Figuring out Patagonia’s complex logistics requires the help of an outfitter. DEPARTURES traveled the region for 17 days with San Francisco–based Geographic Expeditions (800-777-8183; geoex.com), which for 34 years has specialized in taking travelers to hard-to-reach locations. (The founders were the first Americans to trek Everest’s North Face Base Camp, in 1981.) The company is an ideal choice for an out-there destination because of its risk-management program, with security and emergency assistance built into every trip.
Kate Doty and Becca Glatz, who handle VIP clients through GeoEx’s Premier Access division, worked with us on our itinerary. The company’s custom, basic 11-day Patagonia trip—which includes Torres del Paine, El Calafate, and Perito Moreno Glacier—begins at $9,770.