Trip: Torres del Paine Big Circuit trip, January 2013

Hi Pedro,

 Just wanted to follow up and give you some feedback from our trek. As you probably know, we made it around on schedule. As usual a couple glitches, a bad knee, poles stolen, fear of walking 33k’s in one day, but fortunately all these things happened on the first day! The reason we had no more problems and were absolutely inspired the rest of the way was our guide, Julietta. She is an absolute gem, her capabilities as a guide were outstanding, her depth of knowledge on geology, glaciology, flora and fauna, and the delight she took in everything (she’s probably seen a million times) inspired us to get the most out of our journey around the circuit. Most importantly was her leadership, inspiring, versatile, caring, tough when required, and always there for everyone individually. As I am in the Leadership business myself, I know a special talent when I see it. Julietta is a great asset to you and anyone who is lucky enough to have her guide them around Torres del Paine and Patagonia.

 Thank you for sticking with us and our changing plans. Everything went off flawlessly. We did improvise on the track and grabbed a few rooms at Refugio Grey. I would recommend that as a strong option for others, as it is the nicest Refugio by far and everyone is pretty shattered after going from Perros to Grey. A bed, hot shower, and heated room really hits the spot at that point.

 Best wishes to you for a successful season,

 John Porter et al,
Australia

Trip: Ski Touring volcanoes, October 2012

Hola Mi Amigo, just a quick not to say thank you so much for a fantastic Ski Touring trip!! I had a great time, totally! You are a good man and run a good business. Please say hi to Claudia and Laura! Much affection! Timo

Tim Peterson, USA

Trip: Torres del Paine, Mountain biking, March 2012

Pedro.
Please give my very special thanks to Dario for the photo’s of our trip that he downloaded for me. The Mountain Biking trip in Torres del Paine.
My friends & I watched them last weekend on the TV & they were so good!

Many thanks!
Kind Regards
Fil Giles

S & T Lawyers

Trip: El Plomo, March 2012

Hi Pedro, everything ok?

Would like to thank you for everything, your especial attention, the organization… our experience at Mountains was amazing and certainly we will never forget.
Next time in Chile we will call you again to do other adventures at Andes.

Thanks again Pedro, have great times. we appreciate so much.
Best regards to you, Claudia and Jose.
See you.

Rafael and Raquel, Brasil.

Trip: Santiago – San Pedeo de Atacama – Bolivia, April 2012

Hello from Finland!

Time has flown fast since our journey to Chile and Bolivia. Again, we want to than you for taking a good care of us. The trip was great and all of us enjoyed it very much.
We are more or less convinced that we will come back Chile, maybe in 2013 and preferably to the Lake District this time.  And more trekking compared to this year’s trip. All of us have visited your website and noticed you have an interesting trekking tour option with lakes & volcanoes. Maybe that is something for us.
Anyway, thanks again and it was a pleasure meeting you all. Maybe we meet again…

Best regards to all of you from sunny Helsinki from
- Minna, on the behalf of also Sarianne, Tina and Hanna.

Trip: El Plomo, mountain trip, November 2012.

Grande Pedro!

That was great to climb the Plomo… you and the guide Rodney excellent “tutors” for a not professional mountaineer like me!!!!

Any visitor of this site, Pedro is a capable / reliable supervisor, he accomplished exactly every planned detail, I have learned a lot from this tour and I’ll be back again… may I also say excellent balance service per price? I particularly appreciated the real mountain eco-tourism style of Rodney, that’s the way to come across / over the 5000m… if you respect the mountain… the mountain respect you… and you are safe back home… alive!!

Viva Chile, hasta la próxima,

Mauro ITALY

Trip: Aconcagua (6,960m.), March 2010.

Dear Pedro,

Thank you for your excellent service and organisation of our Aconcagua expedition in March 2010. Shane and myself thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and there is no doubt that the your excellent planning and preparation ensured the greatest chance for us to make the summit. The expedition program was well thought out and designed to ensure that we were well acclimatised and ready for our summit attempt.
Making summit at 2.45pm on the 11th March, 2010 will be a moment that I will never forget. Unfortunately, Shane was forced to abort his summit attempt to take part in a rescue of another climber, but when we come back, we will be definitely looking you up.
Best wishes,

Darren Wise (Australia) and Shane Pophfer (Australia)

Trip: Torres del Paine, December 2010.

Hello, Pedro. The Torres del Paine circuit trek was excellent. We had very good weather and everything was very well organized. I had a great time in Patagonia. Thank you very much.

Jose was a great guide. Thanks.
Greg Foley, Idaho, U.S.A.

Trip: Araucania and Lake District Volcanoes and Torres del Paine Circuit, November-December 2010.

Hello Pedro,

This is a review by Phil Hage and Kathy Franzen of their Patagonia experience in Chile.

Phil and Kathy were two members of Larry Bieber’s group of 15 people in Patagonia from Jan 7 – 14, 2011.

