Life before Swoop
I grew up in the UK, hiking in the Lake District as a family regularly. My father was a volunteer ranger, and our holidays took us to peaks all over the world, including New Zealand, Norway, the Azores, and ignited a lifetime obsession with these landscapes.
By the time I left school, I knew I needed to build a life in the mountains I was so inspired by, so I booked a one-way ticket to New Zealand, just a fresh-faced, naive teenager with a dream. I spent 4 years in the town of Wanaka, nestled in the Southern Alps, where I discovered multi-day hiking (the stunning Routeburn Track was my first - setting my standards high!). Since then, I’ve been living (and trekking!) my way around the world, in Australia, Portugal, Austria, Italy and of course Chile and Argentina.
I’ve been living in my adopted home of Canada for 7 years now, starting out in the adventure towns of Banff, Fernie and Whistler, before settling on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. I learnt to snowboard, studied Adventure Tourism, became a kayak guide, fell in love with trail running, and took up cycling and alpine climbing.
I’ve met so many inspiring people from all over the world on my travels who are pursuing their passions relentlessly, and I feel empowered every day to do the same.
Bouldering in Sintra, Portugal
My Patagonia Experience
In 2023, I finally embarked on the trip of a lifetime, spending 6 months exploring Chile and Argentina, from the Atacama Desert all the way down to Torres del Paine, where I completed the W Trek.
Exploring Patagonia had been on my bucket list since first seeing a photo of the Cuernos 15 years prior, and nothing quite prepares you for seeing those imposing horns first-hand.
I spent every moment of free time on my trip hiking, camping, trail running, rafting and of course throwing myself in every alpine lake I found en route. Patagonia blew all my expectations out of the water, and I’m so happy to be able to help get you down there to experience it, too.
Why I love Patagonia
The thing I love most about Patagonia is its ability to inspire absolutely everyone who experiences this landscape, no matter who you are or how you like to travel. The wildness of this place and the warm hearted people who call it home will stay with you long after you leave.
My personal favourite spots are the trail running Mecca of Los Glaciares, Torres del Paine for the gut-punching views and Bariloche for the endless network of trails and backcountry huts, along with the fabulous weather! The Atacama Desert was also stunning in an almost magical, ethereal way, and a great contrast to Patagonia.
I won’t lie, coming from BC, I also greatly appreciate the lack of big predators (beyond the shy puma, of course). I slept like a baby alone in my tent in the mountains without fear of being mauled in the middle of the night - so refreshing!
Day to day at Swoop
I am a Customer Experience Coordinator here at Swoop, helping you get prepared for your travels and adventures in Patagonia. I love using my experience to advise, to help foster a deep love of this region, make sure you have the time of your life, creating memories to last a lifetime.
My photos
River crossings at Glacier Grey
Reclining at Laguna Torre, Los Glaciares
At the base of the Towers, Torres del Paine
Trail running in San-Martin
Climbing Villarrica Volcano in the Chilean Lakes
Relaxing at Tierra Atacama
Climbing Sky Pilot in Squamish, BC
Trail running in the Blue Mountains, Australia
Meeting the locals in Lamington National Park, Australia
The next adventure
After roaming around South America for 6 months, I'm spending the Northern Hemisphere summer closer to home; camping, hiking, kayaking and running in my own backyard of the Rockies, and across the border in Washington and Oregon.
I'll be flying South again later in the year when Canada freezes over - where to is anyone's guess!
