Letter From Our Founder

The Patagonia Frontiers mission is to connect people with wilderness through education, conservation, and adventure. The year 2021 has been notable for advancing our greater aspirations. A convergence of relationships and timing allowed us to significantly further our vision of safeguarding Patagonia wildlands and advancing outdoor education while being an ally for surrounding parks and communities.

Those of you who have participated in our courses and programs helped make this possible. Through your support, encouragement, and generosity, and with our thriftiness, we have markedly expanded Patagonia Frontiers wilderness classroom adjoining the Laguna San Rafael National Park and adjacent to the Patagonia National Park. It’s propitious timing in the face of compelling regional and global trends.

Our Origin Story

From a single-engine plane over the Northern Patagonia Icefield 30-plus years ago, I had no idea I’d just glimpsed where would later become home. Below us stretched 4,500 square kilometers of tantalizing snow, ice, glaciers, and mountains. In the distance the profound blue of Chile’s largest lake, General Carrera, squeezed into Lago Bertrand that was itself connected to a jade green companion. A spectacular valley joined it all to the edge of the white expanse beyond. I was so enthralled I requested our pilot maneuver us into position for a full-valley picture I’ve kept to this day.

*We make regular pilgrimages to this “mirador” along our signature route, The Gaucho Way*

Don Anselmo and Señora Guillermina owned a ranch where that valley turned to lake. I visited frequently, learning much from them and grateful for their friendship. It was a surprise when, after several years, they suggested I purchase their property. We reached agreement, yet it became clear their hearts were held by this place and so we relented, revisiting the topic every couple of years until the time felt right for them.

Periodically, they would come back to visit, telling stories about the ranch and their life here. When we shared stories in return it brought them joy, their knowing smiles full of understanding. I realize how we’re the primary beneficiaries of what Don Anselmo and Señora Guillermina accomplished here in their time. If we act upon the responsibility we feel to this place, then we hope others come to benefit from our efforts.

“How can we possibly not think of ‘conservation’ as something beyond our own lifetimes? On one of the first nights after I’d begun living here, I sat close by the kitchen’s small wood stove and wrote: Success will be determined by how well this can be shared with others. ”

Don Guillermo, Señora Teresa and John Huaf — *Don Anselmo and Señora Guillermina*

Lessons learned in community

When I began living in Chilean Patagonia much of this region was ‘populated wilderness’, settlers in remote ranches striving forward towards their dreams. Villages or hamlets were few and far between with no road network connecting them. Communication was a constant challenge. Daily AM radio broadcasts were a vital community service, especially so for personal messages. Getting to visit these far-flung homesteads and to meet and learn from the inhabitants meant experiencing their amazing hospitality, grace, and challenges.

When it came to living in these remote circumstances myself, I felt overflowing with energy. I knew that anything and everything would take significant effort, even the simplest tasks. There was yet no phone, internet, highways, etc. I don’t think I had the conscious thought that one be fully self-reliant and avoid dependence upon others, it was more a byproduct of my mountaineering and leading remote expeditions. You be tenacious, you be focused, you find a way, you persevere, you accomplish the goal! My early thinking was if a neighbor or traveler needed something, great, plenty of energy to spare, eager and pleased to help and to share, yet we do our own, on our own. Fortunately, that notion was dispelled.

“Living in the wildlands of Patagonia, time reveals that no matter one’s intentions or plans, at some point you need your neighbor’s help, and they are there for you. And at some point, your neighbor needs your help, and you’ll be there for them. In those moments it won’t matter how closely we share certain beliefs, or where we were born, nor what our formal schooling is or an opinion we have of X, Y or Z. In the end, one’s wellbeing here is deeply relational. Close or far, few or many, all of us are neighbors and need one another.”

Whether it’s a load of firewood you want to buy, or a horse, or a ranch, Patagonian folkway highly values the quality of relationship involved. I remember don Anselmo saying to me, “Now you have a place to plant your years.” As time passed, we came to know and respect other neighbors, who became increasingly involved with our student programs, clients, and small international community. Their unique logistical support is important on every trip. Their rich human and cultural history is vital.

Safeguarding Patagonia Wildlands, Together

This ‘neighborhood’ of Patagonia, with expansive and relatively undeveloped parks throughout, reflects part of an amazing commitment by the Chilean people, and a calculus towards the future. The region’s pristine wildlands, diverse ecosystems, and local and endemic flora and fauna provide an opportunity to foster sustainable economic development with a healthy environment as the primary resource.

We view the conservation of wilderness classroom as opportunity and responsibility joined as one. The goodwill of our neighbors alongside a shared belief within members of the Patagonia Frontiers’ community makes moving forward possible. We are grateful for having mapped this stage of the journey, and for achieving greater clarity about what future success can look like if we proceed together.