Thanks again for a memorable trip Since i didnt know much about Patagonia, I felt it was very helpful to have this tour operator organize the trip and book the hotels, buses, and W-circuit refugios. Everything went smoothly, except for the bus delay which I will explain below. The bus left at 8:30, but it did not arrive at Puerto Natales until 4:30, so I missed the 2:30 bus. There were no other buses leaving that day, so my choice was to either find a hotel and return to the bus station at 7:30 the next morning, or pay 80,000 Chilean pesos for a private bus. I asked if they would call the operator in BA, but they said they would not make an international call. I found a Chilean number to call, and they said they would contact you in BA. I did not have the funds to get a hotel room or pay for a private bus, so I thought I was going to have to spend the night in the bus station. Fortunately, you agreed to pay the 80,000 pesos for the private bus, which I am eternally grateful for, but it caused me several minutes of great stress trying to figure out how to get to Torre Central. The woman at the bus counter says the buses are always late, especially Cootra and they would not recommend using that bus service. In the future, I highly recommend NOT booking the two bus trips from El Calafate to Torre Central on the W-circuit in one day. I would have travellers spend one day in Puerto Natales and catch the bus to Torre Central the next day. I would have to say my opinion of this tour company would have been very bad if you did not agree to pay the 80,000 pesos for the private bus. I realize it was not totally your fault that I missed the bus, but one hour is simply not enough time to expect the first bus to arrive on time. My return bus trip from Puerto Natales to El Calafate did not arrive in El Calafate until 2:30, so expecting the bus trip to take 5 hours is unreasonable.
The itinerary was very good, and I appreciated the slightly easier walk on the day after climbing Scafell Pike. We were split into two groups of five due to Covid restrictions. Both groups had a mix of abilities and we preferred it from Day 3 onwards when the faster walkers were grouped together and able to go at a faster pace. Please consider offering a “Lake District part 2” holiday with the same hotel and guides but a different set of walks (still at the Moderate level). It was a perfect set up and I would love to return for more guided walks in the area.
We were so impressed with out tour operator team. True professionals with a high level of formal education in their various fields. Most were university graduates. They were so gifted in their areas of expertise and every single team member was helpful and kind. Being older clients we appreciated their assistance and they made us feel respected. Their respect for this Continent shone through too. Thank you all so much. We had the time of our lives ticking our 7th Continent off our Bucket List!!