Riding from Estancia Huechahue in Argentina to the Chilean lake district

Itinerary

Day 1: You will be met at Chapelco airport, San Martin de los Andes and driven to Estancia Huechahue (approx. 30 mins.). There will be an evening ride, a chance to familiarize yourself with the horses and tack and the riding style.

Day 2: A full day's ride on Estancia Huechahue with an "asado" (BBQ) lunch. Follow the Huechahue stream through its basalt canyons, riding across the water-meadows sending the plovers and ibis screeching, before returning over the top of Chenque Hill, where the Andes rise up behind you and the vastness of Patagonia stretches out before you.

Days 3-6: Set out from Huechahue for Chile. The next 8 days will be spent crossing from the wide open spaces of Argentine Patagonia over the Andes to the thickly forested steep slopes of Chilean Patagonia. 

From Huechahue you will ride for 4 days up into the Andes through the Andean Steppes, you will ford rivers, pass through indian reservations, ride over ridges and through magnificent rocky gorges, you will gallop across water meadows and race along sandy tracks.

Nights will be spent camping by trout filled rivers under the spectacular stars of the Southern hemisphere.

Day 7: At lunchtime, at the base of Lanin Volcano in a forest of monkey puzzle trees you will reach the Argentine / Chilean border, where your Chilean guides will be waiting for you. After immigration and customs formalities and lunch you will leave Argentina and the horse that has carried you to here. There's a short 4km drive before you mount a fresh horse and start down the western slopes of the Andes.

Days 8, 9: The next 2 days will be spent riding down through magnificent Southern beech forests, with spectacular views of lakes and volcanoes. The western slopes of the Andes are much steeper, the terrain very different. You will be able to swim in lagoons and bathe in hot springs. Your hosts will be the gentle Chilean Huasos rather than the flamboyant Argentine gauchos, the tack is different, the horses as well. 

On the last evening you will reach the Panqui thermal springs.

Day 10: Time for a final bathe before the 3 hr drive back to Estancia Huechahue.