Sea Kayaking Patagonia's Ocean Secrets - Alumni

NOLS has been running Expedition courses in the Aysen region of Chile since the founding of NOLS Patagonia in 1990. We are excited to add our first Alumni Sea Kayaking expedition in Patagonia to the line up! This three week trip journeys through the Chonos Archipelago to the mystical Isla Kent, the objective of this expedition, before looping back through different channels to our pick up point.

This trip is a veritable Patagonian sea kayaking expedition. You will be camping in tents and cooking your own meals alongside your expedition mates. The weather in Patagonia can be harsh and shift dramatically. We may pass through some small coastal towns on our way, but the majority of the expedition is very remote. However, the views can be larger than life and the opportunities for exploration abound. To participate in this expedition, we require previous sea kayaking expedition experience.*

Participants will arrive in Coyhaique, the nearest town to the NOLS Patagonia Campus. NOLS will organize a shuttle to the NOLS campus. Here you will meet your team and instructors and begin staging for the expedition. You will spend your first night together as a team at the NOLS campus and head to your drop off point on the morning of day two.

The next three weeks will be spent paddling through the Chonos Archipelago, a system of islands separated from Chile’s mainland by channels. You will stop along the way to camp on islands exploring both land and ocean.

This region of Patagonia is rich with coastal vegetation and wildlife. You may see albatross, the world’s southernmost parrot, otters, southern sea lions, dolphins, and possibly Magellanic penguins and whales.

Weather will dictate travel toward Isla Kent. You may spend pleasant days paddling in calm conditions where the miles pass easily. Other days you may find that high winds prohibit onward travel. These days will be spent hiking and exploring the coastal landscape, relaxing in camp and recharging for the travel ahead. We’ve built the trip with weather in consideration, and our itinerary should allow us to reach Isla Kent even with some weather days.

Mid-trip you will find yourself on Isla Kent which faces the open Pacific to the west. For centuries Isla Kent has acted as a refuge for boats and sailors who have left their stories in its harbors. It’s an island steeped in legend and beauty. The unique vegetation has adapted to the constant winds and salty ocean spray and Southern Beech tree forests provide homes for deer, otters, foxes, and a variety of birds. You will get the chance to spend a couple days on the Isla Kent before beginning the journey back.

You will take a different route on the way back through new channels with new opportunities to read the ocean and sharpen your expeditionary skills. Instructors on this trip will provide coaching in sea kayaking skills to help you grow as a paddler, in addition to lessons about expedition planning and execution. Previous sea kayaking experience on this trip is required, so instructors will be able to dive into more technical skills and cater more to individual interests.

This trip is an opportunity to see Patagonia at its best and in grand proportion. You can expect to end this trip with new skills, a cultural understanding of this region of Chile and a network of adventure partners.

The trip will end with a pick up that will take you back to the mainland, a dinner at a local restaurant, and a final night in the field before returning to the NOLS Patagonia campus.

*At a minimum, participants are required to have completed a short sea kayaking expedition with camping to participate. You will be sent a required  “Experience Questionnaire” upon registration. Guests of alumni with expedition kayaking experience will be evaluated in the same manner.

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