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Aisen
Bidges Travel was created in 1991 by its owner, Patricio
Silva Armanet. The Silva Robert Family currently owns
the company; the central office is 4km from the central
plaza of Coyhaique at the base of Cerro McKay. Patricio
and Rosario have put all of their experience and knowledge
in to Aisen Bridges Travel in order to offer a truly great
experience to those who visit Patagonia; Patricio, through
his extensive knowledge of the region and Rosario with
her knowledge and experience of tourism, languages and
studies in Switzerland and the USA.
Patricio Silva Armanet. Attracted by the natural,
wild and untouched beauty, the light and the people of
the region, Patricio arrived here in 1979. After obtaining
a degree in Business Studies from the University Adolfo
Ibáñez he came to work in SERPLAC (a government
public service office), where for 10 years he worked on
transport, telecommunications, energy and sports projects.
During this period of public service Patricio participated
in exploratory expeditions for the construction of the
Southern Highway, the transverse roads of the Aisen Region,
studies for mini hydroelectric plants and numerous regional
development projects. In sports he was responsible for
DIGEDER (Sports and recreation) and developed the mountain
center of El Fraile and numerous other sports centers
throughout the region. |
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 As
part of this work, in 1986, he joined an expedition group
to explore the western side of the Southern Patagonian
ice cap, walking and traveling by inflatable boat over
a 24 day period, linking Aisen and Magallanes. In 1991
he began his private projects with the acquisition of
land adjacent to the Queulat National Park and opened
the "Exploraciones Lucas Bridges" agency which
has since become Aisen Bridges Travel. In addition he
developed a consultancy office for the development of
tourism together with his wife, Rosario Robert.
Patricio's hobbies and pastimes include photography, aviation,
(he is a private pilot), sailing (small boats skipper),
horse riding treks and hiking throughout Patagonia right
down to the extreme south. His ideal is to make at least
one exploratory journey to remote places of Patagonia
every year in order to continually revive his spirit of
adventure and to widen his knowledge of the region he
has chosen to live in.
Rosario Robert Noguera. Rosario arrived in Aisen in
1996 with more than 10 years of experience working in
tourism behind her. After living in Europe where she attended
school in Geneva, Switzerland and later studying Geography
in Vermont, USA she decided to try her luck in Chile,
her home country. Living in Santiago she began, bit by
bit, to enter the world of tourism, working initially
in In-flight Service for Ladeco, the excellent and much
missed airline, and later Masterhouse, the wholesale department
of Ladeco. After holding various positions Rosario was
made General Manager. As part of this job she was able
to visit and get to know the most attractive destinations
in tourism at the time in Europe and the Americas.
In 1996 on the shoreline of Fiordo Queulat she met Patricio
Silva whom she later married. The beauty of Aisen and
Patricio's charm convinced her to come and live here in
these remote lands, start a family and work together on
developing Aisen Bridges Travel.
Aisén Bridges Travel subcontracts a team
of professional guides with different specialties to guide
our special interest groups. In addition, from 2003, the
company will sell "products of excellence" in
Patagonia operated and developed by other companies.
 The
other project of the Silva Robert family has been the
Lodge Fiordo Queulat.
When the Southern Highway had recently been planned and
designed Patricio had to walk much of what is now traveled
in vehicle; he discovered, fell in love with and later
bought a small property on the shores of Fiordo Queulat.
He later used his savings to purchase adjacent properties
to protect them and to create greater potential to convert
the lodge he had built into an "EcoLodge". The
adjacent properties have now become the Queulat National
Park
.
The lodge now has 4 cabins and is right in the heart of
the national park between virgin forest, rivers and waterfalls,
it is staffed year round and has been receiving tourists
for 11 years.
Finally, Patricio Silva Robert (junior), future heir,
joins the team. Patricio, at 3 and a half, is already
found frequently paddling in the prow of a kayak together
with his father on fishing and recreational trips in Patagonia. |
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