FRIENDS OF COCHAMÓ IS A 501(c)(3) US-BASED NONPROFIT STARTED IN 2018 TO HELP PROTECT THE COCHAMÓ VALLEY. 

Our mission is to inspire the collective stewardship of the unique ecology and culture in and around the Cochamó Valley in the Los Lagos region of southern Chile. Our board of directors comes from Chile, Argentina, and the United States, and has more than 50 seasons of combined experience in Cochamó. 

Board of Directors

  • JB Haab
    JB Haab

    JB is a long-time visitor to Valle Cochamó. He is a Program Director of the Front Range Climbing Stewards at his home in Colorado, and has brought his passion and knowledge of trailwork, stewardship and conservation to Cochamó for each winter for the past decade. He is one of the most prolific climbers in Cochamó’s history.

  • Chris Kalman
    Chris Kalman

    Chris is a writer, climber, and conservationist. He has made six trips to Cochamó valley, where he has established a handful of popular climbing routes. He has written about Cochamó for Patagonia’s catalogue, as well as Mountain Life, Alpinist, and Rock and Ice Magazines, and various digital publications. He lives with his partner, Megan Kelly, in Flagstaff, Arizona.

  • Megan Kelly
    Megan Kelly

    Megan has spent three seasons in Cochamó. She has climbed and hiked there extensively and has been an organizer and participant in community events. In 2017 she completed CSU’s top-ranked Global, Social & Sustainable Enterprise MBA program. She currently works for a conservation organization in Flagstaff, Arizona where she resides with her partner, Chris Kalman.

  • Daniel Pastene
    Daniel Pastene

    Daniel is a talented videographer, musician, and photographer. He has spent many seasons in Cochamó, and has worked in Camping La Junta as a campground host. He also lived in Cochamó town where he worked as a music teacher. His film, El Mono de Cochamó, won the Santiago Mountain Film Festival 2016 award for Best Film.

  • Tatiana Sandoval
    Tatiana Sandoval

    Tatiana was born and raised in Cochamó. Her and her brother, Favián, are cofounders of Southern Trips, which provides horsepacking support throughout Cochamó. Tati helps organize all the arrieros (horse-packers) in the area, and is also the president of our sister organization, the Chilean-based Agrupación de Turismo del Valle Cochamó

  • Daniel Seeliger
    Daniel Seeliger

    Daniel is one of Cochamó’s most prolific climbers, trail builders, and advocates. He is a founder and board member of both Refugio Cochamó, as well as our sister organization, the Chilean-based Agrupación de Turismo del Valle Cochamó. Though originally from Reno, Nevada, he now spends most of his time in Cochamó, or Lago Puelo, Argentina, with his wife, Silvina, and their son Zen.

  • Nahir Vera
    Nahir Vera

    Nahir is from Argentina, and has worked for many seasons at Camping La Junta. She is a passionate climber, political activist, and a contributor to her local radio station in her home in El Bolsón, Argentina. She has spent five summers in Cochamó and counting.

  • Silvina Verdun
    Silvina Verdun

    Silvina first visited Cochamó in 2000 on a climbing trip with her husband Daniel Seeliger. Since then, her and Daniel have founded Refugio Cochamó and Camping La Junta. She is a founder and board member of our sister organization, the Chilean-based Agrupación de Turismo del Valle Cochamó.

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