Phil and Kathy found Julieta Canepa to be an outstanding guide. She was very well organized, personable and knowledgeable. In addition, Dario was excellent as her assistant.

First and most important, Julieta was always aware of each person’s needs. She kept those that needed physical assistance close to her or Dario. She stopped the group for periodic drinks/food and warned when the upcoming trail might require trekkers to wear more clothes or take layers off. This reflects the thorough knowledge she has of trekkers and the trails. Her experience as a teacher was very evident in how she was aware of the group as a whole and as individuals and her ability to prepare the group for varying situations.

Her knowledge of the area was deep and extensive. When asked where she obtained this thorough knowledge, she remarked that she read on her own initiative and listened to knowledgeable clients on her tours. In addition, Julieta is a marvelous cook! Having frequently backpacked in mountainous areas around the world, we know what an accomplishment her food planning and preparation involves.

She always put her clients first, such as making sure we were all well settled each time we arrived to new lodging before seeing to her own needs.

On top of all this, she remained calm and inventive throughout the disruptive time of the transport workers’ strike. She expedited our departure from the TP National Park in order to catch an early boat and made alternative arrangements for a van to pick us up. When the van could get no closer than 9 miles to Puerto Natales due to strike barricades, she, Dario and the driver planned an alternative approach that got us within 2 miles! She maneuvered our passage through the barricades by talking and creating a supportive approach so we could reach our hotel in Puerto Natales and later continued to assist us and many others in their efforts to leave Chile.

We would highly recommend Julieta and Dario for future guiding in the Torres del Paine National Park.

Kathy Franzen and Phil Hage (Australia)
(Memmber of group of 23 Australians traveling with Andes Mountain)

Trip: Araucania and Lake District Volcanoes and Torres del Paine Circuit, November-December 2010.

Hi Pedro and Claudia,

Our recent trip to the Lakes District and Patagonia that was negotiated between John Daly and yourself was a wonderful success and enjoyed immensely by me. Attached is another version of Feliz Navidad that might appeal to you. Thanks again and all the best for 2011 and forever.

Cheers, Ron OWEN (Australia)
(Memmber of group of 23 Australians traveling with Andes Mountain)

Trip: Torres del Paine, W Circuit, December 2010.

Dear Pedro ,

I would like to thank you very much for the organization of the W Circuit, December 2010.
Everything worked out. From the arrival in Santiago to Puerto Natales everything was 100 % !!!
A very special thanks for Ricardo, the guide. His knowledgeable of birds, animals, trees and mountains was amazing.
Ricardo was all the time concerned in giving the best time in Paines. His an outstanding guide and a exceptional human being.

Dino Camargo.
Brasil , W Circuit Paine, December 2010

Trip: Ski touring at Araucania and Lake District volcanoes, October 2010.

Ciao Pedro,

siamo arrivati bene in Italia. Giovanna non ha avuto problemi durante il volo.
Grazie ancora per la tua cortesia e assistenza durante la nostra bella vacanza in Cile.
Un caro saluto a Claudia, Gonzalo e Tobias.
Chissà che in futuro non si riesca ad organizzare un altro giro su altri vulcani sempre con gli sci!

Un abbraccio.
Guido e Giovanna. (Italia)

Trip: Torres del Paine Circuit, January 2011.

Hi Pedro, hi Veronica,

I want to thank you so much for the good organization of my trip to Torres del Paine. I enjoyed the circuit very much, thanks to Jose and Claudio, who were excellent guides and companions. There was not one unanswered question about flora, fauna and of course about geology and climbing in Torres del Paine after this great trip. Apart from that they made wonderful avocado-sandwiches and it was a pleasure to cook and eat together in the tent at Perros Campsite.

You are a great team of very friendly and competente people!! Keep on!!

Nadine Gilbert.
Germany.

Trip: Torres del Paine Custom trip, January 2011.

Hola Pedro,

I want to thank you VERY MUCH for the way you worked with us to put our trip together and for all assistance. Your guides were outstanding. I can’t say enough good things about Julietta. As I’m sure you know from feedback from other groups, she is marvelous. The “extra” services such as wine and cheese with our refugio meals was really appreciated.

It has been a pleasure working with you.

Your friend, Larry, USA

Trip: Torres del Paine Circuit and Tenerife peak, Patagonia, March 2007.

Dear Pedro,

I want to thank you very much for looking after me so well in Patagonia. The circuit trek was absolutely amazing and so well organised – there is nothing that you could have done better. The endless food and wine was delicious and quite unexpected – I´ve never experienced anyting like it on a trek before.

Felipe was an exceptional guide and made everything run smoothly and in a very relaxed way – he was also fabulous company and very knowledgeable about the geography and wildlife of the place, which made the trek even more rewarding.

I especially want to thank you both for looking after me so well after the trek. You are extremely generous and made my whole experience of Patagonia more amazing than I ever expected.

You´ve inspired me to make sure that I return to explore more of Chile and I will definitely be recommending your company to everyone I know.

Have a great winter and I hope to see you again on my next trek in Chile.

