Having completed two sea kayak expeditions, we have decided to face new challenges. This time, kayaking and mountaineering, two disciplines that go hand in hand, will let us attempt for the first time the Patagonian crossing – from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean along more than 660 kilometres of water, land and ice.
The philosophy is the same: to explore unknown lands without external help; to overcome our limitations and fears..
In our double kayak we will navigate the Chilean fjords to penetrate the Southern Patagonian Ice Field along the Glacier Jorge Montt. From here, we will pull the boat as a sledge to reach Glacier Upsala, following the route that Eric Shipton and his three companions opened more that 40 years ago. This is one of the most difficult sections of the entire itinerary as we need to avoid giant crevasses hidden by snow, winds that easily overcome 120 kilometres an hour and temperatures that go well below the 20 degrees centigrade.
Finally and paddling again, we will cross Lake Argentino and descend the Santa Cruz river to the Atlantic Ocean.
Married with one child. Holds a BA in political science and is the mentor of the expedition. He balances his professional life as a travel agent in London with his passion for adventure. A seasoned sea kayaker, Pablo has organised and led two big expeditions: Cape Horn in 1999 and Isla de los Estados in 2001.
Pablo is a resident expert on the adventure sports website www.aventurarse.com, and he contributes to Tiempo de Aventura magazine. He is a member of the Explorers Club of New York and the Richmond Canoe Club in London, where he regularly trains in his kayak. In 2005, he completed the 5* course for sea kayakers, taught by the British Canoe Union.
In Mendoza, Puente del Inca, he completed an ice-climbing course taught by Mauricio Fernández. He has made the summit of Mount Aconcagua and ascended several routes at Los Arenales. He has also made several ascents in Bariloche.
He trains on the indoor walls of the Westway Sports Centre in London.
In this expedition, Pablo will be in charge of general organisation, photography and filming. He will be responsible for all the navigating while the expedition is in kayaks. > Send me an e-mail
Married with three children. Mixes his professional life as an insurance broker in Argentina with his passion for mountaineering. Since 1991, Juan has taken many courses in rock, ice, and rescue techniques, taught by UIAA mountain guide and instructor Mauricio Fernández.
In Mendoza, Argentina, Juan reached the 6969m summit of Mount Aconcagua. He has also made several winter summits in the Cordón del Plata mountain range (5500m). In Los Arenales, he has completed more than 100 rock routes and big-wall climbs. In winter, he trains in the cascades of Puente del Inca. In Bariloche, he climbed Mount Frey twice, in 1999 and in 2001. In 1995, Juan led a Southern Patagonian Ice Field crossing. Between ascents, he managed to cross the Andes on horseback, twice.
Again in Bariloche, he climbed the Argentino peak of Mount Tronador, 3554 metres, in March 2007.
Juan is a newcomer to kayaking. In this expedition, he will be taking care of security and the equipment needed to cross the ice fields. He will also be in charge of food supplies for the 30-day expedition.
> Send me an e-mail
It extends for more than 330km between Chile and Argentina. Its total area (including 1500km2 of contiguous glaciers) was 13,500km2 in 1945, which had fallen to about 13,000km2 by 1986, a larger surface than that of Buenos Aires city: an outstanding mark that shows the effect of climate change in one of the most important reservoirs of drinkable water of the planet.
That so much of the region remained almost unexplored for years is only due to the physical difficulties of travel there. The chief problem is presented by the weather, which is said to be some of the worst in the world: in this sub Antarctic weather winds easily surpass 100 km an hours and temperatures fall well below sub zero.
Although the mountains are not particularly high, (the average altitude is 1500 m.a.s.l.) the glaciations are very extensive.
The task will be largely against the elements and for most of the time we will be physically miserable: this matter not at all and only add to the challenge and increase our enthusiasm.
Many explorers followed Dr Reichert and father de Agostini, but only in 2003 the full length cross of the continuous icecap, from Caleta Tortel to
Puerto Natales, without resupplying and with the only support of ski sails, was claimed…and not without controversy!
North of latitude 49°S, most of the ice field is a uniform plateau that has only a few nunataks (the exposed summit of a ridge, mountain, or peak not covered with ice or snow within an ice field or glacier).
Between latitude 49°S and 50°S, there are three parallel north-south ranges about 20km apart. They are not continuous, and the ice fields that fill the north-south valleys between them can escape eastward or westward through gaps.
At 50°24' S, the ice field is interrupted by two transverse fjords: Fiordo Mayo from Lago Argentino, and the northeast arm of Fiordo Peel from the Pacific Ocean. The distance between Fiordo Mayo and Fiordo Peel is about 18 km.
South of this constriction, the ice field is narrower, without large ice plateaus. The largest glaciers are Perito Moreno, Grey and Tyndall.
The spectacular Paine group, a young granodioritic intrusion, stands between Glaciar Grey and the dry pampa and the Fitz Roy group includes world famous Mt. Chaltén (3405 metres) and Mt. Torre (3102 metres)