The primordial beauty of Chilean Patagonia is waiting for you...

This spectacular biodiverse region at the end of the planet remains just as pristine as it was when Charles Darwin first recorded its biological wonders aboard Fitroy's Beagle in 1843.

This is one of the most unique trips we are offering in 2009 and it is also one of the most important. Besides hiking into one of the world's longest unbroken stretches of temperate rainforest, you will also meet interesting Patagonians who live off their land in the same way their pioneering ancestors did before them.

You will see how these amazing people overcame a major volcanic eruption last year and meet an amazing Chilean environmentalist who is fighting to protect the land he loves from an imminent industrial invasion.

Patagonia is currently under siege. Two Chilean corporations, owned and backed by billion-dollar foreign conglomerates, are poised to enter the region for the first time with super highways and electrical power lines next year.

Real Patagonia, A Walk to Pumalin

Our trip will originate in the Patagonian town of Coyhaique where we will visit Patagonia National Park (Valle Chacabuco) on the shores of the mighty Rio Baker.

We will then travel north to Northern Patagonia to hike under a great canopy of Alerces trees (the Redwoods of the Andes) in a temperate region must like the American Pacific Northwest without people!

We will walk no more than four hours a day with professional guides but a deluxe vehicle and extra assistance will never be too far away.

No more than 12 travelers will be accepted for this amazing trek!

The Real Patagonia

Date: December 1 to December 14, 2009 (14 days)

Price: $4900 per person, double occupancy Single supplement: $800

$250 Discount if booked before June 1, 2009

Your itinerary:

Day 1 USA/Santiago de Chile

The journey will begin in Santiago. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to our centrally-located, deluxe hotel.

Day 2 Santiago/Coyhaique

We will fly to Coyhaique, Chilean Patagonia's largest city and the gateway to our adventure.

Day 3 - 5 Patagonia Park and the Rio Baker

We will check into an unforgettable lodge not far from the scenic Rio Baker, Patagonia 's largest river, which is slated to be damned next year. This is one of the world's most important free-flowing rivers because many environmentalists consider it the first domino; if damned, all of the great Patagonian rivers north of it will eventually fall as well. We will unpack our bags here to explore the entire region on foot and by horseback.

Day 6 - 8 Coyhaique/Futaleufu

From Coyhaique we will make our way north to Futaleufu, a town which has dedicated itself to outdoor river activities such as white water rafting, kayaking and fly fishing. Here you will meet one of the kayaking world's greatest legends, Chris Spelius, and take part in the activity of your choice: hiking, horseback riding, canyoning, class IV paddling or just hanging out in a heavenly landscape.

Day 9 - 13 Futaleufu to Park Pumalin

Next, we will continue to Park Pumalin, the world's largest privately-owned nature reserve. Created by the American environmentalist Doug Tompkins (the former clothing magnate who founded both the North Face and Espirt) Pumalin currently acts as a roadblock to the future industrialization of Patagonia .

Using Pumalin as a base, we will will stroll among ancient alerce trees (Fitzroya cupressoides), an endangered slow-growing conifer which has been called the “Redwood of the Andes.”  It is this tree that inspired the famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda to write: “If you haven't seen the Chilean forest, you don't know nature.”

Day 14, Pumalin/Puerto Montt

From Pumalin, we will travel to Puerto Montt where you will enjoy a tremendous farewell seafood feast. The next day, you can fly to Santiago where you will join your flight home or onwards to Peru for a post trip extension to Lima , Cusco and the amazing Incan ruins of Machu Picchu.

Our airline of choice for this trip is Lan.

We recommend Lan Airlines for this trip (Lan.com). Great rates from Los Angeles and Miami and you can include a stop in Peru for an extension for pennies more. Lan is part of the One World alliance and it is considered to be one of the best-run airlines in the world.

Please Contact Us for more information!

Background information:

In 2006, our co-founders Rick and Alessandra led the company's first exploratory mission into what Patagonians call “Real Patagonia.”

Rick has been fighting to preserve this amazing region since his first kayak trip to Northern Patagonia (the Futaleufu River) in 1998. His stories about the plight of Patagonia have been published in such magazines as Men's Journal and Travel and Leisure.

Please visit www.globalroots.org to learn more about our environmental initiative in Patagonia and visit the following link to read Rick's recent story about the preservation of Patagonia