Virginia Winter, “Ginny”, Australia

Trip: Torres del Paine, five days tour, December 2005.

Dear Pedro,

It’s been a while now since our trip with you between Christmas and New Year but we wanted to thank you again for the perfect 5 days in Puerto Natales/Torres del Paine.

It was lovely to meet you both and we hope that you enjoyed our company too. Thank you also for your advice for the rest of our stay in Chile. We had a great time in Chiloe and really enjoyed Valparaiso – Vina del Mar too – We even managed to find the shop with the best empanadas which you recommended to us when we were waiting at the airport!

Simon & Katie, Manchester – UK

Trip: Torres del Paine Circuit, Patagonia, December 2006.

I traveled to Patagonia on my own in December 2006. I had wanted to go backpacking in the Torres Del Paine national park for years, but I had never had the opportunity. Suddenly I was leaving my job and would have time, but no one to travel with. After researching on the Internet, the group that seemed best for what I wanted to do was Andes Mountain Expediciones. I emailed Pedro Marzolo, who sent me detailed information immediately and helped me to organize every aspect of my trip.

Pedro had confirmed that my group would be small. My biggest fear was being in a “tour group” in the mountains. In fact, it ended up being just me with my guide, on this incredibly beautiful yet challenging hike. My guide agreed to my request that we speak Spanish the whole time, and tolerated with a smile my very poor language skills. It was like having a week of Spanish lessons, as well as geology classes with details on the formation of the mountains, the types of plants, trees and flowers and the history of the region.

What I liked most about Andes Mountains Expediciones is that they take care of every detail so that you can tailor your trip to your abilities and desires. I wanted to camp every night and hike as much as possible. We got between 6 and 11 hours of hiking daily! In spite of sometimes challenging terrain and weather, I never felt in danger and David carefully helped me through the tough spots, including at times carrying my pack over river crossings and other tough spots. Andes Mountains Expediciones adds nice touches like wine almost every night, pisco sours one night, hot food every dinner and most breakfasts, plenty of snacks, etc. In addition, they will provide a porter (included in the price) for those that don’t want to or can’t carry a full pack and provide housed accomodations many of the nights for those who really don’t want to camp the whole time. So you can adjust the trip to your own desires and abilities. It’s a top notch organization.

Torres del Paine is a beautiful park with incredible glaciers, granite mountains, dense forests, enchanted valleys, wildflowers, wildlife, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, etc. I found myself uttering “wow” at the breathtaking views throughout the trip. The terrain is generally hilly and at times very steep, but the distances are very manageable. The refuges around the park are staffed with warm, friendly people. The food is generally delicious (although admittedly you’re so hungry and tired of peanuts and raisins that everything feels gourmet) and the hot showers and flush toilets redefine camping in a very positive way.

I had a fabulous time and am impressed with the whole crew of Andes Mountains based on my several interactions. The guides are well informed and very competent and attentive. The organization is well-run. My experience was better than I could have imagined and I will go back at my nearest opportunity to do more trekking in the Andes. They have number of other tours, including mountaineering. It’s hard to imagine anywhere being as beautiful as Torres del Paine, but I’m excited to find out.

Ashley Fieglein,
San Francisco, Ca – USA

Trip: Torres del Paine W Circuit, December 2000.

My experience was terrific. We took a great trekking trip through Torres del Paine a few years ago, and we got all the necessary assistance from the Andes Mountain staff.

As they are re ally prepared to all kinds of trips around the Andes area, we were comfortable as we went receiving all the guidance and material needed for the trip. They had everything set up and all the bookings, campings and further logistics were fully complied. We had a great time and the people from Andes Mountain were all very nice and helpful, what made the travel a great and recommendable experience.

Rogério Domene,
São Paulo – SP – Brasil

Trip: Torres del Paine, five days tour, March 2006.

Hola Pedro,

Queríamos darles las gracias por todo, estuvo de verdad genial y todo muy bien coordinado y organizado y nuestro guia nos pareció un excelente compañero, mas que un guía, de verdad quedamos muy contentos. Yo me sentí muy bien, el ultimo día me canse un poco mas con el trayecto en el Barco y todo, pero luego de dormir todo bien, siento que el cambio de aire le hizo muy bien a la guagua, y pese a los cambios de temperatura no me resfrié ni nada.

Maria Isabel Figueroa;,
Santiago – Chil

Trip: El Plomo (5,430m.), Central Andes Mountaineering, March 2007.

Dear Pedro,

Indeed I enjoyed the trip with Fernando very much.

After the quick decision switching over to a mountaineering trip after my business activities in Santiago I could enjoy the accompanying and guiding of Fernando. We had a great time when approaching the El Plomo – unfortunately the weather was not with us so we had to return. Fernando showed me other places of the Andes in the Santiago area into Maipo Valley – it was really beautiful.

Also the help when renting and buying equipment locally for a reasonable price was very helpful.

All over it as a fantastic week – Thank you!

Ulrich Huber
Cologne, Germany

Trip: Torres del Paine, January 2009.

