Patagonia trekking trip, Torres del Paine and Fitz Roy client testimonials

Kerstin Seibert, February 2010
Torres del Paine Circuit
Barcelona, Spain / Nüremberg, Germany

...ein Muss für alle Wanderfreunde und Naturliebhaber! Ich hatte mich für den gesamten Circuito entschieden zum einen der sportlichen Herausforderung wegen und zum anderen um nicht nur die Touristenattraktionen Torres , Cuernos und Grey abzuhaken sondern auch den entlegeneren Teil des Parkes zu erkunden. Was ist dafür also besser geeignet als ein Trekkingveranstalter der Wert auf kleine Gruppen und individuelle Betreuung legt!? Auf Empfehlung einer Freundin setzte ich mich mit David in Verbindung und erfuhr von Anfang an per Email seine Hilfsbereitschaft. Während des Trekkings kümmerte sich David nicht nur um alles Organisatorische, sondern bereicherte meine Reise zusätzlich noch durch seine unglaubliche Kenntnis der Flora & Fauna, Geschichte, Politik, Kultur ... Chiles im Allgemeinen und Patagoniens im Besonderen. Darüber hinaus hatte ich das Glück die ganzen 10 Tage des Trekkings schönes Wetter zu haben – alles in allem ein tolles Erlebnis an das ich noch lange zurück denken werde.
Laura y David, muchas gracias por todo!

… obligatorio para los amantes de la naturaleza y del senderismo! Había decidido hacer todo el circuito por una parte porque me llamaba el reto deportivo y por otra parte porque no solo quería cumplir con las atracciones turísticas como son las Torres, los Cuernos y el glaciar Grey sino también quería descubrir las partes más remotas del Parque. Para realizar esta aventura no hay nada mejor que un guía de trekking que tiene como objetivo ofrecer un servicio personalizado en grupos pequeños. A recomendación de una amiga me puse en contacto con David y experimenté desde el principio su buena disposición. Durante el trekking David no solo se encargaba de la organización sino también enriquecía mi viaje con sus increíbles conocimientos de la flora y fauna, historia, política, cultura… de Chile en general y de la Patagonia en especial. Además tuve la suerte de tener buen tiempo durante los 10 días de trekking. En resumen fue una experiencia fantástica.
Laura, David, vielen Dank für alles!

Walter Grymek, January 2010
Torres del Paine W, Fitz Roy and Perito Moreno Glacier
New Britain, CT USA

I did not know about Dittmar Adventures prior to finding them on internet. At the first contact with Laura I felt very comfortable dealing with her. It felt as I had known her for a long time. Laura was FANTASTIC arranging our custom made trek both to Argentina and Chile. Her advice and patience helped us to get something better that we were planning originally.
I am trekking for many years of my life and I have been all over the world. I have done it on my own, and with various adventure travel companies. Having this perspective I may state with certainty that Dittmar Adventures is a high class operation being small makes it even better.
We were group of 4 from USA and Switzerland and all very experience trekkers. Our trek around El Chelan/Argentina was self guided. Transportation and accommodations were all arranged by Laura/Dave. Before trek, we all met in El Calafate (including Dave′s mother and cousin which was very nice), got maps and were briefed about trails and which to choose based on weather situation. Everything was perfect in spite the fact that we got a good size storm coming down from viewing Cerro Torre. Next day was sunny and trek to the base of Fitz Roy turned out to be better than perfect.
On Chile side we had a full board service. Trekking alone is OK but having a local person gives another perspective to a trek. We appreciate Dave′s leadership. We hiked the "W" and on the 2nd day one of participant developed a knee problem. Dave was able to rearrange guides on a fly and take troubled friend thru different route which helped his knee to recover.
In addition to trekking we spent a few days in Buenos Aires. Laura arranged hotels and transportation from/to hotel, from/to international airport and from/to domestic airport. Everything was flawless both on arrival and return.
I am very satisfied customer. I plan to get a few folks and return to complete the full circuit of Torres del Paine.
Laura, Dave and all in Dittmar Adventures, thanks for the great experience. Good luck to you all and keep doing what you are doing.
La Montana esta llamando. Viva la vida!

