Keep your head in the heights of Patagonia

Trekkers who shake in their hiking boots at the words 'high altitude' should take a trip to Patagonia – the trekkers paradise where you won't have to worry about altitude sickness.

At the southern tip of South America, Patagonia is one of the few places in the world where mountains erupt virtually from sea level and rise to Himalayan heights.

The basalt spires of the Fitz Roy National Park and the craggy towers of the Paine National Park tower almost three kilometres above the grassy pampas.

The thing about Patagonia is its assault on all previous conceptions of scale - the glacial lakes are magnificent and the massive mountains are capped by a piercing, limitless sky.

In Patagonia you'll experience some of the world's most spectacular trekking in pristine wilderness, it's Edenesque but it won't make you breathless!

And for the first time this season, visitors will fly into the heart of Patagonia – to the new international airport at Calafate, Argentina, avoiding the bumpy four-hour ride from Rio Gallegos.

World Expeditions are now offering four diverse itineraries in Patagonia, each with several departures. The season begins in mid-November and extends through until the end of February.

The difficulty will be deciding which trip to join. In February World Expeditions added a new special interest botanical trip to be lead by well-known Australian horticulturalist, Elwyn Swane, for wildflower enthusiasts. This trip has only one departure.

Patagonian adventures include:

* The Patagonia Parks and Wildlife trip offers 16-days of gentle day walks exploring the National parks of Argentina and Chile, it costs $6565 from Buenos Aires.

* The Paine and Fitz Roy Trek is a 16-day trip, that includes 9 days of moderate trekking. This is a lodge-based trek that takes in Torres del Paine and Fitz Roy National Parks, as well as the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the world's only glaciers outside Antarctica that is still advancing. This trip costs $6380 from Buenos Aires.

* The Patagonia Adventure is a trek that includes 11 days of moderate day treks to view the unique wilderness and wildlife of Patagonia. This trip costs $4795 from Calafate.

* The Paine Circuit is a 15-day trip that includes 10 days of challenging trekking. This is one of the most spectacular challenging treks in the Andes. This trip costs $5895 from Buenos Aires.

* The Patagonian Wildflowers trip is a 15-day special interest trip for wildflower enthusiasts planned for February next year. The cost of this trip has not yet been confirmed.

Trekking in Patagonia is virtually at sea level, the trips are suitable for anyone of reasonable fitness, and new flight schedules to South America offer more flexibility than ever before.

* For detailed trip notes on adventures in Patagonia call World Expeditions on 0800 350 354 or visit www.worldexpeditions.co.nz