Ciao Pedro!! eco…sono tornata a Maniago…e ti dico che una parte del mio cuore ho lasciato nella meravigliosa Patagonia. E’ stato tutto bellissimo e emozionante, ho visto i posti incredibili e ci voglio tornare. Volevo ringraziarti tantissimo, e anche Veronica che l’ho trovata molto, ma molto profesionale., praticamente e stato tutto perfetto e questo vi fa molto onore. Grazie di tutto e spero che in qualche modo potro ricambiare il grandissimo favore che mi hai fatto.

Vesna Belavic,
Croacia.

Trip: Torres del Paine, Five days tour, February 2006.

The five days Torres del Paine tour which I booked in your agency was a great success in total for my wife and me. The main argument for spending 4 weeks in South America was to visit the Torres del Paine mountains.

The tour was very well elaborated, long enough and one could see the most beautiful views of the area. Also accommodation and food were all right. It was clear for me, that the success of the tour will depend very much on the weather conditions which are changing very fast in this area.

The weather was relatively good, I feared that it will be worse. But decisive for the success of the tour was the excellent guidance. All his proposals and decisions were perfect, very punctual and precise. He is very knowledgeable of all aspects of this area and he is unique in his personality. We never make group tours or guided tours and organize all our trips by ourselves. Therefore we were very happy with him. It can be not an easy matter to be together only with the guide for several days but it functioned very well and we had lot of good discussions. Also the hotel in Puerto Natales where we spent two nights was perfect and the staff was very friendly. Even when we came back very late from our tour we were offered a warm meal at night. You should tell it to the people of the hotel.

In summary I can say that I got good value for the money.

Gerhard Haberzettl,
Germany

Trip: Yerba Loca Valley, Central Andes, Santiago.

I was sent on a last minute business trip to Santiago. AME was more then willing to work with me to put together a customized backpacking trip to fill up the weekend during my stay in Santiago.

They were very accommodating and made the entire experience very pleasant. What probably stands out the most is the food that Pedro prepared. It was made with fresh ingredients, not the standard dehydrated backpacking food I am used to.

A year later I still get cravings for the chicken and pasta dish that was served.
I wouldn’t hesitate to book another trip with AME.

Dave Weaver,
USA

Trip: Torres del Paine, Five days tour, February 2007.

Andes Mountain Expediciones is the best in trekking through Chile.

They are very experienced and knowledgeable and make your trip great with their warm and generous personalities. Our guide through Patagonia was interesting, fanny and very professional. In fact we changed our plans as we want along and some how made it work. The best trek that I never had.

Richard and Allison Rowe, USA

Trip: Torres del Paine, W Circuit, February 2007.

Hi Pedro,

Thank you for a great experience in Torres del Paine! Andes Mountain must be the optimal choice for a trip like this, so well organized and the wonderful AME team who took care of us and everything. They are really warm and friendly people with responsibility and also a lot of fun! Torres del Paine is certainly one of the most beautiful and magic places on earth, and thanks to our guide Andres and the other people we enjoyed every moment. The mountains and the lakes (especially Lago Nordenskjöld, named after our countryman…) were more beautiful than anyone can imagine, and we were lucky with the weather that was sunny and clear. So we want to thank you Pedro and Andres, Veronica and everybody! We had a great time.

Best regards from

Metta & Per,
Sweden

Trip: Tupungato (6,500m.), Central Andes Mountaineering, February 2007.

Ciao Pedro,

come va? tutto bene ?

Bhè, ti dirò che per me è stato doppiamente diffcile staccarmi dal Chile, avete una terra bellissima e siete un bel popolo, gente serena vera e sopratutto ancora attaccata alla qualità della vita. Poi ho visto una nazione in forte crescita e questo vi fa onore e merito per quello che siete.
Il resto lo conosci, siamo stati entusiasti e contenti, ma sopratutto felici che tutto sia andato bene e questo anche grazie ai tuoi servizi e collaboratori per nostro gruppo di 14 Italiani.
Ho voglia di tornare sulle vs montagne, ma sarà per salire qualche parete e cimentarmi su itinerari diversi dal Tupungato, quello su pareti.
Un saluto un bacio e abbraccio a tutti i tuoi ragazzi, Alejandro, Fernando e a tua cognata Moira.
Buon lavoro e a chissa, alla prossima spedizione o avventura.

Moreno Bertossi

Club Alpino Italiano, Sezione di Tolmezzo, Udine, Italia.

Trip: Torres del Paine W Circuit and Los Glaciares, November 2006.

I thought Torres Del Paine was amazing and Marco was a fantastic guide. We thought that his knowledge of the area which we would not have gained if we had gone by ourselves (flora and fauna) was the main benefit. Similarly, our guide in Argentina, in El Chaltén was always informing us about the surrounding nature. For example he spotted a male and female “Carpintero Negro” at very close range!

