Patagonia Retreat 2023

The $3000 program fee includes accommodation, breakfasts, dinners, workshops, weekly laundry service, and any Unschool Adventures sponsored activities. It does not include international airfare (see: “How will flights be organized?”), lunches, or non-sponsored activities. We recommend bringing $10/day to cover lunches and snacks.

Blake Boles, Milla von Tauber, and Mica Peker are the primary trip leaders. Each has staffed an Unschool Adventures trip before. Blake and Mica hold active Wilderness First Responder certifications. We will also have two more local staff: an additional Spanish teacher and a Kitchen Coordinator.

Click here to learn more about Blake, Milla, and Mica.

Every normal day will have free time before breakfast, during the lunch break, in the afternoon, and late at night. Two afternoon workshop slots (typically dedicated to dance) will be dedicated to free time each week, with the intention of creating space for longer outdoor explorations. And one full day each week (three total) will be fully “off” during which we’ll only do breakfast, dinner, and meeting.

If you enjoy walking in the mountains, El Chaltén is the place for you! As a world-renowned outdoor destination, you’ll have the chance to experience the Fitz Roy mountain range and many other gorgeous local hikes. Unschool Adventures staff won’t be leading any of the hikes, but we’ll point you in the correct direction and remind you take extra clothing layers, water, and snacks. There are also opportunities for rock climbing, mountain biking, and other activities—all of which you’re free to explore in your free time (and at your own risk).

The Patagonia Retreat offers a very high level of independence that may be appropriate for certain 16- and 17-year-olds. If you’re under 18, you’re welcome to apply—just be ready for a more elaborate interview process. Unschool Adventures staff will communicate directly with the parents of all minor participants to set appropriate expectations and devise a travel plan that meets the needs of all parties.

We are open to applications from 21- and 22-year-olds, provided that you understand the realities and responsibilities of being part of a group that includes much younger participants—a topic we will address in the interview.

We highly recommend flying with Unschool Adventures (accompanied by staff member Milla) from the United States to Argentina on a flight organized by our group travel specialist, from Miami to Buenos Aires to El Calafate (the nearest airport to El Chaltén). Our group airfare contract is running higher than expected, at roughly $2250 roundtrip. More details provided upon application. If you prefer, you may book your own flights to/from El Calafate and meet us at the hostel at the start of the program.

After enrolling, we will ask whether you prefer a mixed-gender or gender-separated room. You may also request to share a room with a specific person. We’ll do our best (but cannot promise) to meet all requests. Requests to switch rooms during the program will be handled by the community meeting.

Every normally scheduled day will have a dinner crew of two participants who (alongside our Kitchen Coordinator) will be responsible for groceries, cooking, and cleanup. Depending on the total number of enrollees, each participant will serve on dinner crew roughly three times. We will also have regular hostel clean-up shifts, performed in pairs.

If you’d like to go out after dinner/meeting, we’ll ask that you go out (and stay with) at least one other person. We’ll also have a midnight curfew, after which you’ll need to stay in the hostel and respect quiet hours.

Blake will be drawing from many of his previously published books, his Self-Directed 101 curriculum, and newer material (such as this and this). The material will focus on entrepreneurship, creativity, self-education, self-motivation, frugality, travel, adventure, social skills, and leadership.

We highly recommend beginning your Spanish language learning ahead of the retreat—it will make your Spanish classes (and subsequent independent travel) much easier. Consider taking a traditional class, doing one-on-one tutoring (with a native speaker through a website like iTalki), and using phone- or web-based language apps. We’ll also have a WhatsApp group to connect participants who are learning Spanish before the retreat.

If you have proven competency, you may choose to do independent Spanish language study instead of taking classes.

Sorry—the Patagonia Retreat is a package deal! We expect everyone to fully participate. If you don’t think you can reliably commit to joining all of the dance, Spanish, and lifestyle design workshops, then this isn’t the right program for you. (If you’re sick or require the occasional mental health break, then it’s fine to skip, of course—but please don’t join with the intention of abusing this policy.)

We’ll provide a full packing list upon registration. You won’t need anything special for this trip—just clothes, toiletries, and a phone. If you’re interested in doing big hikes or extensive travel after the trip, we’ll help you think about what kind of outdoor and travel gear you might want to bring.

We can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free (but not celiac) diets. Groceries are limited and expensive in Chaltén, so it’s not always easy to cater to special diets. The more restrictive your diet, the more flexibility and patience you’ll need to have a successful retreat.

Chaltén is a small, remote town with a few medical staff on-call but without any major medical facilities. For serious medical attention, a 3-hour trip to El Calafate is required.

Not great! The town of El Chaltén has slow and unreliable internet, and there is no mobile data coverage. On very windy days, the whole town may lose connection. Also, not everyone may be able to connect to the hostel wifi at the same time. Video calls may be difficult or impossible, while regular messaging, browsing, and email should be fairly reliable. Prepare for a month of largely in-person connection!

Considering that the Patagonia Retreat involves (1) living in close quarters and (2) spending time in a remote region without extensive medical facilities, we will require that all participants provide proof of Covid-19 vaccination as a condition of enrollment. Regarding testing requirements, we will follow the official protocols of the country of Argentina (viewable under “Entry and Exit Requirements” on the U.S. Embassy in Argentina website). Masks are optional, and each person’s choice to wear a mask (or not) will be respected. We may update these procedures as the situation evolves (e.g. regarding new variants or travel restrictions).

After applying and interviewing, you may reserve your spot with a $1000 non-refundable deposit (payable by bank transfer or credit card). The balance of $2000 is due on November 15th (payable by bank transfer, check, money order, or credit card). Please note that credit card transactions incur a 3% surcharge.

The international group plane tickets will likely be purchased in November or December, facilitated by our group travel specialist.

As with all Unschool Adventures programs, we require a certain minimum enrollment before we can commit to running a program. In mid-September we reached our minimum number and placed a deposit with the hostel in El Chaltén, so the retreat is a firm “go!”