This is the 6th season in The Patagonian BaseCamp for our beloved Anita. She works in room service and she loves her job, the reason why she always comes back. For Ana there’s nothing more beautiful than the nature around us and the Palena River’s shore, the beautiful relationship with the whole team. And her love for our Turkeys. We still suspect her from feeding them our breakfast granola, there must be a reason that they are growing so fast and always run toward here when she is in the field.
Ben Johnston grew up fishing the front range of Colorado, where he discovered his love for fly fishing at a young age. While he may tell you he moved to Montana to pursue a Fish and Wildlife Management degree at Montana State University, after spending a few hours on the river with him it becomes clear that he moved to Bozeman for the fishing. Ben’s desire for adventure has also led him to Alaska where he guides fly-out overnight fly fishing trips for trout and salmon. Ben lives and breathes fly fishing, but in between breaths, can be found in a corn field goose hunting, or behind his vice working on his next best fly.
Beni is always worried about the tiny details of The Patagonian BaseCamp. She supports us through room and common spaces organization and tidiness. And she puts some fantastic, typical Patagonian, meals on the table for everyone living and working here at the lodge. After being here with us for more than four seasons and taking a break to work on her own land, she’s back here with our team. She loves sharing some good “mates” at the lunch break when many local stories are being told.
Billy is from Montana where he develops himself as a fishing guide for more than 8 year. He came to The Patagonian BaseCamp escaping the winter from the northern hemisphere. For years he had the dream to get to know Chilean Patagonia and to enjoy its fishing and nature. A lot of experience and a kind soul who’s able to share with you anything you need about fishing. You will enjoy his rowing skills and companianship when he maneuvers you through the white waters of Rio Rosselot and Rio Figueroa.
Esteban’s passion for fishing began while growing up in the Araucania Region in the south of Chile. Spending his free time fishing in the Conguillio National Park , surrounded by glaciers, unique landscapes and hungry trout.
After his graduation, earning his Bachelors Degree in Tourism Management, he decided to chase his dream as an outdoor guide.
After moving back and forth to the United States, working different jobs, he realised that no matter where he goes, he always has fishing on his mind. Tired of working at fishing store’s, he decided it was time to make a change and go for his dream. That’s when Patagonia knocked on his door and his dream finally came true. Esteban is now heading for his third season at BaseCamp.
Esteban is always calm on the water and open to answer any questions you might have and to share all his knowledge as a fishing guide so that you can have the best fishing day of your life!
Exequiel. Always happy, always ready to help you and always with brilliant ideas and solutions. For more than 10 years now, he is helping us with almost everything that happens around the lodge and in the camps. He helps with farm and the animals (although most of the lambs might not call it “helping” when they are ready for an asado), but also with the maintenance of the buildings and preparing the camps for the season and keeping them up during the season. Lately he has been very involved with our building projects in TempleCamp and BaseCamp, but also in our Escondido Project. His attention to details can be recognized in many of the constructions.
Frank has called Ennis, Montana, home for the last 7 years. Originally moving from New York to Bozeman for college in 2010, after graduation, he could not come to leave the great state. During the northern hemisphere summer, you can find him on the rivers of Western Montana. From the Flathead to the Madison and everything in-between. Fishing is like breathing for Frank, he might die without it.
As a strong and experienced oarsmen, Frank turned in one of our whitewater guides, rowing the roaring waters of the Rio Figueroa and Rosselot.
Isolina was born in Llanada Grande, in Northern Chilean Patagonia. She grew up with her grandparents until she was 9 years old. Then she moved further south, deeper into Patagonia, where she studied for only two years. Out of necessity, she started working at a very young age. Her first jobs were cleaning homes as a domestic worker and later she learned everything about life on the farm. She is the mother of a son and three daughters. Once her children were all grown, she started working in different places, such as lodges, hot springs, and others. Here at BaseCamp she is a jack-of-all trades: she cooks, cleans and takes care of the farm animals and gardens. Always in a good mood and always giving the best she has.
Jack, or rather Jackson was born and raised in central Texas, and as a young kid was introduced to fly fishing and exploring remote areas. During high school he began working in fly shops and guiding river trips, serving as starting place to purse his passion for fly fishing. After moving west to attend school at Montana State University University, he graduated with a degree in Business Management. Now he spends his year splitting time guiding for bass at home in Texas, in Bristol Bay, Alaska, at The Patagonian BaseCamp, as well as hunts across west Texas.
Jackson became a very versatile guide, his attention to detail stands out and his passion for catching fish is very contagious.