We strongly recommend Andes Mountain Expediciones ….
Great value for money!
Nick Bernabe,
UK

Trip: Torres del Paine W Circuit, December 2008

Dear Pedro

I had a fantastic time in Torres del Paine. I have not sufficient words to express my pleasure with Felipe’s competence, understanding and professionalism as a guide. Here are a few examples:

Felipe offered to carry my backpack the last 500 m to get to the top the first day in the park. He also carried my backpack all the way back to the hostel, so I could concentrate on putting my feet in the right positions.

When we reached the top I felt that our pleasure in getting me to the top was a shared feeling of pride and happiness. It was great!

The following days I was happy to carry my own back and to manage the fantastic trekking tours we had. Felipe supported me whenever I had problems with my balance on streches which were difficult for me. I felt very safe and in competent company with him.

Felipe is so knowledgeable of flowers, bird, animals and trees and I feel very priveledged to have been in the company of such professionalism. I am short for words to express my gratitude to him for giving me a world class tour.We made numerous stops to study the wonderful flora and fauna and every time we stopped I felt we shared a love for what we saw and experienced: The wind, the magnificent mountains, the condors (we saw 30 at a close range) the pumas (we sawe 4 – FOUR – crossing the road right in front of us. I could go on forever.

I am also touched by Felipe’s caring for giving me the best time possible. Again a small – but to me – an important detail. On the bus back to Punta Arenas from Puerto Natales he had made sure I would sit in the opporsite side of the bus from going to Puerto Natales. In that way I had a new experience which I appreciate very much.

To me Felipes intelligence in relating to other people is unique (Harvard professor Howard Gardner calls it the inter personal intelligence). To me it added to the value of the tour becaurse I felt I was a part of a team of two and I could always rely on him to help me, if needed.

When arriving in Punta Arenas Felipe met me in the airport and I was thrilled to learn that I was the only one doing the trekking tour with him. In this way it was poassible to individualize the trekking tour. I think the planning of the tour is perfect and being the only participant we could make all the stops, we wanted – which we did!

In short THANK YOU for a WORLD CLASS EXPERIENCE

Sincerely yours

Kirsten Gibson
Denmark

Trip: Mountaineering Ojos del Salado (6,890m.), Atacama Desert, February 2006.

Hi Pedro,

Thanks for your trip to Ojos del Salado in Atacama Desert.

Edgar Huber

Unterpremstätten – Austria

Trip: Volcanes Lascar – Licancabur – Parinacota (6,230m.), Atacama, Octubre 2007.

Hola Pedro,

Ya estamos de nuevo en nuestros trabajos y nuestro itinerario por Chile.

Estamos muy contentos de lo bien que nos salió lo del norte. Yo con el Licancabur ya me conformaba pero tambien hemos hecho el Parinacota y es techo para nosotros. El ultimo era en Nepal hace 15 años. Como ves mejorando con el tiempo, como el vino. Consegui no vomitar en Atacama a 5000m con la altura y no marearme en el barco en nuestro viaje a Patagonia. Cuanto mayor, mejor. A la vejez viruela. Haciamos muchas risas con el asunto de la edad, Ricardo cumple 49 años esta semana y se pone camino de los 50….

Ya te comentamos pero también estamos muy contentos de vuestra organización y con Fernando, el guía. Daremos vuestras referencias a todos los que estén interesados.

El fin de semana hemos estado en nuestro Pirineo. Ya han caído las primeras nieves y esperamos como locos el inicio de la temporada de esqui.

Un abrazo.

Ricardo Uribesalgo y Maria Begoña Mendieta.
San Sebastian – España.

Trip: El Plomo (5,430m.), Central Andes Mountaineering, November 2003.

I climb mount El Plomo with the assistance of Andes Mountain Expediciones.

Thanks to my mountain guide Marco guided me up El Plomo.

Jim Ryan, writer of the book Aconcagua – Highest Trek in the World

Jim Ryan
UK

Trip: Torres del Paine Circuit, Patagonia, November 2004.

Pedro,

Our tour of the Torres del Paine circuit with Andes Mountain Expediciones was one of our truly memorable family trips. The scenery was breathtaking, and your accommodations were marvelous.
Jairo is a wonderful cook, an experienced guide, and a pleasant traveling companion.
As a result of your careful planning of logistics, our trip came off without a hitch.
We all thank you for a wonderful trip.

Hilda, Martina, Dennis
Dennis Buss
Texas – USA

Trip: Tupungato (6,500m.), Central Andes Mountaineering, December 2005.

I would highly recommend Andes Mountain Expediciones for anyone planning a trip to climbing Chile. They handled the permits, the transportation, and numerous other details of the trip promptly and professionally. Pedro, who we never did get to meet, was always very prompt in returning our MANY e-mail questions while planning the trip and was very knowledgeable of the area.

Gonzalo, who we worked with most, was very friendly, professional, and willing to bend over backwards for us.

Less Moore
Fort Collins, Co. – USA

Ken Wodowsky
Fort Collins, Co. – USA

Trip: Mountaineering Ojos del Salado (6,890m.), Atacama Desert, December 2006.

