On the first night of the Dientes de Navarino circuit in Chilean Tierra del Fuego, I burrowed into my sleeping bag in my tent perched on the banks of the alpine Laguna del Salto. When I peered outside, I saw an opaque gray sky and a jagged, silent landscape dusted with snow from the blustery weather. As I yanked my hat down to cover my ears, I noticed a feeling I鈥檇 never had on a backpacking trip before: I was burned out.

I鈥檝e planned and executed dozens of backpacking trips, including a solo hike of the Colorado Trail. Usually, at the end of a tough day of hiking, I鈥檓 tired but still motivated to complete the adventure.

But that night on the Dientes de Navarino circuit, I felt different. We鈥檇 only hiked seven miles with about 2,500 feet of vert that day, but a late afternoon start, relentless wind, and zero visibility had limited our progress. While pushing through crappy weather wasn鈥檛 anything new for me, that night I felt a deeper level of exhaustion seep into the more profound layers of my being. It was emotional fatigue, a lack of that fiery determination that would usually get me through the discomfort and dread of icy days ahead in these mountains at the end of the world.

I shouldn鈥檛 have been surprised. I鈥檇 been running my life as a tight ship, traveling vigorously and working remotely for the previous year. I鈥檇 spent six months exploring Mexico from Jalisco to the Guatemalan border, then a summer in the Southern Hemisphere, traveling through Chilean and Argentine Patagonia and completing several multi-day hiking trips.

Managing my mobile lifestyle felt increasingly overwhelming. Deep in the Chilean backcountry, I began to crave stability and consistency. But I stubbornly maintained a vice-like grip on the vision of doing and seeing as much as I could on my way down to Tierra del Fuego before I needed to return to the U.S. for a family wedding. I gave myself periods of respite here and there, like a couple of months in Santiago and a month in the Argentine Patagonian town of , but I was beginning to realize these well-intentioned stints weren鈥檛 sufficient to soothe my scattered and travel-wearied soul.

Yet, every time some part of me whispered to stop, I ignored it. I simply could not turn away from the unbelievable luck I felt I had, having the opportunity to spend four months in one of the best hiking regions in the world during peak season. Making it down to the bottom of the Americas felt like a tantalizing adventure I couldn鈥檛 let go of.

My travel approach is usually centered around seeking the unsought. I was looking for remote, almost unheard-of trails, which is how I came to discover the Dientes de Navarino circuit one night in my apartment in Santiago, reading through the last hidden corners of my guidebook. When Google returned a scant few results about the trail, I knew I was on to something.听

In , Charles Darwin鈥檚 journal of his navigation around the Americas in the 1830s, he describes with awe the 鈥渟avage magnificence鈥� of Tierra del Fuego. One glance at the spiked peaks jutting into the somber gray sky, and it鈥檚 easy to understand why. The Dientes de Navarino mountain range, or 鈥淭eeth of Navarino,鈥� so called for its jagged namesake peaks, is located in the Fuegian Andes on Navarino Island, one of the last landmasses before Antarctica. This small island is ever-so-fragmented from the main island, Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, with Cape Horn directly to its south.

To arrive at Navarino Island, visitors must take a plane or 150-mile overnight ferry across the Magellan Strait from Punta Arenas, the entry point to Tierra del Fuego and the last city on the mainland before the terrain collapses into a network of glacier-covered fjords and islands. I arrived at the 3,000-person town of Puerto Williams, Navarino Island鈥檚 hub and the southernmost settlement in the world.

The island鈥檚 Dientes circuit is a remote and wild 27-mile route that circumnavigates the Dientes peaks with 7,000 feet of elevation gain, running through perpetually damp and cold subantarctic forest past lagoons, craggy boulder fields, snowy summits, and a variety of endemic trees, mosses, and lichen.

It鈥檚 challenging, principally due to badly maintained or nonexistent trails over rugged terrain and unpredictable, severe weather conditions. A single day in high summer can include anything from blue skies to snowstorms and violent subpolar winds. It鈥檚 difficult to plan your trip around good weather because of rapidly changing forecasts. Route finding is fundamental鈥攁nd stressful. The way forward is often indiscernible, with trail markers like signs, cairns, and ribbons, few and far between.

Each of these factors wouldn鈥檛 be as daunting on their own, but put together, they can make for a formidable challenge demanding constant caution, forcing sometimes painstakingly slow progress when conditions are bad.

Of course, it was this guaranteed adventure that I could not resist. The fact that very few people I had met on my travels in South America had heard of the Dientes de Navarino mountain range told me I was headed to the right place. I spoke to anyone I could along my way who knew about it, and spent my evenings crammed into hostel bunks all over Patagonia, scrolling endlessly through hikers鈥� trip reviews on . I decided to roll into town and see who else was planning to hike the trail.

