The North Face athlete Olivia Amber is just about to roll into her second summer of 2023. Earlier this year, she set out on a 3-month road trip through South America, running and climbing (and occasionally fly fishing) from Santiago, Chile all the way down to Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago off the southernmost tip of the continent. Now that she’s been back home for a bit, we sat down to talk about her southern hemisphere summer, including the FKT she set on the 40-mile Huemul Circuit outside of El Chalten, Argentina, her overall win at the Ultra Fiord 30k, and a whole lot more. Then, we launch into a back-and-forth discussion about fastpacking best practices and gear tips just in time for summer in the States.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Road Tripping Through Chile (1:48)
• Trail Running in South America (4:50)
• Chilean Fjords (8:24)
• Olivia’s Huemul Circuit FKT (12:35)
• Fastpacking 101 (21:24)
• Why & When to Use Poles (27:11)
• Fastpacking Pack Recommendations (32:45)
• Calorie Corner (37:10)
• Navigation Tips & Tricks (46:53)
• Choosing Adventure Partners (51:29)

RELATED LINKS:

• Olivia’s Huemul Circuit FKT trip report
• Palante
• Become a Blister Member
• BLISTER+
• 2024 Blister Summit Info

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