Hola Pedro q tal??

Yo esperando q nieve, como dios manda, en nuestras montañas, porque para hacer esqui de montaña, esta jodido.

Bueno, comentarte q la expedición estuvo súper bien. Fernando y Alberto son cojonudos, dos tipos que puedes irte con ellos al fin del mundo. Nos lo pasamos en grande y todo estuvo perfecto. Lástima que Josep no pudo hacer cumbre, estuvo un tiempo desmoralizado, pero ya lo ha superado. El programa propuesto por Fernando, que seguimos al pie de la letra, es perfecto para el proceso de aclimatación.

Sin más, gracias y un cordial saludo.

Gabi.

Gabriel Villalonga Lorente

Barcelona, Catalunya, España

Trip: Torres del Paine, 5 days tour, March 2009.

Pedro,

I just wanted to thank your group, and especially our guide-Julieta, for an OUTSTANDING trip of a lifetime. I can’t believe all the things we saw and experienced in just 5 days. Everything was top-notch and more than expected. Julieta was great at making sure everyone had a great time- from providing the great sandwiches to healing some blistered feet- she made our trip the best experience!

I will be recommending your services to some of my friends and hope to make another trip in the future myself.

Thanks again!

Ryan Carron
Tampa, Florida, USA

Trip: Mountaineering Ojos del Salado (6,890m.), Atacama Desert, November 2007.

Ciao Pedro,

Ci dispiace di non averti salutato il giorno della nostra partenza.

Ti invio i saluti e i ringraziamenti. Il viaggio in Cile nel deserto, lagune, altiplani è stato bello. Peccato ancora per la cima.

Tante grazie e saluti a tua moglie a Fernando, Lolly, Sebastian e Jan Pierre. Se uno di voi viene in Italia venite a trovarci.
Il rientro in Italia tutto ok, qua nel nostro paese ora sono circa 0/- 5 gradi non è ancora molto freddo e abbiamo la neve a 2000 metri.
Ti invio una foto delle nostre montagne, io e Giulio a 3700 metri con gli sci alpinismo.

Ciao e ancora grazie a tutti.

Orianna Moreschini e Giulio Pretti
Cogolo di Peio – Val di Sole – Trentino – Italia

www.hotelortles.it

Trip: Torres del Paine, W Circuit – Sea kayak and Los Glaciares, February 2007.

Caro Pedro è un grande piacere risentirti. Noi stiamo bene e siamo contenti di sapere che anche per Te e per gli altri è tutto OK. Sono già passati due mesi dal nostro viaggio in Patagonia ma il ricordo è ancora così vivo che ci sembra di stare lì con voi in quella terra così splendida e così selvaggia.Le parole non possono esprimere quanto ci sia piaciuta la Patagonia, le sue montagne, i suoi ghiacciai,i suoi fiumi e le sue grandi solitudini. E’ stato grazie a Te e a tutto il tuo Team che abbiamo potuto godere pienamente di quanto la natura patagonica aveva da offrirci. Grande professionalità, amore per il proprio lavoro e per la propria terra, estrema gentilezza e disponibilità sono solo alcune delle qualità che abbiamo riscontrato in tutte le persone del Team di Andes Mountain che abbiamo conosciuto.

Un grande Grazie per averci permesso di realizzare questo splendido viaggio e se in futuro decideremo di tornare in Patagonia certamente faremo riferimento alla Andes Mountain!!

Un grande Saluto a Te e a tutti gli altri.

Andrea Spaccatini ed Elisabetta
Italia

Trip: Torres del Paine, W Circuit, March 2005.

Hi Pedro, I hope you are well.

Liz & I would like to say how much we enjoyed the trekking with you & to recommend your services to anyone who is looking for a customized itinerary.

Your planning & execution of the trip was perfect for us & you always seemed to adjust your walking speed to accommodate not only the views but to our comfort!

Of course the most beautiful place on earth for a backdrop probably makes your job a pleasure too!!
Liz & I have also contacted Lonely Planet to make sure they continue to recommend your services.
Feel free to contact us if we can help other people appreciate your services.

Best Regards

George and Liz Stockman
Australia

Trip: Ojos del Salado (6,890m.), Mountaineering trip, December 2008

Hi Pedro. Thought I would tell you I had a great time in Chile despite getting a little roughed up the last day at Atacama due bad weather. Fernando was a great guide and a very nice young man. Cristobal from Spain was a good friend travelling with me from Laguna Verde down to La Serene to Vina del Mar and on to Santiago. Merry Christmas, Mike.

Michael Farmer,
Canada

Trip: Torres del Paine, W Circuit, December 2007.

All your arrangements worked very well and Felipe was a fabulous guide who made sure we saw all the various and diverse plants, trees and animals in the park as well as looking after all our needs during our stay in Chile.

Felipe was very well supported by Iban who was both very friendly and helpful as well as carrying a large amount of equipment!

Phil Sparrow and Rachel,
Netherlands

Trip: El Plomo (5,430m.), Central Andes Mountaineering, March 2008.

