. He is an excellent ambassador of his country and its culture. Sergio is best known in Patagonia by his nickname, "TC," and we know you'll be captivated by his engaging smile.

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Active, Unique Adventures

We offer a broad sampling of adventures in Patagonia to suit every interest and skill level:

Hidden Patagonia
A great trip for those of you who like to do a variety of activities, prefer not to camp, and have an interest in Patagonia's history and culture. Easy to moderate hiking, canoeing, optional kayaking and horseback riding. 7 nights hotels or lodges; 5 nights estancias

Patagonia Explorer
Good for families and those of you who prefer not to camp. Easy to moderate hiking, wildlife viewing, cruising, some long drives, optional flight over Cape Horn. 10 nights hotels, 4 nights boat cabin.

Hiker's Patagonia
An ideal adventure for you if you enjoy long day hikes. Moderate to strenuous hiking (some days you have a choice between a long or short hike), some long drives. 6 nights camping; 7 nights hotels or hosterias. Hot showers available in almost every camp.

Trekking the Paine Circuit
For those of you looking for a challenging trek in a remote corner of the world. Moderate to strenuous trekking over rough and sometimes steep terrain, optional hike and ice climbing on Grey Glacier. 8 nights camping; 4 nights hotels. Hot showers available in almost every camp.

All our Patagonia adventures fly in and/or out of Santiago or Buenos Aires. A great opportunity for you to explore these two cosmopolitan cities – and maybe even learn to dance the tango?

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Small Groups; The Best Way to Travel

Sharing new experiences with others is often the best part of the adventure. On our Patagonia adventures, you'll be part of a small, informal group (average size is ten) of congenial, like-minded individuals whose curiosity about this region and thirst for adventure matches your own. You may begin the trip as strangers, but within days you'll become fast friends. Small groups are more conducive to an enhanced learning experience, have less impact on habitats, can be accommodated into small family-run estancias, restaurants, refugios, and campsites, and gain access to sites too fragile to sustain larger groups of visitors. They also lend themselves to serendipitous experiences—part of the magic of adventure travel.

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Plan Nothing - Enjoy Everything

The best part of coming to Patagonia with us is that we do all the work so you can relax, enjoy the experience, and have all the fun. Many of you don't have the time to do the hours of research and planning necessary to create a world-class Patagonia adventure, but that's what we do every day! So leave the details to us. We'll pick you up in the airport, drop you off after your trip – and treat you like kings and queens in between!

On our Patagonia camping trips, we are proud to work with the most experienced, attentive, and enjoyable camp staff you can imagine. The kitchen crew prepares the most delicious and wholesome meals featuring hearty soups, fish, chicken, fresh fruits, vegetables etc. Porters or pack animals carry all the gear (you only carry your daypack), and when you roll into camp, your tent is already set up and afternoon tea and snacks are awaiting you. (Note – on the Paine Circuit Trek you'll need to carry your sleeping bag, pad, extra clothing, and toiletries on a three-day section the packhorses cannot traverse.)

Our lodge-based Patagonia adventures are perfect for those who prefer not to camp. You'll see the best of the countryside but with all the amenities and comforts of home, including delicious local cuisine.

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