Chad Sayers Epic Trip – Patagonia at its finest

^{An excerpt from Chad Sayers Epic Trip ~ Sept 17th, 2014}

In the pouring rain and stone cold winds, myself and two very humble yet well experienced friends, Steve Ogle and Kari Medig, set out in kayaks from the small fishing village of Puerto Cisnes, Chile. We were in search of three perfect snow-capped volcanoes. Our intention? To climb and ski these beautiful uncharted cones, sitting far and beyond some of the most intense rivers and pristine bamboo forests on the planet just waiting to be skied!!!

With three weeks of food and gear, we were ready for anything and everything! We had very little information about the area. The only thing we knew was that, 30km down the coast, there was a potential trail built years ago that was said to lead back to the first two volcanoes, Maca and Cay. We had no idea where the trail started. The third objective Mantolat was unclimbed, nestled deep in the thick of it. There was one thing we knew for sure; it was going to be raining a lot and we were going to have to give it our all we had if we wanted to be successful… Thank god for the hot spring we found!!!

After a week’s time, slogging through waste deep rivers, untangling ourselves and the skis on our backs from endless bamboo encounters with machetes, and sleeping in leech infested forests, we finally had to through in the towel on the whole expedition. Sadly, in the end it was a flooding river that caused us turn us back.

This is Patagonia… and this is why we love her so and keep coming back!!! You never know what you are going to experience around every corner. It will bring out one’s true nature and raw emotion. The landscape is constantly empowering you and inspiring you to be, to listen, to ask questions and yet keep going without question. It will harden you so much that you will cry out for courage and perseverance. A place where time stands still and the true essence of exploration is felt…