Journey with Guide Jason Angress to Cochamo Valley with SYMG’s Hidden Patagonia
Patagonia. The name derives from an early Magellan expedition in 1520 to describe the native people who were then believed to be giants. The land mass rises from Tierra del Fuego, forming a spine-like backbone above the Southern Icefield and continues on into the Andes (eventually leading to the highest point in the Western Hemisphere). Within this range, the myth and lore of the region also reach incomparable heights. Anyone who has experienced Patagonia knows it produces insatiable curiosity as one of the worlds’ remaining “terra incognita”.
The summer season in the southern hemisphere did not disappoint. Clients young and old journeyed through forests of 3000 year old trees and along towering Andean peaks carved by fire and ice. What an awe-inspiring display! The Trinidad trail in the Cochamó Valley makes for a dramatic entrance into this mysterious valley. Add in the unforgettable cultural exchanges with our local hosts, combined with delectable Chilean wines and the magic is palatable. For years access to this place was only heard about from one adventurer describing it to another.
From a dense forest canopy emerges the first glimpse of the granite peaks of the ”Yosemite of South America”. One client turned and without words, just shook my hand and then went back to staring off in the distance. Ah! The moment didn’t require words and his gesture summed up what we all felt in that moment… gratitude. As a guide it was one of the those memories that you’re just so proud to be sharing with others. When the organization and logistics have all paid off, we find ourselves, a group of people, enjoying the right place at just the right time.
