Tahe Outdoors Patagonia Austral Expedition 2015


At the end of September, three people with a huge passion for adventure trips will be kayaking to the end of the world. The objective of their expedition is to open a new route between Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas, the biggest cities in the south of Patagonia in Chile.

Not only will they have to kayak the distance of 500 km through the magnificent fjords and the Strait of Magellan but also undertake two very tough 5 km portages deep in the snowy mountains. The route combines glaciers, rivers, lakes, mountains, valleys, fjords and open plains.

The team will be made up of Mauricio Alarcón (Chile), Alex Albornoz (Chile) and Arek Mytko (expedition leader, Poland).

Arek has previously led many expeditions such as a solo crossing of Rio Parana (2,000 km), sea kayaking from the Pacific to Atlantic Oceans (1,500 km), or crossing the Strait of Magellan and Beagle channel (500 km) and has published many articles for outdoor magazines accompanied by their tremendous photos.

Both Mauricio and Alex have guide experience including kayak and mountaineering. They have extensive knowledge of the flora and fauna of southern Chile, specifically of the Patagonia region.

There will be three different kayaks: a Zegul Searocket, Zegul Arrow Empower and the Tahe Wind 585 made by Tahe Outdoors company, tested in extreme conditions. With their huge load capacity the team can carry all the necessary gear and food, especially so with no civilization between start and finish.

Patagonia is famous for its unpredictable and changeable weather as well as its strong winds that have been known to reach up to 100mph. A typical day might see wind, snow, rain and warm sunshine in any order and in any combination.

The traverse line of the Tahe Outdoors Patagonia Austral Expedition 2015 lies at a latitude of 51-54°C, placing it in the notorious zones known as the Furious Fifties. This area is known for it violent westerly gales, caused when warm air from the equator meets the cold air travelling north from Antarctica. These winds swirl across the southern hemisphere from west to east with very few land masses to slow them down, making them much more potent than similar winds in the northern hemisphere. 

After the expedition Arek, Alex and Mauricio will be publishing their feature for the Paddler ezine and making expedition movie to present it on various outdoor festivals.

SPONSORS
Tahe Outdoors: www.taheoutdoors.com – kayaking equipment
Trujillo: www.trujillo.cl – food
Cascade Designs: www.cascadedesigns.com – camping equipment
Selk`n – www.selkn.cl – outdoor cloths
FoxFoto – www.foxfoto.pl – photo video equipment