On a clear summer day in January, I arrived at my friendly hostel in Puerto Williams. Shortly thereafter, I received a WhatsApp message. 鈥淗i! I got your number from AllTrails!鈥�

(Weeks past, I had left a comment on the trail鈥檚 AllTrails webpage looking for hiking companions.) The woman who had messaged me was named Lisa. She was 26, from the Netherlands, and had recently embarked on a solo hitchhiking odyssey through South America. A savvy hiker who had completed many long-distance backpacking trips, I liked her spunk and fearlessness. After talking through logistics, we agreed to team up and tackle the trail together.

The day of our departure was gray and blustery, nothing like the glowing recent trip reports of gorgeous weather, which in this part of the world is a blessing seldom enjoyed. During the first few hours, we walked a pleasant path through the lush Fuegian forest, the darkness and cold giving the landscape a melancholy, gloomy quality. Eventually, the gusts and snow picked up, and once we broke above treeline heading up to the first of the circuit鈥檚 four passes, the rest of the day was a white vortex. We finally got to our campsite on the banks of spire-framed Laguna Salto.

There, in my sleeping bag that first night, I felt the oppressive weight of my type-A ambition bearing down on me physically and mentally. I felt devoid of motivation. I knew I was wildly fortunate to be sleeping in this otherworldly landscape, but, for the first time, I felt smothered by the months of constant motion. The captain of the Beagle, the ship Charles Darwin navigated around the Americas, said that the oppressively somber weather in Tierra del Fuego was such that 鈥渢he soul of man dies in him.鈥� His words, to my surprise, resonated.

I could鈥檝e decided to turn around the next day and go back, but I didn鈥檛 want to abandon Lisa, and I also couldn鈥檛 bear to walk away from my goal. So I continued.

I endured three more days of an unrewarding suffer-fest. The morning of day two, navigating a slippery, icy rock face along the ridge up to Paso de los Dientes, staring down the sheer drop into the depths of the frigid Laguna del Paso below, I sunk further into mental fatigue.

My surroundings were as wild and gorgeous as I ever could鈥檝e wanted, but I was weary and depleted. At one point, coming down the steep descent from that pass, I slid and fell in the mud. The weight of my pack lurched me forward, and I hit my knees on the sharp rocks sticking out of the forest floor. I burst into tears, more from the shock and emotion than the pain itself.

I knew in that moment that I was ready to listen to myself and take a break.

But I had to complete the hike first. Lisa and I put our heads together to hunt down precious trail marker after trail marker as we tramped through the miles of muddy peat bogs and twisted dwarf forest under the gently falling snow. Her zeal and upbeat attitude, even through the most unpleasant moments, kept me from descending further into a pit of negativity.

On the third day, we began our ascent up 2,800 foot Paso Virginia, the biggest pass of the circuit. We moved past the treeline and entered the alpine tundra. As we gained more elevation, the weather conditions deteriorated. We began to move farther away from the last flat, semi-protected patch of ground in view and headed through the boulder field toward the gray void above. It occurred to me that my extremities were as numb as I had ever felt them. My hands and feet burned and tingled so painfully that I could barely move them. I had been wet since the day before due to the constant precipitation and complete lack of sunshine, but it didn鈥檛 become an issue until we gained more elevation and hit worse weather and lower temperatures.

With so many unknowns ahead of us and with such poor visibility, I told Lisa we should pitch our tent to warm up for a while in that last flat spot before moving on. I wanted to stay for the night and let the snowstorm pass, but she reminded me that the weather would probably get even worse that night; coming down the other very steep side of that pass in fresh snow the following morning could be dangerous. We chose to forge ahead.

Arriving at the top of Paso Virginia, we peered down to find a heart-stoppingly steep scree slope down to the valley. A few ginger first steps into the loose jumble of small rocks, sand, and snow soon felt like skiing through gravel.

We made it down the pass and set up camp at the bottom just as the snowstorm started intensifying. My pack, which had always been totally waterproof in the climate back home in Colorado, had soaked through. This left my sleeping bag barely dry enough to keep me warm. I was cold and wet. Lisa offered me her extra dry clothes.

Miraculously, the next morning we woke up to civil, temperate weather that had caused the snow to mostly melt while we slept. I pulled on my icy trail runners with exhaustion, but also relief for the weather shift and excitement that we were so close to leaving this experience behind.

The biggest hurdle we had remaining was to work our way through the rest of the forest for the next few hours until we hit cow pastures, which would signify our proximity to civilization. Even though this last stretch was all downhill, it wasn鈥檛 easy.