Walter Grymek

Frederieke Wolter, December 2009
Torres del Paine W, Self–guided trip
Netherlands

Before we left I must be honest that I was a bit afraid if everything was okay. And I had paid so that made it even more risky. But now I am really happy I have choosen for you and we had a wonderful time in El Calafate and in Torres.
The vouchers were no problem at all (at Grand Paine they had not registered our reservation at first, but this was no problem as the voucher was okay) and we were on time at our flight the 12th (walk-boat-bus-bus risky thing).
We also met some people without reservations and they really had a problem, so again we were glad we had beds in the refugio's.
Thanks again
Frederieke & Jenny

John Scott, November 2009
Torres del Paine extended W, Self–guided trip
Trukee, CA USA

Dittmar Adventures is fantastic! We had a short time window (12 days) and of course a desire to see/do it all. Laura was extremely patient as we reset priorities and made dozens of changes to our proposed itinerary. Laura helped identify the best hostels, bus schedules, flights, and private transport where appropriate. All the necessary vouchers, tickets, and even the butane canisters for our stove were ready and waiting for us when we arrived!

We visited Buenos Aires, Punta Tombo, Valdes, Perito Moreno Glacier, hiked 3 days via Cerro Torre/Fitz Roy, and 5 days via the "W" at Torres del Paine. Each connection worked perfectly, and we comfortably saw far more than we would have had we booked one of the 14 or even 16 day adventure packages I saw elsewhere. We also spent considerably less money, and avoided the challenges of hiking in a group.

We were lucky enough to hike the "W" at the same time as Laura's husband David was guiding for another couple and really appreciated the extra assistance David was able to provide. David picked out a "picture post card perfect" side hike on our drive out of Torres del Paine, and was a wealth of information on flora, fauna, and geology.

Finally, I left my wallet on a bus the last day, and Laura was able to locate it, recover it, and ship it back to me via express mail!

Click the links below for more pictures of a fantastic trip:

John Scott

Richard Beebe, March 2009
Torres del Paine Circuit
Santa Rosa, CA USA

I hiked the Paine circuit with David Dittmar in March 2009. I've done a lot of backpacking on my own, but I chose to go with one of Dittmar Associates' scheduled trips because I didn't want to hassle the arrangements and because I wanted to travel with someone who could introduce me to the park. As things turned out, that was a really fortunate decision on my part. David absolutely knows the territory and is knowlegeable and capable in the craft of guiding. He introduced me to the flora and fauna of the area, much of which was totally unfamiliar, and was a very pleasant companion on the trail. Also, when special arrangements needed to be made in the course of the hike, he handled them very efficiently. His 12-day Paine Circuit trip hits all the high spots, offers flexibility in handling the most difficult stretch of the trip (between Camp Perros and the Gray refugio), and also features a don't-miss-it half-day ice hike on the Gray Glacier.

Those considering a "W" trip should really take a few extra days and do the entire Paine circuit. The circuit is so much more than the peaks you see from the front side -- it's the forests and glaciers and Montana-like valleys and the relatively uncrowded trails of the back side. Plus, the view of the Gray Glacier from John Gardner Pass is truly special.

David also offers planning and logistics services for those who don't necessarily want to do a pre-scheduled trip but who need help putting the pieces together from a distance to create their own custom self-guided trip. I think this would be an extremely valuable service for self-directed adventurers, especially those looking at a Paine Circuit hike or other hike within the Torres del Paine park, given the relatively confusing and incomplete nature of the public information sources which have to do with lodging in the park. Drawing on David's knowledge and connections, I'm sure you'd end up profiting from the service and saving a lot of hassles in the process.

Again, thanks for a wonderful hike. Best to you both.
Rick

Fergus Macpherson, 2007
Torres del Paine Circuit
Edinburgh, Scotland UK

I trekked the complete Torres del Paine circuit with a group of friends in January 2007 led by David Dittmar. It was a truly unbelievable experience and one I would recommend to anyone. The Torres del Paine National Park feels truly unspoilt and for the 8 days of the trek we saw no form of motorised transport not even planes in the sky!

The scenery is breathtaking and different every day. We trekked through forests, beside glaciers, over moraine fields and through shrub land full of calafate bushes. We camped in designated campsites each night where you could (usually) get a welcome beer!

There is no doubt that the thing that really made the trek was David´s leadership. He knows the park inside out and was full of fascinating information. He was always ready to point out interesting local plants and animals and explain the geological processes that produced the unique geography of the region. In addition he was fully attentive to our whole group despite the fact that we were a large group with a considerable variation in fitness and ability levels. So despite some interesting weather conditions we always felt we were in very good hands.

Most of all he is simply an extremely nice guy and we struck up a friendship during the trek which we have maintained over the many thousand miles between Patagonia and Scotland.

This part of the world is a must to visit and I´d wholeheartedly recommend you do so with David.

Torres del Paine trip, Friends reviews

Ashley Fieglein, 2006
San Francisco, CA USA

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, I was connected with David Dittmar who organized for me what would be the experience of a lifetime.

I ended traveling solo with my guide, David, on this incredibly beautiful yet challenging hike. David 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.

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 whispering "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.

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