We had a great experience working with Andes Mountain Expediciones in Chile. We traveled to Cerro Plomo and attempted to climb the Iver Glacier route in March, 2008. But Pedro (Sr. Marzolo) was very helpful long before we arrived in South America. He provided helpful information to us quickly and helped us plan our trip. We received knowlegeable and personalized assistance.

My husband and I have been climbing high angle snow in the Northwestern US for a number of years, but we appreciated having a knowledgeable guide with us. Our guide was very familiar with the mountain and was as much of a language and cultural guide as a mountain guide. We would enjoy a return trip and recommend working this group of guides!

muchas gracias!

Ann Griffin and Lee Shaver,
Portland Oregon, USA

Trips: Tupungato Base camp – Torres del Paine Circuit – Lake District volcanoes. March 2008.

Hi Pedro!

First, we would like to thank you again for everything you did for us during the 5 weeks we were in Chile.

We normally like to make all our own arrangements for a hiking trip, but, not knowing much Spanish, nor being able to get as much information on the basic logistics of outfitting ourselves as I would have liked, and never having been to

South America before, we decided to opt for some assistance. We did, however, have a good idea of where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do in Chile, although there is always more than is described in the guide books.

On the other hand, the travel booklets of well-known North American and UK tour companies seem distressingly similar to a “fast food” menu. And in talking to some of them, it became clear that they usually subcontract the work to a local company anyway. Lonely Planet’s “Trekking in the Patagonian Andes” listed Andes Mountain Expediciones as one of the best Chilean guiding companies, especially as they are active in all parts of the country. It made sense to contact them directly.

We exchanged 4 e-mails within 24 hours and arranged 3 back-to-back segments in different parts of Chile: 7 days to Tupungato Base Camp, an 11 day circuit of Torres del Paine, and 16 days in the Lake and Volcano district, including 5 volcano ascents, together with all the internal flights. For the Torres del Paine segment, we joined an already-booked group of 6 others, but for the other two segments, we were the only clients.

We had not expected to be offered such personalized arrangements, but as we came to learn, this is how Andes Mountains operates. The company is owned by Pedro Marzolo, an accomplished mountaineer who, for the last 10 years has been providing a very high quality service to small groups of clients (2 or more). The guides who work with him are equally perceptive, attentive, knowledgeable and accommodating. [eg: I had never been on glaciers which still cover the tops of some of the volcanoes. Although we were all harnessed and roped together, and undoubtedly very safe, the prospect of another 200m of elevation on a 45 degree ice slope was more than I wanted to do. No problem – we descended to a flatter part of the glacier, where Pedro and Filipe found us a friendly cravasse and for the next two hours showed us how to rappel down and climb back up with ice axes, so that we would be more comfortable with the next volcano!

The entire 5 weeks went like clock-work, and in retrospect, it would have made no sense at all not to have been with Andes Mountains: Police/military permits are required to access the road leading to the starting point for Tupungato, and gear is carried by mules, both of which have to be arranged well ahead. Torres del Paine itself is accessible but supplies for an extended backpack are heavy: Andes Mountains arranges for most of that to be brought by horseback at one end, and by boat at the other ( we needed only to carry clothes and sleeping bags), and in the Lakes District we likely would not have known about various places: neither the private nature reserve of Huilo-Huilo near Volcan Choshuenco, nor the ECO lodge base camp of the Volcan Sollipulli, nor would we have had a 4 X 4 vehicle to get there! And, of course, it takes time to arrange these things oneself when you are there.

There is, of course, much more to tell about how well we were looked after. We can be reached at erica.kent.phillips@gmail.com and will be happy to reply.

In summary:

- You can deal directly with Andes Mountains Expediciones. There is no need to go through an outside “tour-broker” for the sake of dealing with a more familiar entity.

- Andes Mountains will likely be able to offer and arrange itineraries that you may not find formally offered elsewhere, for small groups.

- You will have a superb level of service.

Erica Phillips, M.D. & Kent Phillips, Ph. D.
Ottawa, Canada.

Trip: Aconcagua (6,960m.), December 2008

Dear Pedro

We would like to say thank you very much for the organization of the Aconcagua expedition. Everything worked out without any problems and we had a phantastic time in a wonderful part of the world. From the arrival in Mendoza until our arrival in Santiago.

Mountain guide Gonzalo is a very knowledgeable, nice and hard working guide. He made our positive experience happen.
I wish you and the Andesmountain team a successful 2009 and hope to see again on another trip to South America.

Best regards,

Gerhard Wenger (Switzerland)

Trip: Aconcagua (6,960m.), December 2008 – January 2009

Dear Pedro,

Let me thank you again for a marvelous organisation of our trip to the summit of Aconcagua in December/January 2009.

There were really couple of elements which had to fit and they all did!