The original trail had long since been dammed and flooded by beavers, which had arrived in the 1940s after a disastrous idea by the Argentine government to start a fur trade. The lack of natural predators created a population explosion that has since led to waterway disruption and trail destruction, pushing us into the dense forest surrounding the original trail.

After a few hours of bushwhacking, we broke through the last of the beech forest and caught sight of the Beagle Channel stretching out in the distance. Looking out at the lumpy green cow pastures that indicated the last couple miles of trail, I felt a rush of relief.

As we emerged from the trail, we approached a quiet country road. We plopped down and waited for someone to drive by that might take us back to town.

Olivia James is 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别鈥檚 former newsletter producer. She writes about travel and health from Buenos Aires. Spending parts of her childhood in Asia ignited a love for adventure, which has led to her solo traveling and living in Latin America since 2018. You can follow her travels on her , and stay tuned for more of her stories for us at 国产吃瓜黑料, to come.

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With more than 18 million acres of public lands and the lowest population density of any state in the United States, Wyoming has room to roam鈥攁nd then some. The variety of landscapes across the state can鈥檛 be beat. Picture: rugged mountains, dense forests, deep canyons, mesmerizing badlands, and blue-ribbon rivers. There鈥檚 something for every kind of adventurer, which is why Wyoming was the perfect setting for an outdoor adventure challenge.

Here鈥檚 how it went down: Last summer, three teams of Ford Bronco ambassadors set out to explore Wyoming as part of an adventure-fueled competition. Each team put their outdoor skills to the test on some of the best mountain biking, rock climbing, fly-fishing, and cultural spots across the state鈥攁ll in the name of keeping Wyoming wild. And to help protect and share these amazing places, the Bronco Wild Fund donated $70,000 to nonprofit organizations aligned with the spirit of the challenge. Of course, 国产吃瓜黑料 caught all the action on camera. Watch the full series here. Here are a few highlights from the teams鈥� big adventures鈥攁nd how to take advantage of Wyoming鈥檚 wild side yourself.

Mountain Biking

Thanks to a growing mountain biking community and a wide variety of bike-friendly terrain, you鈥檒l find plenty of options for . Check out all the places where the Wildly Wyoming teams hit the dirt.

Central Wyoming

Once almost exclusively known in the outdoor community for its climbing, Lander has become a hot spot for downhill adventures in the high desert. Just outside of town, offers 12 miles of beginner to intermediate trails. Pedal through scrubby sagebrush and a forest of pinyon pine with views of the Wind River Range to the west.

Closest town:

Where to camp: Popo Agie Campground

Rentals and repairs:

Northern Wyoming

Can鈥檛 decide if you prefer rides with forest or desert vibes? offer the best of both worlds on a variety of multiuse trails. Check out the 10.6-mile Bench Trail, which starts out with a forested downhill section and then challenges riders with an uphill pedal through a desert canyon.

Closest town: Greybull, Wyoming

Where to camp: Shell Creek Campground

Rentals and repairs:

Western Wyoming

Of course, you could hit up the lift-serviced Jackson Hole Bike Park when you鈥檙e in the Jackson area. But if you鈥檙e out there to earn your turns, head to . You鈥檒l find plenty of public access trails with varied terrain for all levels on the forest鈥檚 3.4 million acres.

Closest town:

Where to camp: Kozy Campground

Rentals and repairs:

Rock Climbing

Looking for beta on the best ? The state is home to iconic climbing locales in the Tetons and the easily recognizable Devil鈥檚 Tower. But there are plenty of lesser-known places to explore. The Wildly Wyoming crew did just that.

Central Wyoming

For an unbelievable assortment of routes, check out Sinks Canyon State Park. The climbing here caters to everyone from true beginners (with routes as approachable as 5.6) to experts looking to challenge themselves (routes up to 5.14c). As for rock variety, Sinks Canyon routes offer a mix of sandstone, limestone, and granite for climbers to explore.

Closest town:

Where to camp: Popo Agie Campground

Guided climbing:

Looking for an adventure-climbing experience? Head to Fremont Canyon. Carved by the North Platte Rivers, the gorge isn鈥檛 light on scenic views. And the granite walls left behind after centuries of erosion make for fun climbing opportunities, with a nice mix of beginner sport routes and challenging trad climbs up to 5.12.

Closest town:

Where to camp: Cottonwood Beach Campground

Guided climbing:

Northern Wyoming

For beginner- and intermediate-friendly sport climbing, head to Steamboat Point. With 16 bolted routes鈥攚ith a maximum rating of 5.10鈥攖he Steamboat Point crag is a great place to sharpen your skills and build confidence鈥攁nd the scenery isn鈥檛 too bad either. Enjoy sweeping views of Cloud Peak Wilderness and Tongue River Canyon from the wall.

