Author Archives: hollisswan
Altitude absence
The best thing to do when I’m missing the mountains is to pull out my sketch book.
la pesca con mosca
Two months into our South American travels was the appropriate wait before Patagonia fly fishing crept into my physical existence. Oh, it had been very much on my mind this trip, but the time and conditions had not yet allowed me to give it the attention it deserved. Our extended stay at NOLS gave me […]
AMAZEballs
Our hiking adventures have been above our expectations, but there were limits that needed to be pushed… After a night of asado with our new climber friend (Ryan), he convinced us that Cerro Solo should be high priority on things to experience in El Chaltén. It didn’t take long and we had our guide Mathias […]
Fitz Roy Range
We decided that our first major outing in El Chaltén would be a five day trek through the Fitz Roy Range. It didn’t take long to gather our team (Christina, Phillip, Alice, and Holy), resupply our fuel and food, and map out our route. A five day, four night adventure was planned. The first day […]
Bouldering
The first three days here in El Chatlén were without a cloud in the sky. The ranger told us at least 8 times (I’m not exaggerating) that ‘we were lucky’. Both of us were fighting a cold and waiting for our friends to arrive in town, but we couldn’t just sit around. We took this […]
El Chaltén
Over the past two months, we have described the places visited as magical, beautiful and stunning. I feel that El Chaltén has surpassed everything I have seen in my life and left us at a loss for words. This quaint little town is nestled beneath the world renowned Cerro Torre and Monte Fitz Roy. If […]
Fiber Arts
There are times in my life when I have the understanding that I am at the right place at the right time. This usually occurs while I am surrounded by the wilderness, alone fly fishing on a small mountain stream, or (the majority of the time) making art. These moments bring clarity to why I […]
Ahuenco – part II
Our hike into the park allowed us a few wonderful days of rest. We filled our time with playing cards, exploring the beach, taking naps (my favorite), and eating. Our campsite was tucked in the trees, keeping us safe from the winds. We also make time to hang out with the locals. The amount of […]
Parque Ahuenco
Our work stay at Jeroen’s farm went from Monday to Friday. His farm has limited resources, so it is important for the wwoofers to go on an adventure for the weekend. Jeroen also works as an expedition to guide, so he isn’t here on the weekends. He graciously set us up with a 4 day […]
chilean wanderings 