Horse Riding Trip of a Lifetime – Across the Andes
Original post: Another World Adventures
An unknown author once aptly wrote that “I’ve spent most of my life riding horses. The rest I’ve just wasted” and it inspired us to think of a horse riding trip of a lifetime.
Riding across the Andes is probably up there in our very favourite trips.
This epic journey travels from the Chilean Lake District to the stunning Argentine National Park through the Andean region of northern Patagonia. It’s a magnificent part of the world. Surrounded by breath-taking vistas riders can choose either an eight or fourteen (Full Grande Traversée!) day crossing. You’ll saddle up to follow old smuggler routes which criss-crosses over countless rivers through ancient forests and over and around beautiful blue lakes.
One of the things that makes this a horse riding trip of a lifetime in our eyes is that it’s made special by the amazing local guides and horsemen who travel with you on this journey following the pioneer trails. It’s one of those rare journeys where you get to discover the rural gaucho culture as you ride through the many hidden valleys along the way keeping a steady pace on this sometimes challenging ride.
The horses used are Chilean creole horse – the only American stock horse that has maintained a closed registry that has not been purposely crossed with any other breed before or after its formal registration started in 1893. Like many other Creole breeds across Latin America, the Chilean Creole is extremely strong which is needed for this often steep terrain.
Trip details
The eight day ride sets off with a three hour drive that crosses the Valdivian forests along the remote and beautiful Reloncavi fjord. You’ll picnic on the shores of Tagua Lake before crossing the ferry to meet the Baqueanos (local guides) and your horses before making the final ride and river crossing (you in a small boat and the horses swimming) before hitting the hay.
The Puelo River carves much of your route for this crossing. Untouched ancient forests and clear straight passes will be your view as you journey along a wild trail pioneered many years ago by smugglers and cowboys.
By the third day you should have found your pace and will be ready for a long day in the saddle of your trusted steed crossing rivers and riding through Puerto Urrutia before Horse Riding Across the Andes3riding towards the end of the Ventisqueros Valley where you’ll feast on another delicious lunch before bedding down later in a traditional homestay for a couple of nights of delicious home cooking and delicious local wines … it’s worth noting that through the trip each rider has half a bottle of wine allocated to them with every dinner to ease the day’s riding away!
Let’s face it, keeping you fuelled is a big part of this experience. The food on the trip will be a mix flavors but mostly Creole-Chilean cuisine cooked on a traditional wood stove to give a special flavor to the dishes.
The ride into the next chapter of this journey crosses into a new valley and glacier. It may only be small valley but it’s wild and remote with incredible flora and a little wildlife in this strange and barren part of the land. It’s in contrast to the lush rich area of “la Pasarela del Rio Puelo”, an important local hanging bridge in a spectacular region huge waterfalls and raging rapids.
One of the highlights of this ride is a visit and stay at Las Bandurrias island an enchanting and remote cottage located at Las Rocas Lake, amid Puelo Valley, an evergreen valley in the Andes Mountain Range, on the border between Chile and Argentina. It’s the perfect set up before embarking on a ride through the majestic peaks and stunning landscapes around the Blue Lake and into the ‘cold jungle’ region and Valdivian-type rainforest with its ancient Alerce trees (Fitzroy Cupresoide) as well as other local “giants” such as the “Coihue” and “Arrayanes”(the cold tree).
The final day of the journey will include a ride to the Mountain Police Station which leads to the border crossing with Argentina close to the edge of the Puelo River. With extraordinary views of Inferior Lake you’ll have to clear Chilean customs and immigration by horse before continuing to the shore of Lake Puelo in Argentina.
