Originally from La Grave, in the Alps, Guillaume left his favorite playground to embark on a unique adventure: six months of a ski trip across Latin America, from Santiago to the mythical Tierra del Fuego.
Six months of exploration, discoveries, and encounters, at the heart of the southern lands.
THE GREAT DEPARTURE
June 2018. It all begins with a ticket to Santiago and a van. With my girlfriend Lulu, we set off for six months of travel across South America.
On the agenda: skiing, hiking, exploring, and crossing the Andes from north to south, all the way to Ushuaia.
We are ready: trained, well-equipped, the bags carefully prepared... But above all, the desire for adventure is immense.
WHAT EQUIPMENT FOR A SKI TRIP?
We travel light but nothing essential is missing: touring skis, skins, crampons, POLARIS and GRAVITY goggles for me, PEARL for Lulu.
For the rest, only technical clothing: softshell, down jackets, thermal layers.
Everything fits in two backpacks. We are ready.
FIRST TRACKS
We pick up the van in Talca and head towards Portillo. The road winds through the mountains, and each turn reveals new peaks.
The sky is clear, the snow sparkles in the sun... We are bursting with impatience.
A few hours later, we put on our skis for our first tracks. The conditions are perfect: Lulu achieves her first 4,000 meters without difficulty, and I tackle my very first couloir at 4,000.
A mix of concentration, joy, and adrenaline. A moment etched in memory.
THE KINGDOM OF POWDER
We continue our descent south and set up our base camp around the Lonquimay volcano, where we will stay for almost a full month.
Here, it's a vast playground: national parks, abandoned stations, dormant volcanoes... The region is inhabited by the Mapuche, native people of South America, who still live in harmony with these wild lands.
The snow is perfect. Every morning, we go exploring, alone in the middle of the mountains. Not a sound, not a trace, silence and powder: it's paradise.
But the mountain quickly reminds us who is in charge: a massive storm surprises us in the Conguillío National Park. In a few hours, the van is buried under the snow, and we are stuck for several days.
Fortunately, we have provisions. So, instead of waiting, we decide to take advantage of it to climb the Llaima volcano. At 3,125 meters, the spectacle is unreal: a primary forest over 3,000 years old stretches as far as the eye can see. We feel tiny in the face of such beauty.
FACING THE VOLCANO
A few days later, we reach Pucón, where the neighboring volcano is on green alert. We embark on the ascent. The last meters are steep, the breath short, the snow crunches under our steps...
At the summit, we discover a crater in fusion: the lava boils before our eyes, the heat rises, the air vibrates. A moment of rare intensity, where we realize how alive the mountain is.
After a few beautiful descents at Cerro Chapelco, where a stage of the Freeride World Qualifier takes place every year, we hit the road again. Destination: Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.
THE CARRETERA AUSTRAL: 1,200 KM OF PURE MAGIC
We leave the high peaks and find more varied landscapes, still mountainous but less snowy.
Winter gradually fades away and nature transforms around us. The Carretera Austral leads us to the heart of stunning panoramas: majestic fjords, turquoise rivers, dizzying waterfalls, immense glaciers, and lush forests.
Here, everything seems untouched, preserved. We drink the lake water, catch our own fish, and sleep under starry skies. Every day, the road offers us new wonders.
WHERE THE LAND ENDS
Then, finally, Tierra del Fuego.
The end of the world. A wild island, swept by winds, where the sea, ice, and rock meet. Here, nature sets its rhythm and man becomes a humble spectator.
It is a unique place, out of time, where one feels the raw power of the planet.
AN ADVENTURE THAT CHANGES A LIFE
From this journey, we bring back memorable encounters, grand landscapes, and an infinity of memories.
But above all, we have learned.
We have learned to read the mountains, to respect their rules, to understand our desires and limits.
We have learned to manage risk, to move cautiously in unknown territories.
This adventure has made us more humble, more attentive, more alive.
And one thing will always be engraved: safety comes first.