Closest town:

Where to camp: Tongue River Campground

Guided climbing:

Fly-Fishing

With 27,000 miles of rivers and streams, there鈥檚 no shortage of amazing . Not sure where to start? Check out the fishing hot spots that made the Wildly Wyoming cut.

Central Wyoming

For drift-boat fishing in central Wyoming, the North Platte River is the place to be. Spend the day on the water catching rainbows, browns, and cutthroats on the only floatable waterway in this part of Wyoming. Of course, you can always opt for waders or fish from the shore too.

Closest town:

Where to camp: Pete鈥檚 Draw Campground

Guided fishing:

Western Wyoming

In the western part of the state, the New Fork River is a top choice for fly-fishing. Rent a boat for the day to float the river as it winds through sprawling meadows and past sagebrush-covered banks. Don鈥檛 let the scenic views distract you from the prize鈥攖he river is filled with trout.

Closest town:

Where to camp: Slate Creek Campground

Guided fishing:

Northern Wyoming

Looking for a hidden gem where you鈥檒l have the river to yourself鈥攐r close to it? The Wyoming section of the Bighorn River is a lesser-known fly-fishing spot that鈥檚 brimming with rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout.

Closest town:

Where to camp: Doyle Campground

Guided fishing:

is the last bastion of the West, where bold, independent and curious spirits are encouraged to forge their own way to adventure both big and small. Discover museums, state parks, rodeos, breweries, national treasures and more as you make your way across the Cowboy State. Come to Wyoming and experience our majestic nature and abounding culture for yourself.

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Am谩nda Efthimiou told her story to producer Sarah Vitak for an episode of The Daily Rally podcast. It has been edited for length and clarity.

It was really up and down. I was depressed, one moment, anxious another. I took all kinds of pharmaceutical drugs. Not only are the side effects ranging from nightmares to my libido being super low, but I was feeling really disconnected from my body and the wisdom of my body.

I’m in Tijuca National Park in the jungle of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. I grew up in New York, the United States, to Brazilian and Greek parents, and I have very strong ties to Brazil. I am a psychedelic wellness advocate and integration educator. I help people to integrate transformational experiences that they have in altered states into their daily lives.

Growing up, I was a walking pharmacy, so to speak. I took SSRIs, anti-anxiety pills, sleeping pills, to help with and manage the symptoms of depression and anxiety that I had.

I was suffering for many years, and I was also quite young. I was finishing high school, going through my university years, and still navigating what I wanted to be in the world and who I wanted to be in the world. I was also taking a bunch of pills, and I wasn’t in my body in that process. That was very difficult.

For example, I remember in my freshman year of University I had a boyfriend. We were in this love bubble, but I was so out of it. I feel like I almost don’t even remember the details of my relationship. The medication numbed the highs and lows of a human experience of love.

And so there was this moment when I was finishing college, and I was about to go traveling, and I was like, I want to be fully present when I’m traveling. I want to be fully immersed. I’m already on the path of weaning myself off of antidepressants. I’ve been working with a psychiatrist to do so. It’s not that I just decided to go cold turkey.

So I went traveling, and I basically went overland, starting in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, in Argentina, all the way up to Quito, in Ecuador. And I did most of that overland, over a period of eight months. It was incredible. There’s so many different topographies鈥攖here’s desert, there’s mountains, there’s beach, there’s salt deserts, there’s jungle.

I see other cultures and how they take care of themselves. I’m seeing how these cultures are working with plant-based medicines, natural medicines to help themselves, even if they’re feeling pain or if they get stung by a mosquito. They’re working with plants to help them get well. And so I was really curious about that. How come we don’t do that where I grew up in New York?

In Peru I heard about psychedelic wellness for the first time, and I knew at that time I wasn’t ready, but that trip changed my life. It opened up my whole world.

I went back to the US, and I met this incredible community of people that were doing things differently. They have an alternative way of living. They were always talking about how they were feeling, and that’s what I wanted to be more in touch with. Not be in my head and not push aside the uncomfortable things that were coming up, and actually embrace them and make them part of me, so that I would grow and become wiser and better.

So when they expressed that they work with plant-based medicines, psychedelic, non-psychedelic, all forms of plant-based medicines, I wanted to try it. I was super scared. I was so nervous. But, even though I was nervous, I was ready. And I had no idea what was going to happen.

I had a profound ceremonial experience that essentially opened the door.

