Wharton Leadership Ventures
Patagonian Leadership Trek
A Leadership and Teamwork Experience in Torres del Paine National Park
Chilean Patagonia
Next Patagonian Trek: December 27, 2009 - January 9, 2010
Declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in1978, Torres del Paine National Park, located in Chilean Patagonia, is internationally renowned as one of the most beautiful, unspoiled, and remote places on the planet. The park has a huge variety of plant and animal species which, with its incredibly beautiful setting of snow-capped mountain peaks, cascading rivers and waterfalls, glaciers and mirrored lakes, has made it an unequalled destination for adventurers.
The Patagonian Trek includes guided hiking through spectacular and remote mountainous regions, and sea-kayaking on glacial lakes. The venture builds critical leadership and teamwork skills through continuous learning, decision-making, and reflection. During the trek, each participant serves as a leader of the day, and gains experience managing logistics, facilitating a leadership dialogue, and overseeing the general welfare of the group. We complete a social impact project during the course of the venture, enhancing contact with the local population and deepening our knowledge of the region, its economy, and its challenges and opportunities. The Winter Break 2007 project focused on the redesign of a not-for-profit organization dedicated to conservation and research within Torres del Paine National Park. The Winter Break 2008 social impact project focused on regional recycling concerns.
Venture Plan
We meet in Punta Arenas, Chile, and begin the leadership venture at Estancia Rio Verde, a 60,000 acre working Patagonian ranch. The estancia is owned by the Santelices family and continues a 100-year tradition of ranching in the region. We depart the estancia after a night’s rest and travel to Torres del Paine national park, where we meet with our social impact project client. In the morning we begin a spectacular five-day hiking route which first takes us to the foot of the Paine Towers, three gigantic granite monoliths shaped by the forces of glacial ice. We then hike high into the Valle del Frances for incredible vistas of ice-carved and snow-capped mountain peaks, walk along the shores of Lago Nordenskjöld, and finish with a close-up view of the massive Glacier Grey, which calves icebergs into the lake. Our lodging along the trail is in refugios, well-maintained mountain huts complete with hearty breakfast and evening meals, hot showers, and comfortable sleeping quarters.
We then travel by boat across Lago Grey and drive to our evening’s lodging, and after a night’s rest begin the sea-kayaking portion of the venture. Led by our expert Patagonian kayak guides, we paddle in single and double sea-kayaks across glacial lakes and camp in remote lake-side locations for two nights. Our Patagonian guides are also expert cooks!
The venture concludes with a final presentation to our social impact project client, and with some well-earned rest and recuperation at the Estancia Rio Verde. Activities may include a short hike to a local ibis colony, horseback riding, or, for those who would prefer some quiet time, a visit to the ranch’s organic gardens. We enjoy a traditional Patagonian farewell barbeque on our last evening at the estancia. In the morning we visit a nearby Magellanic penguin colony as we make our way back to Punta Arenas and the international airport.
Patagonian Trek, Winter Break 2008 – 2009
(L-R) Joo Kim (venture coordinator), Rebecca Miller, Joanne Yuan, Andrea Fang, Soo Jin Koh, Alina Ispas, Courtney Gardner, Deborah Garber. Not pictured: Dr. Chris Maxwell, Dr. Kathy Maxwell, Christian Santelices (Guide), Angela Hawse (guide)
Patagonian Trek, Winter Break 2007-2008
(L-R) Dalglish Chew, Mark Pasha, Olivier Adler, Sue Muncaster (guide), Jeff Tornick, Seychelle Hicks, Vikram Madan, Joo Kim, Ethan Senturia, Riya Abraham, Christian Santelices (guide), Michael Zhao, Dr. Kathy Maxwell, James Calderwood, Arjun Srinivas, Dr. Chris Maxwell
Sea-kayaking on Lago Porteño
Estancia Rio Verde – base camp for the venture
Torres del Paine
Glacier Grey
Olivier Adler, Ethan Senturia, Dalglish Chew
Jeff Tornick, Joo Yeon Kim, and Vikram Madan at Estancia Rio Verde
Magellanic Penguin Colony at Punta Arenas
Venture Staff
Dr. Chris Maxwell organizes the Patagonian Trek. Chris teaches Management 100 at Wharton and serves as faculty advisor for the Wharton Leadership Ventures Undergraduate Advisory Board. He has trekked through the Everest region of Nepal, hiked in Chilean Patagonia, and has climbed five of the major peaks in the Teton Range of Wyoming. Chris completed the National Outdoor Leadership School’s Pacific Northwest Trip Leader Program in 2002.
Dr. Kathy Maxwell is an academic adviser and health instructor at Penn State University. Kathy began her career as a surgical nurse, and earned bachelors and masters degrees in nursing and health education, and a doctorate in adult education. In addition to her nursing training she is certified as an EMT. Kathy has hiked and trekked in Nepal and the Cascades, and has climbed in the Teton Range.
Joo Kim, student venture coordinator for the 2008-2009 Patagonian Trek, was born in Busan, South Korea, and graduated from the Korean Minjok Leadership Academy. She is a junior at the Wharton School, concentrating in Finance and Management. She was a participant in the 2007-2008 Patagonian Trek, and serves on the student advisory board of Wharton Leadership Ventures, Undergraduate Division.
Guides
Christian Santelices has been a professional mountain guide for seventeen years, twelve of those spent in the wilds of Patagonia. He holds a degree in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley, and a Master of Arts in Environment and Community from Antioch University Seattle. He is an American Mountain Guides Association certified rock climbing and ski mountaineering guide. Christian specializes in outdoor education and community solutions to social and environmental challenges. Christian has done major first climbing ascents in Patagonia and elsewhere, and has a local’s knowledge of the people and places around Torres del Paine National Park. He also serves as Senior Guide for Exum Mountain Guides, and has guided Wharton undergraduates to the summit of the Grand Teton for the past three summers.
Angela Hawse has worked as a full-time professional guide and outdoor educator for over two decades, following her passion of being in the mountains, teaching and sharing this with others. Since the early 90’s, she has led over 20 high altitude expeditions, many to remote corners of the earth. Highlights have included 5 Denali Expeditions, Carstensz Pyramid, Ama Dablam, Everest, Aconcagua and unnamed peaks in Pakistan. In '98, she was the Deputy Leader of the Everest Challenge Expedition and played a key role in the first disabled ascent of Mt. Everest. Angela incorporates service projects into her expeditions. She earned a Master of Arts degree in International Mountain Conservation from Prescott College in Arizona. Projects have included a clean-up on Everest to remove over 100 oxygen bottles and 1000kg of garbage. She is a certified rock and alpine climbing guide with the American Mountain Guides Association.
Please contact Dr. Chris Maxwell at maxwellc@wharton.upenn.edu for more information on the Patagonia leadership venture.
Wharton Leadership Ventures are active learning experiences focused on enhancing team leadership skills. Dates and registration procedures for all events are announced through The Wharton Exchange electronic newsletter.
To join the advisory board or to serve as an event coordinator, contact Dr. Chris Maxwell at maxwellc@wharton.upenn.edu.
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