Hassen Salum: Visual Storytelling.

How do you imagine Alaska?
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To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I went there last September. I heard all sorts of warnings from family, who lives far up north in the US, about the cold and how I should be well prepared since I come from a hot place. This led me to imagine I’d be surrounded by snow and glaciers all the time (ok, maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, I had seen photos 😜), and to overpack a little bit, of course.
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While I did get to see snow and glaciers in the distance, I was pleasantly surprised by the myriad different landscapes that I didn’t expect to see, specially since I didn’t have a chance to explore a very wide area of Alaska.
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A perfect example of that was the road from Anchorage to Whittier in the morning. The rising sun reveals dramatic scenes that unfold and change constantly in front of your eyes. On one side, the fog shrouds the woods at the base of the mountains with a veil of mystery producing a moody, almost eerie view; then you turn to the other side and a snow capped mountain stands proud as it is bathed in beautiful, warm morning light, with green and yellow forests at its feet.
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I can only begin to imagine how much I have left to explore there. Alaska, I’ll be back!

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Join @travelingjackie and me on a 10-day trip through the Lake District of #Patagonia this November! Details in the link in her bio!
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@travelingjackie is probably the most passionate person I know when it comes to Patagonia. She has put together an awesome trip with a perfect mix of adventure, food and craft beer based on her own personal travels in the region to share one of her favorite places in the world with you, and I’m joining the group as the storyteller to make sure we can relive this unforgettable journey through beautiful imagery.
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5 spots open last time I checked! Don’t miss on this chance to be part of this amazing #adventure story! Looking forward to seeing you there, guys!

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The #Valley at the #Summit of Sierra de la Laguna.
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A few years ago, before I even tried climbing Sierra de la Laguna, a friend went there and came back telling stories of this massive valley on the top that felt like a magical place.
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He said you are walking through the woods following the trail as you’ve been for the last few hours and suddenly you can hear water running, and then you suddenly exit the woods and find yourself in a massive, beautiful #glade with small rivers and horses roaming free all over te place.
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From the moment he told me about it I knew I had to see this place. It still took me a couple of years to go on this adventure, though I failed on the first try. We didn’t have much time, and without a certain knowledge of the trail we decided to turn back to make it to the bottom in time.
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Last November I had the chance to give it another shot. As we were closing into The Valley I was trying to figure out how far I got the last time.
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We arrived at a creek I recognized, where we made the decision to turn back. 20 minutes later I heard the promised sound of running water. 15 minutes later I see the sight in this photo, the sight I had been waiting for years to see. I couldn’t believe how close we were the last time.
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It’s not that often that a place turns out to be exactly as you had imagined it to be: magical, beautiful, massive. I can’t wait to go back to this place in November after the rainy season. Anybody wants to join?

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Walking the #wetlands around São João lodge in the Brazilian Pantanal.
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Another #TBT from last year during one of the coolest Adventure Weeks I’ve been to. @embraturbrasil wanted to show us the side of #Brazil most people are not familiar with, so they took us to the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.
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On our second day we boarded our home for the next couple of days, Joice Tur’s Kayama cruise, which toured us around the Paraguay river to explore the #Pantanal, one of the largest wetlands in the world.
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One of the coolest places we visited in the wetlands was Passo do Lontra’s Pousada São João. Here we split in two groups, one that went horseback riding through the wetlands, and another that took a small #hike through them. I went on the hike.
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As expected, we ran into some wildlife along the way, like an armadillo under a tree full of Blue Macaws. Our guide also explained a lot about the region, vegetation, wildlife, and even gave us a temporary tattoo using a fruit he pulled of a tree.
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The landscapes were beautiful, and walking through the warm water of the wetlands was a really cool experience. And to top it off, once we got back to the lodge, they received us with a delicious traditional pantaneiro barbecue, got to play a super fun soccer match with our guides and learned a little bit about the pantaneiro culture from an authentic pantaneiro cowboy who also shared his tereré with us.
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This trip was incredible and it’s hard to pinpoint the best part of it, but this day is definitely fighting for the top place.

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Back in Boca de la Sierra with good friends.
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This year I’m very grateful for having friends from all over visiting me in Cabo, and for having the chance to show them around some of my beloved spots.
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I met Sheridan during my first Adventure Week with @adventure.travel_ right here in Baja Sur two years ago, and Lynda in my third Adventure Week in Brazil a year ago. They both work in @reefs_to_rockies a company that, as Sheridan says, is very focused in conservation through tourism, so it was great to share this hike with two travel professionals who really appreciate places like this.
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They were also accompanied by their awesome kids, who are not just very fun to talk to, but it was truly refreshing to see the spirit of #adventure in children of their age.
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It was great having you guys in my backyard! Looking forward to another adventure with you!

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