Our Patagonian trip brought us to places, we’ve never seen before. We had a chat with our Teamrider Lucas, natural born Patagonian and our guide for the trip, about his home country and the special outdoor spirit, we’ve experienced at the other side of the world.

Lucas, from your point of view – what’s so special about Patagonia? How would you describe the Spirit of Patagonia?
Patagonia is a unique place. Wide fields of pure nature with different kinds of beautiful landscapes and a wild climate, which is changing extremely fast. Being out there is for sure a great experience. You go from amazing waterfronts on the Atlantic coast to high mountains filled with ancient glaciers, making the entire place almost unreal.

Not being really populated, it’s for sure one of the wildest places in the world, where discovery and mountain progression is growing day by day. Well known for its hostile weather conditions and mountains, it’s a place for the gathering of some of the best climbers in the world. A place to have a unique experience in nature. 


The trip through Patagonia brought you back to your roots. How often do you spend time in your home country per year?
This trip was very special for me. Bringing me back home this time of a year I hadn´t been home in a really long time. It’s ten years since I last saw the summer colors in Bariloche. Winter after winter has kept me away from my home, this beautiful place that I had the luck to grow up in. 
Traveling so much in search for best winter conditions, only allows me to be in Bariloche 6 months per year. I’m around for the winter and part of spring and then heading back to the northern hemisphere for the start of winter on that side of the world. 
I love being home, spending time with my family, friends, and the mountains. I really feel the energy of the place, and this makes me happy. I want to keep exploring this area, trying to explore and ski places no others have skied before. Pushing the limits to the max in order to get the best out of me and the mountains.

How did you grow up? What are your memories of your childhood in Argentina?
Growing up in Bariloche was really nice. I have great memories and I am really happy and thankful to my parents for choosing such a nice place. I remember spending lots of time outside doing all kind of activities and sports, always finding fun things to do. It’s a great place to practice outdoor activities, like some of the things we did included skiing, mountain biking, fishing, trekking, kayaking and many other activities. I´ve always had a real active lifestyle, so this was a perfect place for me to combine sports and nature.

You travel the world a lot. Do you still take the Spirit of Patagonia with you?
Patagonia is my home. So whenever we travel around the world, we always take a little something from home. So I guess the Spirit of Patagonia is always with me. I like traveling and telling stories of things we do back home, or how different places look like. It’s a great place and has a lot of positive energy too. So people tend to smile every time you say the word Patagonia.

What has been your personal highlight on the Patagonia trip?
This trip had a lotof exciting moments, hard to describe all of them or just to pick one. Mixed feelings of excitement and amusement. I was really blown away of the beauty of my country. I think the highlight of the trip however, was the sunrise on Mount Fitz Roy. After a long hike, we experienced beautiful colors in this unique place. For sure one of the best things I experienced in my life. When the sun came out we had couple of seconds of the most beautiful combination of light, weather, and this massive wall of granite rock in front of our eyes. I can´t really find words to describe this perfect moment, making this a true uncompromising moment.

 
What shouldn’t you miss out, if you want to get to know the country and people? Can you for example recommend a culinary specialty of your home country?
The one thing you can´t miss out is having a nice Asado. Argentina is well known for the meat, and I tell you, it´s for a reason… Best thing you can think about, a big piece of meat on the fire.

The weather conditions in Patagonia are pretty unsettled and can be a huge challenge for outdoor clothing. What’s essential for you and where do you particularly keep an eye on when it gets to outdoor clothing?
Being in Patagonia is a real challenge when it comes to outdoor activities. The weather is so unpredictable that you shouldn’t make compromises when it comes to choosing the right clothing. You need to be warm and dry at all times, and KJUS really has done a great job in bringing this together. The perfect combination of style and performance, and when you spend a lot of time outdoors, you really need to rely on your garments.

What do you like most regarding the new KJUS Outdoor Collection?
I really like the new KJUS Outdoor Collection. Thanks to the light weight fabrics, and their stretch we can really feel the freedom of movement while we practice sports in the nature. A collection for active people who want to be perfectly equipped at all times.

Do you have a personal favorite among the new collection?
The Men Fasttrack Jacket is my personal favorite. Water and wind resistant, something we often find while hiking in the mountains. Soft and light, which makes it really practical to have with you at all times.

Last but not least – in only 3 words: Why is it worth it to make a trip to Patagonia?
Unforgettable Outdoor Experience.


Please also check out the highlights of our new KJUS Performance Outdoor Collection 2012.