Since Luis was a child, for him, the kitchen was more than just a place in the house; it was a space of creativity and connection. His passion for flavours and techniques led him to become a chef, exploring ingredients, textures and experiences that transform each dish into a story.
Throughout his career, Luis has perfected recipes, experimented with molecular cuisine and developed menus that fuse tradition and innovation. He enjoys the challenge of creating dishes that surprise, both in flavour and presentation. In addition, he has an interest in gastronomic design, from the conceptualisation of events to the creation of new culinary proposals.
Every day in the kitchen is an opportunity to learn, share and leave a mark on every bite.
Born and raised in Buffalo, NY. Grew up fishing the Great Lakes at a young age. He was always a fanatic about fishing. Marc found himself in Colorado in the early 90’s , where he discovered fly-fishing.
Now living in Western Colorado and has been guiding for 16 years. Enjoying and sharing his passion with other people. Patagonia is an amazing place. Marc is the a proud parent of a beautiful daughter and, next fishing, loves live music and plays bass in the Gunny Grand String Band.
The Fly Fishing Dutchman. After a successful career in the Dutch shipping industry, Marcel decided to change his life dramatically. Bought a ticket to South Africa, travelled the world with a backpack, a tent and a fly rod for almost two years and eventually ended up in Chile. That is in now 25 years ago. And see what happened.
In the those 25 years he built up Patagonian BaseCamp to one of the most successful fly fishing lodges in South America and still just loves it. His love for Patagonia and fly fishing for trout is contagious. Be careful for him. But he already found a new challenge, the “Escondido Project”: a combination between a conservation and outdoor-experience project. For the next 20 years or so, he will be busy. Very busy.
But there is another challenge arising, turning his daughters Elena (15) and Isabel (11) into the next generation of fly fishing guides.
Nicholas, or rather Nick, grew up in Michigan. Fly Fishing for small mouth bass, pike, trout, salmon and steelhead was his early passion. After completing high school, he went to Montana State University and graduated with a degree in economics. During his time there he worked in fly shops and started his guide carreer which brought him later to Bristol Bay, Alaska. Now that he has his degree, he spends his summers guiding in Montana, his falls in Alaska spey fishing for steelhead, and now in Patagonia Chile in the winter months. Not a bad way to fill your year as a fly fishing addict.
Nicolás joined the The Patagonian BaseCamp Team in 2023. He’s from Santiago, and as a teacher he has been leading and learning from several years in different hospitality projects and with different outdoor adventure teams in Chilean Patagonia. This season he is with us as a support for the BaseCamp team by looking over the full organization in and around the lodge. He is more than willing to share his love for and knowledge of nature with everybody. Especially his knowledge of everything living in the Template rainforest of the southern Andes is contagious.
If you are fishing out of TempleCamp this season, Nicolas will be your host and camp manager over there. Ask him everything you want to know.
Directly from Trujillo, Peru, Rapha is coming to “season this season” at The Patagonian BaseCamp Lodge. He’s been living in Santiago for the lasts years where he worked in a variety of restaurants. Coming down and getting to know Patagonia was a dream for him and he still has a hard time believing that he actually is here in the evergreen native rainforests of the South of Chile. He loves cooking with the fresh ingredients from the ranch and from the local farmers; his love for cuisine is contagious and you will taste it in every plate. Together with his wife Ruby he runs BaseCamp´s kitchen and surprises our guests every day. May be because of his daily swim in the cold Rio Palena, just before cooking his delicious meals.
Ruby was raised at the coasts of Peru, in Lima. She and Raphael are life partners and both share the same love for cooking and preparing stunning dishes for the guests at BaseCamp Lodge. Her passion lays on bakery, so be prepared to enjoy delicious desserts after an amazing day of fishing in Patagonia.
If one of her recipes “kills” you, just walk in the kitchen, she will happily share it with you … in Spanish, though!
In 2017 Yuri came with her family down to Chile from Colombia and moved to Patagonia as one of our neighbors. Through a good friends recommendation, Yuri passed by the lodge one day and started working with us still that same season. That is now five years ago and she is still going strong in making sure that the rooms and the lodge are giving you that comfortable feel. She is also in charge of the laundry service we offer and many guests have been surprised of how clean and well ironed their clothes showed up the next day. Patagonia is a big contrast from Columbia and Venezuela, where she lived for years, but she loves to live and work in the natural environment around BaseCamp and she greatly enjoys the work atmosphere here at the lodge. No time to miss the northern part of the continent.
