Living in the wilderness in stunning landscape, riding out everyday putting the final fitness on a horse you will ride in an endurance race - a wonderful horse riding holiday.
Duration: 15 Days
Grading:CHALLENGINGMax Group Size: 4
Type:SMALL GROUPPrices from: £1806
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Tour Overview
This tour is about experiencing the horse in its natural free enviroment. We will try and do as much riding as daylight and weather permits! Clients have to be prepared for dramatic changeable weather. A basic lodge, simple living and riding out each day, aiming to do long fast day rides. The evenings will be spent cooking over a woodburning stove, drinking delicious selection of Chilean wines, eating locally reared lamb and home grown vegetables.
Your guide is an absolute enthusiast of local rural traditions and equine culture. You will have a unique insight into local gaucho or 'baqueano' culture, helping them with their animals on occasion and stopping for shelter, mate and meals with these remote living people.
There is varied and beautiful bird life. We will read and learn a lot about the flora and fauna in general. We will see puma tracks each day and may have the opportunity to track one. You will learn about the local horse culture; the hand made raw hide leather tack, hand woven saddle blankets; the general keepng of horses in this area, rounding up of horses on horse back; cold shoeing techniques. The trip culminating in an endurance race, hosted by the owners of Estancia Campana. A race weekend of fun riding and celebrating regardless of one's placing!
The lodge or 'puesto' is located at Estancia Campana. This is in southern Chile, nearest town is Puerto Natales. Estancia Campana and the location of the lodge is set in stunning scenery with a dramatic view of the mountain range 'Los Baguales'. The estancia lodging is nestled below the mountain 'Camapana' and 'Castillo'.
Activities
This holiday is for good keen riders who enjoy fast riding. The purpose of this holiday is to put the final fitness levels onto a horse you will then enter into an endurance race in the region of Torres Del Paine. We will be riding up to 40 kilometres a day, cantering through beautiful scenery. We will go up into remote valleys for hill work fitness. The riding will be day rides. Outside of this we will be preparing meat for our meals, preparing the fire for warmth and cooking. There are no modern facilities; it will chatting around the stove, sipping wine, having roast meat and vegetables, reading, chatting and laughing.
Special relationship with various families throughout Argentina and Chile. Main area of expertise and interest is Patagonia.In depth knowledge of the land, people and cultural heritage. A great love of wilderness living. Born in a remote location in West Africa and thereafter a lifetime experience of exploring remote locations. Enjoy sharing discussions on wild flowers, wildlife, artesan activities and produce of indigenous communities. A pleasure sharing time with the gaucho and estancia families. Always learning. Love of horses and all things equine from breeding, breaking in horses, to living with them and dressing them with hand made tack and textiles from the local areas. All things natural are all the more practicle for horse and human. Loom woven pontio and hand spun woollen jumpers using natural locally sourced plant dyes. Never short of chat on literature of Patagonia, always carrying a small library of good reading, spanish and english. Wine, folkloric song, asado and dance are a special ingredients in this magical land.
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Tour Highlights
Remote living - Beautiful fast riding through stunning countryside - Experiencing living in proper southern Patagonia - Autumnal colours - Racing a horse you become familiar with in an endurance race near Torres del Paine National Park - A unique experience
Itinerary
Day 1
Meet at Punta Arenas airport. First night in guest house and out for supper. Drive to the estancia the following day.
Day 2
Drive to Estancia Campana, stopping for lunch in Puero Natales. Settling into your 'puesto' home for the next 10 days. Meeting the horses. Having sun downer and taking in the breath taking view you become absorbed by during your stay.
Day 3 to 12
These days will be spent riding fast through the beautiful countryside getting your horse ready to race in the endurance race.
Day 3 to 12
We will meet a number of local baqueanos on our day rides. Sometimes just out on horseback. Other times we will make spontaneous detours to take 'mate' if we are feeling tired, we need to shelter from weather or we are just feeling sociable!
Day 3 to 12
Your puesto, guarded by hand reared cow, 'pincol'. A puesto is a workers, place of residence where he or family live when looking after an estancia's or their own animals. We will be staying in such a place. The owner's house, as in above photo is close by. It is simple, clean and very basic. Very warm because it has a wood burning stove inside. This stove will become a fond memory and a focus in the evenings. Warming the wine, drying clothes, cooking fine roasts, and heating the kettle.
Day 3 to 12
Inside your puesto. Your guide studying maps on a riding day off. You are nestled in beautiful wilderness country. The sound of birdlife around the puesto is wonderful.
Day 3 to 12
It will be autumn, the colours and views on day rides can be incredible. This is 2 hours from the house and part of a wonderful ride.
Day 3 to 12
The tack room, your saddle and blankets, where we start the day.
Day 3 to 13
The coral. nestled below castle mountain, only the puma lives up there!
Day 3 to 13
The options for day rides are endless! Condors playing in the thermals as we head up another valley.
Day 3 to 12
A wonderful view over toward 'Los Baguales' the mountain range where there are still wild horses.
Day 3 to 13
If you look carefully you can se the house. It really is in the countryside!
day3 to 12
Rounding up horses is often in big pastures and to the work it is necessary to be mounted.
Day 13 to 14
We will move ourselves from our home to the starting place of the endurance race. We will move the horses by open truck, firstly riding them tree hours to pick up point. The next 2 nights we be spent at Hosteria Torres or the Refugio. There will be official talks and preparation on the first night before the off in the morning. An eary night is suggested, but optional!!
Day 13 to 14
The hosteria is located close up to the drammatic mountain range of Torres del Paine national park.
Day 15
You will travel back to Punta Arenas after a fun night of post race celebrations and presentations. A transfer will be arranged from the hosteria. You may choose to extend your stay or to meet your flight at the airport.
It does get more eco friendly. Drinking water straight from the mountain. