I arrived in Bariloche and fell into the arms of an Argentinian, in the least romantic way possible. I sat hunched on a rock overlooking the hiking capital of Argentina. I’d come to trek, camp, and explore. In that moment, I couldn’t even stand.

In Torotoro, Bolivia, a Pterodactyl flopping around on land is easy to imagine. Dinosaurs footprints walk through this lost world of canyons and caves.

Mount Rundle brought me to life, but as a first hike it nearly killed me. This 1,600m half-cliff, half-mountain ignited a lifelong passion for summits in a girl from a flat land.