It wasn’t easy, not in the beginning. It was these cyclical moments where I was in my body and not in my body, but when I was not in my body, I was observing myself. I was observing all the things that were happening in my life. So there were a lot of conversations with myself, but in different ways so that I had all these different perspectives. And it’s also conversations with nature, with animals and plants that exist within you, because you are nature, nature is you. So there’s also this very deep, profound sense of unification of one with the world and the environment.

I was having a conversation with myself outside of my body, and then I would come right back into my body. And so when I came back, I came with all these tools and tricks and ideas to help arm me to become more myself. It gave me even more confidence in my body. It was this affirmation of the sacredness of my being in this world, like I am meant to be in this world. My body exists here now. Many people have this when they’re actually in near death experiences, but we don’t have to go there. It’s such a gentle, beautiful way to do that.

When I entered, I thought, It’s gonna be cause and effect. I’m gonna do this experience and I’m gonna get well. But what it really did was start me on that path, because this by no means a cure, but it showed me the rest of the paths that I didn’t even know were there.

Only months later did I realize that that moment is what increased my capacity to feel more. I was starting to feel everything, all the emotions, all the sensations. It was like a rocket ship to transformation. It showed me that I really had what it takes to uncover the root causes of my issues, and not just take a pill to treat symptoms.

Trust yourself. Take a moment to close your eyes and breathe, and just feel you for a bit in silence. What, who are you? What do you feel like? What does your body feel like? For many of us, we can’t even access that.

So if anyone wants to even try something like this, just start with a deep trusting of your own body and coming into it. And then when you go and you work with plants then it’s deeper. It’s much deeper.

Am谩nda Efthimiou is the founder of Integra, which designs programs for hospitality retreat centers and wellness facilitators focusing on altered states and transformational experiences. She also serves as a director at El Puente Foundation, which bridges Indigenous wisdom within modern psychedelic applications.

You can follow听The Daily Rally听on听,听,听, or wherever you like to listen. and to be featured on the show.

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For the first time since before the pandemic, the door to South America, the Andes, and the ultimate bucket list of the August ski vacation is open. The experience of ditching the dog days of summer for some Andean descents, Chilean wines, and Argentine steaks is a must-do鈥攁nd now is the time. The snow is really stacking up down there this season, with Portillo and Valle Nevado receiving around 30 inches of freshies just this week.

Ready to book your ticket but not sure where to start? Ski areas in South America are scattered along the flanks of the Andean cordillera, from Chile鈥檚 capital down to the very southern tip of Argentina. We鈥檝e highlighted a few of the largest, easiest to access, and most notable resorts out of the bunch. Lift ticket prices can fluctuate during different parts of the season and sometimes day of the week along with currency exchange rates鈥攂ut even then, tickets are still dramatically cheaper than at North American resorts. Here are our picks for some of the Southern Cone鈥檚 brightest stars, and well-worth ditching those sweltering summer days.

• Highest lift-served elevation: 10,860 feet
• Vertical drop: 2,745 feet
• Number of runs: 35
• Number of lifts: 14
• Skiable acres: 1,235
• Average annual snowfall: 260 inches
• Day lift pass: $48 USD

It鈥檚 not the biggest, but is the most legendary ski area in the Andes for good reason: You will find nothing lacking, least of all the skiing. The iconic canary yellow hotel welcomes travelers to the high (or alta) cordillera, boasting skiing for everyone鈥攕teeps for freeriders, exhilarating groomers for World Cup racers, and scenic pistes for genteel schussers.

Related:

Don鈥檛 miss the classic Lake Run or the Roca Jack, a multi-person platter lift commonly referred to as a slingshot that鈥檚 unique to Portillo鈥檚 steeps. Kiddos (and big people!) will enjoy skiing through an actual train tunnel. Lunch and a beer in the sun at Tio Bob鈥檚 is a must-do, as is a relaxing evening with a pisco sour in hand at the Portillo Bar.

Both on and off the hill, you鈥檒l find a vibrant, joyful surfeit of international ski bums and upper-crust ski culture crammed happily into a few isolated buildings and some of the most glorious ski runs in the world.

• Highest lift-served elevation: 12,038 feet
• Vertical drop: 2,657 feet
• Number of trails: 39
• Number of lifts: 14
• Skiable acres: 2,200
• Average annual snowfall: 276 inches
• Day lift pass: from $57 USD

This classic, family-friendly South American ski area and international destination resort is about 40 miles from the airport and Chile鈥檚 capital city, Santiago鈥攂ut a 90-minute drive thanks to a harrowing two-lane access road that switchbacks up into the alpine. On arrival, you鈥檙e welcomed by a series of hotel buildings perched on a scenic alpine plateau along with wide-open ski runs as far as the eye can see. Slopeside hot tubs and sunny decks beckon for apr猫s libations and fantastic people watching.