First of all we had an exceptional guide, Rodney Gonzales, a real mountain professional, whose fantastic energy, calm, sense of humour and friendliness never let us down. To be honest, I doubt we would succeed without him on this trip…

Secondly, the service provided in Confluencia and Plaza de Mulas have been perfectly chosen. The whole team delivered the best service and did everything to let us “enjoy the mountain” as they used to say

If asked, I would recommend your company to anybody who plans to climb “la cumbre” of Aconcagua.

Thank guys, you do a wonderful job!

Tomasz Smaczny
Poland

Lake District and Torres del Paine trip, February 2009.

Pedro

Julia and I would like to sincerely thank you for arranging such fabulous trips for us.

Everything went really smoothly.

We wrer thrilled by your arrangements for our Lakes District trip.

The hotels you selected for us were perfect. The Marina del Fuy was new and clean and a real surprise. We were very well looked after and did walk up to visit the other Huilo-Huilo hotels and found their architecture really stunning.

The Monteverde Hotel was also a gem – run by very friendly people – and in a convenient place.

The Andes Crossing trip went brilliantly – we had perfect weather and very much enjoyed the experience.

The Bariloche hotel was similarly extremely good – new, clean, great facilities, a fantastic breakfast and again very friendly people.

Thank you for engaging Julietta as our guide for the Torres. She is an amazing, highly intelligent, young woman who was an extremely competent and professional guide. She continually displayed an high level of knowledge of geology, birds, plants, animals and the natural history of our surroundings and this made our trip so much more interesting. Nothing was too much trouble for her. She made us brilliant lunches. We really appreciated her encouragement for Julia to enable her to reach the foot of the Towers. (This was an important goal that she had been training for.) We would highly recommend Julietta.

We really enjoyed the trek you arranged – it fitted in perfectly with our schedule and fitness capabilities. The little hotel in Puerto Natales looked after us well and we appreciated having Miguel as our driver – he also did an excellent job.

It was especially nice to meet you in person. We heard nothing but the highest praise for your organisation and I was very impressed by how you are respected by your employees and how loyal they are to you.

I will certainly recommend your services. I know you do excel at organizing guided trips. However I did find it extremely helpful when you arranged our self-drive Lakes trip. I think that there could possibly be a good market for future arrangements of this type, especially in the current economic climate. Would that be something you would offer in the future?

Thank you again.

Please let me know if there is any way I can be of help.

Sincerely

Paul

Paul Zimmerman,
Australia

Trip: Aconcagua (6,960m.), January 2006

Ciao Pedro. Ti ringrazio per aver trasmesso a Jairo i miei saluti.

I giorni trascorsi sulla Cumbre resteranno per sempre nel mio cuore.

Ti faccio i miei migliori auguri per i tuoi progetti

un’abbraccio

Luciano (Italia)
(member of Claudio Schranz group)

Torres del Paine Circuit and Fitz Roy area, March 2009.

“First of all, Felipe was a fantastic guide and companion.

He has an excellent functional command of English including humour, which fitted well with my perverse / black Australian sense of humour. Because we were together so long, this was most important.

He also has good broad knowledge of plants, birds and of course the mountains including the history of climbing, which made the trek more interesting. He was also very interested to learn from me as a geologist aspects of the geology of Torres del Paine which I had read about in some detail — so in future he will be able to make some comments comments on the 12 million year old granite laccolith that forms the core of the Torres and the metamorphosed black rock that caps the Cuernos and Nido de Condor. studiedread about in detail and the metamorphosed black rock that caps the Cuernos and Nido de Condor. The granite “pumped up” the overlying rocks into a huge “pimple”, but the granite did not quite burst out to form a volcano — crystallisng instead at depths of 2 to 4km below the surface.

Felipe is a good careful driver — handling the rear-wheel-drive van exceptionally well on the narrow gravel roads — as well as being a safe and sensible driver on the open highway. As an Aussie, I am used to gravel / dirt roads and remember how you have to be very careful with rear WD (I now have an AWD Subaru — much safer).

I enjoyed the wine & pre-dinner snacks and Brownies very much.

Graham Bradley, Australia.

Trip: Ojos del Salado (6,890m.), December 2010.

Buenas Pedro. Me alegra volver a saludarte.

Mi experiencia con Andesmountain fue magnífica, tanto por la organización en todos los niveles de la expedición (logística, transporte, comida… Por cierto, la comida estupenda), como por el personal que nos acompañó, pues además de cómo guías, yo los recuerdo ahora como amigos. De hecho, ya he hablado de vuestra agencia a muchos colegas españoles y dos buenos compañeros con quienes escalé el Elbrus el verano pasado me pidieron vuestra dirección para intentar el Ojos este diciembre. Saludos.

Miguel Angel Navarrete. España.

 

Trip: Torres del Paine Circuit, Patagonia, January 2008.

We had an absolutely wonderful trek on the circuit around Torres del Paine due, in large part, to our terrific guide. He was professional yet very personable, very knowledgeable and very willing to share his knowledge, and generally just a really good guy that was fun to spend a week with. I would highly recommend any trip with Andes Mountain Expediciones.

Daniel N. Recht,
Denver · USA