Photo Albums

How, exactly, does one end up hurtling across the Atacama Desert in Chile in a land rover? Well, in our case, it happened almost by accident. We were invited to a meeting hosted by friends and fellow runners Robb and Jeanette Taylor. They told us about a tour that they really wanted to go on, the Andean Triangle Adventure. According to Robb the tour needed a certain number of people to go ahead and Robb was single handedly willing to round up enough people to ensure the tour happened. Robb had used Andes Adventures for previous trips and couldn’t say enough good things about the company and its fearless leader Devy Reinstein. He and Jeanette were convinced that this would be an amazing adventure.

My partner Rick and I have travelled a bit but have never done anything that we would describe as “adventure travel”. We were excited about the prospect of joining our friends on the Andes Triangle Adventure. Rick was pleased that he could join the running group for the races, but could also switch to the trekking group to enjoy the opportunity to take photographs and see the scenery at a more leisurely pace. The only problem was that both of us very much wanted to visit Machu Picchu which was not included on the Triangle itinerary. Not really a problem at all, we learned. Devy was willing to put together an extension for anyone that wanted to visit Machu Picchu. The price was great and the 5 extra days still kept us within our 3 week vacation “budget”.

And so we joined 11 others from in and around Regina, Saskatchewan Canada and headed off to Los Angeles to begin our adventure. Along the way we joined others who were also on the tour. In total 38 of us had signed on to explore parts of Chile, Bolivia and Peru. One of the first things Rick and I noticed was that virtually everyone in the group had already taken one or more Andes Adventure trips and they were anxiously waiting for the next one to be announced. To me that spoke volumes about the company and the type of trip we could expect. We were not disappointed. The organization of the trip was exemplary (particularly in a part of the world where such organization must have its challenges), the food and accommodations were wonderful and the guides were knowledgeable, helpful and patient. Best of all there was literally a new adventure around every corner. Rick participated in the Atacama Desert Marathon and the Princess Juanita Half Marathon in the Colca Canyon. He loved both races while finding them challenging and unlike any races he has done in North America. For my part, I was excited to explore Incan ruins, race across the desert in land rovers and receive the blessing of a shaman in Bolivia.

This slide show represents only a sampling of the 2500 or so photos that Rick and I took along the way. They incorporate photos from both the Andes Triangle Adventure and the extension trip to Machu Picchu. Thank you to Devy, and his wonderful guides, particularly Abelardo who made it all possible.

About eight months after Patagonia, I began to suspect that Andes Adventures trips are like those drugs that we are warned are instantly addictive. I wouldn’t know about the drugs, but I did know that I wanted to go back to the Andes, and that I would have to be crazy to even think about going with another outfitter. The only question was which trip to choose. A lot of my friends have been to Machu Picchu, so it wasn’t high on my bucket list. But I don’t know a soul who has hiked in the Atacama Desert, or crossed the Salar de Uyuni. The Andean Triangle it is!

About 3 minutes after I email my trip reservation, the phone rings. Hello, Devy! No, I don’t know the twelve people from my city who are also going on the trip. (Nor am I sure how I feel about it, given that this is a small place with a maximum of 2 degrees of separation between any two residents – no way will what happens in the Andes, stay in the Andes!). A few weeks pass, another phone call: Some of the folks from Canada have requested an extension to Machu Picchu, Devy needs 11 people to make it viable, do I want to go? Pause . . . blink . . . I’m in! Ten months later, I stumble, dazed and exhausted, off the bus in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, with three dozen other hikers and runners from around the world. Abelardo and Devy are about to lead us into a world of wonders.

I had just turned 60, was adjusting nicely to a new life on my own, and wanted to do something to celebrate. I recalled the adventure travel vacations I used to dream about in my 20s, back when I had no time and less money. Why not do that now, when I have a bit more time, a lot more debt, and way more aches and pains? Closed my eyes, spin the globe, jab it with a pin, and the destination is . . . the middle of the south Pacific, about 14,000 miles from any land mass larger than about 57 acres. OK, that didn’t work so well. But look, there’s the coast of Chile over there to the east, and I’ve been fascinated by the Andes since I was about 8 years old. Surely there’s some magical place down there that none of my friends (apart from the ones who actually come from Chile) have been to yet, way down in almost-Antarctica. And so, four months later, I found myself in southern Patagonia, with a couple dozen total strangers and a Peruvian mountain man running the show. It turned out to be the trip of a lifetime.