For the adventurous, borders two other interconnected ski areas, El Colorado and La Parva (see below), which together with Valle Nevado have become known as the Tres Valles. Buy a multi-area ticket to access all three resorts and a combined 7,000 acres of skiable terrain.

• Highest lift-served elevation: 10,934 feet
• Vertical drop: 1,912 feet
• Number of trails: 101
• Number of lifts: 14
• Skiable acres: 2,300
• Average annual snowfall: 300 inches
• Day lift pass: from $54 USD

It鈥檚 not that big, despite the number of named pistes relative to its neighbors, but like Valle Nevado, offers loads of wide-open, fun shredding options鈥攁nd if the backcountry is your jam, excellent out-of-bounds access as well as a maintained inbounds snow park.

• Highest lift-served elevation: 11,909 feet
• Vertical drop: 3,150 feet
• Skiable acreage: 2,471
• Number of trails: 20
• Number of lifts: 14
• Average annual snowfall: 300 inches
• Day lift pass: from $42 USD (prices are lower Monday-Thursday)

A (semi) under-the-radar favorite of freeskiing pros (stars such as have chosen to hold freeride camps here), La Parva offers fun above-treeline skiing, and a bounty of exciting hike-to backcountry terrain. It also has fewer international visitors, giving it a boutique insider鈥檚 feel.

• Highest lift-served elevation: 7,200 feet
• Vertical drop: 3,300 feet
• Skiable acreage: 1,350
• Number of pistes: 20
• Number of lifts: 13
• Average annual snowfall: 360 inches
• Day lift pass: From $45 USD

For skiers who want to get off the beaten path鈥攍ike a few hundred miles south of the capital鈥攖his snowy ski resort boasts thermal hot springs, unforgettable mossy glades, and plentiful powder. Less dramatic than the alta cordillera near Santiago, here cone volcanos and old-growth forests provide a magical feeling. And did we mention hot springs? After all, it鈥檚 at the base of an active volcano.

Bonus: Chillan offers cat skiing, and adventurous skiers should head for the large swaths named 鈥淎rea Freeride,鈥� while beginners enjoy the 鈥淪nowy Forest鈥� area. Soak in the thermal water park at the base. Four miles below the base area and hotels is the sleepy little town of Las Trancas, with hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, and where most local skiers live. Unlike many South American ski areas, which don鈥檛 have local ski communities, you鈥檒l run into a local vibe here.

• Highest lift-served elevation: 6,725 feet
• Vertical drop: 3,280 feet
• Skiable acreage: 1,500
• Number of lifts: 34
• Average annual snowfall: 240 inches
• Day lift pass: $76

Catedral is often considered the best ski resort in South America, and for good reason. It鈥檚 got featured steeps like the Zona la Laguna, epic treeskiing in the Zona Second Lomo, and wide open groomers. Park skiers can head to the Triple Park. The surrounding mountains are jaw-dropping鈥攖he abundant spiky granite spires gave Catedral ( or 鈥渃athedral鈥�) its name.

The base area has lodging, restaurants, and apr猫s spots. Best of all, it鈥檚 just seven miles from the small, bustling city of San Carlos de Bariloche, which is easy to fly right into from Buenos Aires. Set on the shore of Lago Nahuel Huapi, this glittering little city is the epicenter of a strong, century-old tradition of alpinism and skiing brought over by Central European immigrants. It鈥檚 also known for wine, steak, meat, chocolate, and ice cream, but don鈥檛 forget to check out local favorite and brewpub, Cervecer铆a La Cruz.

• Highest lift-served elevation: 11,253 feet
• Vertical drop: 3,904 feet
• Number of trails: 27
• Number of lifts: 14
• Average annual snowfall: 250 inches
• Day lift pass: from $48 USD

Las Len茫s is a legend in the world of freeskiing. It鈥檚 the kind of place that鈥檒l make you yawn at , swear off , and never toss another dime to commercial heli skiing. It鈥檚 lift-accessed glory with Andean vistas you鈥檒l never forget鈥攁ll above treeline and pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

If it鈥檚 not too windy or socked in, head to the Marte chairlift for big freeride lines. If that lift isn鈥檛 running due to weather (which happens often), try Cenidor off Caris lift, or skier鈥檚 left off Vulcano lift to Mercurio and Paraiso. There鈥檚 a lot for kids to do too, with gentle base area runs and groomers. The base area is typical: a few hotels, a small casino, and some restaurants (get breakfast at the Innsbruck). Nightlife consists of one option, but when you have the UFO Point disco, you don鈥檛 need more.

