July
2002. It’s 90 degrees in the shade in Miami, with nearly 100% humidity as the summer
afternoon rains begin to form. Even Patagonia
in the dead of winter seems inviting!
What
– Patagonia in winter? I’ve been in the travel business with LADATCO for 33
years. Have I hit the middle-age crises in judgment? No one goes to Patagonia in the
winter. I’ve said so for years. Almost
everything closes down; roads aren’t maintained, there’s nothing to do. Who
would want to go anyway?
I’d
been to Paine Towers National Park twice, both times in late March. The scenery was indeed
spectacular and the wildlife viewable but the winds did howl and the weather was cold to
colder, especially with the legendary winds shrieking down the Southern Ice Field and
right into my face. Patagonia is famous for unpredictable weather. And to top it off,
it’s a far trek to get there.
Why
then did passengers I sent in July 2001 come back saying Paine in the winter was one of
travel’s best kept secrets? Why did Explora stay open all year and many other places
closed down? Had Explora managed to overcome all the challenges of Patagonia in winter?
Why go there in winter?
Answers
to these questions plagued me. After all, I’m supposed to be an expert on travel in
the region and I could not have given anyone any concrete answers, and that’s
personally embarrassing.
So I decided to go to Patagonia in the
middle of winter to find out what being there in the middle of winter is all about. I
invested in silk long-johns, bought a pair of microfleece lightweight gloves, got out my
SmartWool socks, my hiking boots and my ear muffs. My suitcase full with winter clothing
and photographic stuff, I packed a lightweight small duffel-style carry on with a full
complement of warm microfleece vests and jackets and stuffed my gortex rain jacket in on
top. This good Florida girl was READY for
whatever Patagonia in the middle of winter could bring.
I now know why you should go to
Patagonia in the winter. And there are multiple reasons, the two best of which are Explora itself and Paine Towers National Park.
The Park has a micro-climate, with the
short distance separating it from the ocean producing mild temperatures. A thin layer of
snow may cover some areas of the Park during the winter months, dusting the mountain tops
and highlands, but snow in the valleys is not the norm and generally is not enough to
prevent explorations. The weather overall is
much more calm with moderately cold clear days, with those legendary summer winds not a
problem. Temperatures
in winter (average over five years for July) are only 20 degrees cooler than in
summer, with an average of 54 high and 16 low.
Explora is one of the few facilities
open in the park during the winter, and it is fully operational with a complete complement
of enthusiastic guides, skilled drivers and a well tuned staff to meet your every need. You can learn more about Explora here on LADATCO’s website.
Here are four simple reasons for
visiting Paine in the winter:
1)
Glorious sunrises and sunsets! The days are short enough that you can experience
the sunrise and sunset; summer has long days and the sun is up before you and down late.
2)
Fewer people! It’s often “all
yours”, or you’re sharing it with only a few other like-minded travelers and not
with the throngs of hikers and backpackers that come to the park from around the world.
3)
All the better to see the Puma! In winter, the pumas
and other fauna descend from the mountain tops, making it possible to appreciate them in all their majesty.
4)
Less wind! The absence of the legendary
Patagonia winds makes being outdoors almost as enjoyable as a summer day.
And probably the best reason of
all: great “one-up” cocktail conversation!
