Travel to South America

Lonely Planet Trekking in the Patagonian Andes

Format: Paperback
Author: Clem Lindenmayer
ReleaseDate: November, 2003
Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications
Rating:

Lonely Planet Trekking in the Patagonian Andes
This book has helped me plan and organize and decide which areas I want to see. For the last year I've been planning a trip to Chile and Patagonia. This book has been full of helpful information about all the different treks in this region, the difficulty rating, miles, average days specific trails will take, and great maps. Not only does the book give great info about specific treks, it also gives really great information for newer backpackers, such as a checklist of what you should bring on the trek, what kind of food to bring, how to use a compass, first aid info, etc. (Though you should know these things before you trek around Patagonia. ) I give this book 5 stars.

Lonely Planet Rocks
They are a valuable tool for the experienced treeker/hiker/tramper and also a great resource for the urban adventurer. I am an avid traveler, hiker and explorer and have found the Lonely Planet guides to be the absolute BEST if your intention is to explore the "ins and outs" of a country without the services of an in-country guide or tour service. Lonely planet pulls their data from a variety of folks- including locals, recent transplants and adventurers- who provide extremely relevant input for the books. I always find their rating of lodging and food accurate~~ low budget is truly low budget and their recommended picks are always clean, comfortable and well situated. I also find their description and maps of hiking/trekking/tramping routes very accurate, although I would still recommend using up-to-date topo maps, GPS or hiring a local certified guide if you are exploring off-piste, mountainous or rugged regions anywhere. There is no replacement for experience and sound judgment in the backcountry. This particular guide book is wonderfully laid out and their advice is keen. Unless you have a solid 3 months of time to adventure in more than one of the regions it is best to pick an area (like the Lakes District) and focus your time in one place. Obviously the Torres Del Paine or Fitz Roy regions see a lot of traffic but the other areas are absolutely fabulous, as well. While other guide books may cater to the "guided tour crowd", I find Lonely Planet caters more to the independent intrepid traveler. Two Thumbs Up. Enjoy your exploring.

amazing hikes, erroneous details
The general information sections are quite good, and give a good feel for what conditions are like both trekking and travelling in general; a good purchase for planning your trip. This book is a perfect introduction to the wealth of hiking possibilities in patagonia - many of them are still significantly under-used and of equal calibre to the more famous routes. Where the book falls down is on the actual trekking notes, which are consistently inaccurate, obscenely outdated and sometimes quite misleading (see other reviews). On this front, Cerro Electrico is not safe - however Cerro Electrico Oeste is safely climbable without mountaineering equipment (although crampons are a nice idea) and gives mind-blowing views of the rear of Fitzroy - I think this might be what the author actually had in mind.

The best use of this book is as an introduction/inspiration, then get hold of decent military maps (plentiful in santiago and buenos aires) and local advice (abundant) and go from there. Given that many of the treks require some degree of independence and judgement (especially in snow-bound regions), pretty much any information should be taken with a grain of salt and certainly should be double-checked independantly or at worst against common sense. It is a pity no better alternative exists, but the general information is good and if prepared, leave the fun of route-finding up to yourself.

Related products:
click image or link for details on these South America travel books.

	Torres del Paine Trekking Map
	Chile & Argentina, 5th: The Bradt Trekking Guide
	Lonely Planet Argentina
	In Patagonia (Penguin Classics)
	Time Out Patagonia (Time Out Guides)