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I can鈥檛 remember the last time I spent more than a few days exploring a single destination, let alone weeks. Now that it鈥檚 2022, I鈥檓 stockpiling my time off for fewer, longer excursions. I can鈥檛 imagine a better way to get that feeling of travel immersion again than with this 11-day trek across northern Patagonia, alongside 国产吃瓜黑料+ members and 国产吃瓜黑料 readers. I鈥檓 most excited for the region鈥檚 newest park鈥擯atagonia National Park鈥攚hich I first learned about from this amazing 2018 feature by 国产吃瓜黑料 contributing writer Stephanie Pearson. The Patagonia trek is one of a collection of exclusive trips created in partnership with travel outfitter Modern 国产吃瓜黑料, and on each inaugural journey, you鈥檒l be joined by a member of our editorial staff. From November 11 to 23, I鈥檒l be with you to experience a part of Patagonia few ever do, including the iconic jagged peaks of Cerro Castillo, the cerulean waters of the Baker River, and a series of stunning, lesser-known national parks. Come join me! 鈥擡rin Riley

Chile: Northern Patagonia

Guest 国产吃瓜黑料 editor: Erin Riley, senior travel editor

Inaugural Trip Dates (with Erin): November 11鈥�23, 2022 | Price: $6,600 | 国产吃瓜黑料+ price: $6,400

Additional Trip Dates (without Erin): February 4鈥�16, 2023 | Price: $6,200 | 国产吃瓜黑料+ price: $6,000

On the list of time-颅honored destinations, Patagonia, with its glacial peaks whittled into fantastical spires, ranks at the top. 鈥淚 count Chilean Patagonia as a dream-list trip and can鈥檛 wait to share trekking days with the group on this all-time classic,鈥� says Erin Riley, who oversees 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 travel coverage. Deciding which corner of the 400,000-square-mile region to see can be challenging, so Modern 国产吃瓜黑料 sorted that out for you.

You鈥檒l start in Ays茅n, in northern Patagonia, where towering peaks, raging rivers, and national parks spread out across one of the country鈥檚 least populated areas. This 11-day itinerary samples the dramatic landscapes of two of Chile鈥檚 lesser known parks, with a day of rafting the Baker River to round it out. You鈥檒l hike anywhere from three to ten miles per day and sleep in guesthouses, panoramic domes, and backcountry base camps. The adventure begins near the town of Coyhaique, about a thousand miles south of Santiago, with a 10.5-mile trek into 554-square-mile Cerro Castillo National Park. You鈥檒l then cross over 4,265-foot Pi帽贸n Pass and ascend through forests to camp under the hulking basalt walls of 7,605-foot Cerro Castillo. Ditch your pack for a quick jaunt up to New Zealander Camp, a base for climbing expeditions, before heading down to a hot meal and a cozy room in Villa Cerro Castillo.

Be on the lookout for old gaucho camps as you make your way to General Carrera Lake, which at 1,923 feet is the 11th deepest in the world. After crossing it by ferry, you鈥檒l trek into the new ten-million-acre Patagonia National Park, created by Kristine and Doug Tompkins. (Doug cofounded the North Face in the 1960s and adventured throughout Patagonia with his friend Yvon Chouinard.) At the end of the trip, celebrate in the town of Chile Chico and feast on delicious barbecue. Oh, and that dark spot you saw in the grass on day six? That really was a puma. 鈥擳im Neville

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Anyone who harbors fantasies about life on Mars听should visit Kachi Lodge, a surreal colony of luxury domed pods. They鈥檙e set in 叠辞濒颈惫颈补鈥檚听Uyuni salt flats, the largest on earth, which stretch for more than 4,050 square miles near the nexus of Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. At the base of the 17,000-plus-foot Tunupa volcano, the six suites and central dining and lounge dome were designed by Amazing Escapes, a Swiss company that specializes in once-in-a-lifetime outings鈥攖hink sleepovers at Khmer temples in Cambodia and James Bond鈥搕hemed parties in Thailand. Bolivia, long known for its soaring Andean peaks, is experiencing a cultural and culinary renaissance.

At Kachi, Amazing Escapes dialed it up to eleven, partnering with legendary La Paz restaurant Gustu to provide Bolivian-inspired meals (like llama tartare), using a self-sufficient water system powered by the sun, and displaying work by avant-garde artist Gast贸n Ugalde. Inside, the domes have hemp cushions and are softly lit by lanterns. 国产吃瓜黑料, excursions include mountain-biking and hiking the slopes of Tunupa. During the wet season, the lake bed fills with water, and guests can paddleboard across the flats. Meanwhile the Bolivian altiplano, one of the world鈥檚 highest plateaus, harbors fascinating archaeological history: visit the pre-Columbian site of Alcaya, or peer in on mummies in a cave above the village of Coquesa. Once you turn in, the Red Planet and southern constellations wink at you in the night sky.

