24 Aug 2017
Striding beyond the existing trails, in March of 2018, an intrepid Secret Compass team of 12 will be forging a new route through Chile's volcanic borderlands. Combining sections of the Greater Patagonian Trail and the Condor Circuit, the team will pioneer new paths in an attempt to connect four volcanic summits in the Planchon Peteroa which straddle the Chile – Argentina border.
“For years Chile has remained firmly on the radars of outdoor enthusiasts but with the vast majority of visitors focussed on Patagonia, it's fantastic to offer this exciting new itinerary in this dramatic but largely overlooked region,” explains Tom Bodkin, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Secret Compass.
While the development of new trekking routes such as the Greater Patagonian Trail have opened up access to additional regions of previously unchartered South American wilderness, Secret Compass will be merely using these as stepping stones in establishing this fresh route.
“Chile has won 'Best Adventure Travel Destination' at the Word Travel Awards not once, but twice, in 2015 and 2016,” said Bryony Balen, Operations Manager at Secret Compass. “We've been looking at leading a Secret Compass team to the region for almost two years, but it's taken time to plan a pioneering route away from the mainstream trekking regions.”
Newly developed for 2018, this 140km trekking journey will discover the snow-capped volcanoes stood between the topaz blue glaciers, wild rivers and lakes stretched out over this vast and rugged wilderness formulating the jagged spine of South America. With eruptions in the region as recently as 2011 and plenty of evidence of volcanic activity from smoking vents to hot springs, the result is the ultimate backdrop to a day's trekking.
Expedition highlights:
- Wilderness journey through the Andes
- Pioneer a new trekking route
- Summit attempts on active volcanoes
- Wild camp and swim in mountain lakes
- Look out for condors soaring overhead
- Explore Santiago and sample Chilean wine
The Bare Bones
Expedition Name: Chile: The Volcanic Borderlands
What: Trekking in the Andes mountains
Dates: 11 MAR – 25 MAR 2018
Cost: £2699
Secret Compass Expeditions
With its military background, expedition company Secret Compass is renowned for offering expeditions and adventure travel to countries eschewed by most operators due to their remoteness, post-conflict reputations or inaccessibility.
Expedition styles range from mixed-terrain trekking and minimalist desert traverses to mountain-biking, rafting and horseback expeditions. Secret Compass welcomes applications from anyone with a good level of fitness who's keen to achieve the extraordinary in the world's wildest places.
Apply to join the Chile team
Find out more about the Chile expedition online, including links to our no-obligation Application Form.
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Notes for editors
Secret Compass
Secret Compass redefines what is possible by creating pioneering projects in the world's wildest places. Secret Compass is built around a team of trusted experts who combine a passion for exploration with industry-leading professionalism. Secret Compass reignites your primal need for adventure, providing the catalyst for you to come alive and achieve the extraordinary. Upcoming destinations include Afghanistan, Armenia, Bhutan, Burma, Iran, Iraqi Kurdistan, Madagascar, North Korea, Panama, Siberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Chad and the southern Sinai.
Secret Compass for TV, film and brand projects
Secret Compass is trusted by production companies and brands to create and capture the extraordinary in remote and wild regions thanks to its unrivalled location and risk-management expertise. Credits include location-managing Channel 4's Walking the Nile and Walking the Himalayas series, alongside projects for the BBC, National Geographic, Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel. Brand clients to date include Mitsubishi, Sony, Nespresso, Giro, Xbox and Jagermeister.
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