Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. G Adventures is compensating me for a portion of my trip.
So I’m going on another trip in 2016!!! This time I’ll be seeking adventure at the bottom of the world in Patagonia, Chile & Argentina! I’m so glad that I put it out into the world as a travel goal at the beginning of the year in my 2016 goals post and used a picture of a Patagonia Glacier to capture the spirit of my 2016 travel goal.
I’m super blessed to be working with G Adventures to bring more attention to their Active trips. I’m booked on the Patagonia Multisport trip which includes cycling, kayaking and hiking. G Adventures sent me this sweet care package of gear to wear as I train and to bring on the trip (I have a feeling those cards will come in handy making friends in our hostels each night) and I’ve heard about how windy it can get down there so I’m pretty sure I’ll be rocking that hat daily 🙂
The trip consists of exploring Santiago and Puerto Natales in Chile. On Day 3 we explore Laguna Sofia by cycling, then start a 6 day 62km trek through Torres del Paine National Park called the W trek. We get to kayak at the Grey Glacier on Day 7 which I’m so excited about!
So how have I been getting ready for such an active trip?
As soon as I moved to Ottawa I made friends with Jamie Wainman. I’ve mentioned her before on my Alberta Adventures post. We met on Instagram and I saw that she loves hiking so I convinced her to be my friend 🙂 We’ve been heading out on free weekends to the Gatineau for some hiking.
We’ve tackled Pioneer Trail, Pink Lake, Skyline, Lauriault and Waterfalls Loop, the trail around Champlain Lookout and some other random ones that my brain doesn’t want to remember at the moment.
Now that I’ve tackled more climbs in Alberta I definitely feel more ready for some intense hiking. My plan for the next month is to spend every weekend getting in 2 good hikes on Saturday and Sunday to keep the body used to that type of activity so that when I get to Patagonia I’ll be challenged but not winded. Lots of legs days coming up to ensure my glutes, quads and calves are ready for this challenge.
I’m so excited and scared to go all at the same time!
In regards to scared I think I’m hesitant about the following things:
- Making friends in the small group that’s going. The website says Max 16 and I think the trip is sold out. I’ve shared before that I’m introverted so traveling on my own may become a bit overwhelming depending on the other personalities. But my heart is wide open to how amazing it can and will be!
- I’m a bit trepidatious about being able to eat for my body’s needs. Having a dairy, gluten and nightshade free lifestyle can be difficult. I am going to pack several camping friendly foods I know that I can have for meals where I just can’t eat anything provided. I just updated my account online to let them know about my food sensitivities so I’m hopeful they can cater to my unique needs.
- I really hope there are no language barriers. I have always had “learn Spanish” on my to do list. I guess it’s time I download Duolingo again and get cracking. I had it on my phone for a while but wasn’t diligent with my “homework”.
THE COUNTDOWN IS ON!
Don’t worry about the language at all—that’s one of the benefits of having a guide! They’ll be able to help you out and teach you some Spanish, but I always recommend learning at least a few words before any trip. Hello, thank you, please and goodbye are always helpful and appreciated.
From one introvert to another, I think you’ll be fine in that respect as well. Take advantage of free time in your itinerary to take a walk on your own or with a smaller group, use travel time between stops to read, listen to music or write. You’ve got this!