Access: Book with 听for the 45-minute flight down from La Paz to Uyuni. Kachi will send transport for the 60-mile drive to the lodge. Domes start at $1,980 for a two-night-颅minimum stay, all-inclusive.

Weather: The dry season runs from May to November, the wet season from December to April. September generally offers blue skies and bright sun, with daytime temperatures in the low sixties. The lodge is open year-round.

Detour: Attend one of the country鈥檚 many festivals. During November鈥檚 Fiesta de las 脩atitas (鈥渓ittle pug-nosed ones鈥�), some 20,000 people descend on La Paz鈥檚 main cemetery, where they parade skulls they believe will bestow blessings.

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Venturing听beyond the allure of Machu Picchu, Rhythms of Peru听from director 听features a look at the sights and sounds of this eclectic country.

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Welcome to Barra!听

It might not be as storied as Rio 鈥檋oods like Copacabana and Ipanema, but Barra da Tijuca is one of the city鈥檚 swankiest. It鈥檚 being called the Heart of the Games by organizers, because it鈥檚 home to the Olympic Park.听

The Numbers听

The housing complex at the Olympic Village is made up of 31 buildings with 17 floors each, split into a variety of two-to-five-bedroom apartments. It seems spacious, but it must accommodate 11,000 athletes and 7,000 sup-port staff.

Last-Minute Tune-Up

A vast training center is equipped with almost 1,000 strength and cardio machines, and a nearby clinic houses a cryotherapy, massage, and rehab facility big enough to treat 100 athletes at a time.

Try Again

Rio already had a velodrome before it won the Olympic bid, but the UCI declared it unfit for competition. The construction company hired to build a new one declared bankruptcy 67 days before the opening ceremony, however, making it one of the last venues to be completed.

Throwback

The , where the gymnastics and wheelchair听basketball events will take place, is one of only two venues in the Olympic Park that predate the 2016 Games. Built for the 2007 Pan American Games, it has hosted NBA events, UFC bouts, and concerts by Iron Maiden and Miley Cyrus.

For the Children

The , or Future Arena, where the handball and goalball competitions are scheduled to be held, will be dismantled and transformed into neighborhood public schools.

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Puc贸n, a town of about 22,000 situated halfway down Chile鈥檚 spine, is the Southern Hemisphere鈥檚 Jackson, Wyoming. It鈥檚 perched in the mountains and offers endless outdoor options. The key difference: Puc贸n is surrounded by a group of active volcanoes, the most famous of which is 9,341-foot Villarica, a popular destination for trekking and backcountry skiing that blew its top last March. The eruption momentarily scared off travelers; that, combined with the arrival of shoulder season, makes this the perfect time to head south.

Stay at , a sprawling adventure resort on the banks of the Liucura River. The place was opened by former Swiss banker Michael Paravicini in 2014, when he and his wife decided to switch continents and start over. His first step was to buy riverfront property (smart); his second was to hire head guide Edgardo Songer, who spent 18 years leading trips for the iconic (smarter).

Once you arrive, you鈥檒l have your pick of adventures鈥攅specially in the Chilean spring, from September to November, when there鈥檚 snow up high and roaring water below. Want to work your thighs? There鈥檚 a 12,393-foot volcano to climb up and ski down. Want to catch fish? Pluck a fat brown trout from the Liucura, out the hotel鈥檚 back door. Want more adrenaline? Take a raft down the raging lower Trancura River, where, says Paravicini, 鈥渢he chance you will fall off the boat is really high.鈥� Want to keep it mellow? The hotel operates its own organic farm; help out with the day鈥檚 chores for the full farm-to-table experience. Whether you pitch in or not, you will be treated to multicourse meals sourced from the property, served with Chile鈥檚 justly renowned red wines.听

Plan Your Trip

Access:听Fly LAN to Temuco, 90 minutes north of Puc贸n, where Vira Vira staff will pick you up. From $1,650 for three nights, .

Weather Report:听64掳 high, 40掳 low in October

Detour:听Borrow a mountain bike from the lodge for a 20-mile ride through to soak in the 106-degree Geometricas hot springs.听

Indulge:听This is red-meat country. Tackle an enormous slab of beef like a real huaso鈥攁 Chilean cowboy鈥攁t in town.

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