Overview

Patagonia Frontiers began in 1999 and is an individual limited liability company registered in Chile. Patagonia Frontiers was developed by the founder and original director of NOLS Patagonia and operates on a series of remote private ranches located in the Aysén Region (XI), southern Chile. The only practical access to these ranches is by trekking, horseback or boat. The ranch homesteads are located at 600 ft. above sea level and are surrounded by 4,000 ft. to 14,000 ft. glaciated peaks. Livestock includes horses and cattle. Infrastructure is modest, but comfortable and includes several houses, barns, greenhouses and a fruit orchard. Electric power is provided by solar arrays. Ranch guests and students participate in wilderness activities such as horseback riding, hiking, trekking, mountaineering, bird and wildlife viewing. Educational groups learn outdoor skills, leadership and communication, Leave No Trace (LNT) wilderness ethics, and natural sciences.
Crew members participate in various ranch, guest and student duties, such as fence repair; working with horses and cattle; felling, cutting, and splitting firewood; construction and building maintenance; assisting guides with guests on hikes, supported treks, horseback rides and mountain climbs; supply runs (involving boat and vehicle travel), bridge building; pasture clearing; greenhouse and vegetable gardening; caring for the orchard; preparing rooms and gear for guests; trail maintenance; packing supplies on treks; small engine repair; administrative work; shore and stream restoration, invasive species removal; and carrying heavy and awkward loads to remote locations. In addition, crew members participate in community and guest chores including meal preparation, cleanup and care of shared and personal spaces.
Crew members work, live, and learn on beautiful and remote wilderness ranches in the heart of Patagonia, Chile. Staff sleep in tents and prepare their own meals from food staples supplied by Patagonia Frontiers. Staff have access to commons areas in the limited facilities available to our community.

High season is from mid-October 2024 to April 2025. We are seeking crew members that are available for the six month season.

Tagged as: Backcountry Skills, Conservation, Crew, Instruction and Guiding, Teaching/Education

Required Skills:

Applicants must be able to work outside in all types of weather, live in a tent on a wilderness ranch for the length of their position, work in a team, have a positive attitude, and work with guests, students and within a dynamic situation.

Preferred Skills:

Trekking, Spanish speaking, horseback riding, horse packing, chainsaw and trail work, greenhouse, cooking, construction, customer service, and ranch skills are useful but not necessary.

About Patagonia Frontiers

PATAGONIA FRONTIERS CONNECTS PEOPLE WITH WILDERNESS THROUGH EDUCATION, CONSERVATION, AND ADVENTURE.
We are a privately-owned nature conservancy ranch offering outdoor education, skills, and science programs, trekking, horseback, and ranch adventures, and a mountaineering school in the heart of Patagonia, Chile and other international locations.

Application Instructions

Interested parties should contact Crew Leader Heather Sikoski at [email protected] for more information. Applicants will receive the crew member handbook and an application form. Applicants will review, complete, and return their application with a cover letter, résumé/CV with full face photograph, three letters of reference. All items should be returned together under a single email to facilitate the review and selection process, and as a prerequisite for your initial phone interview.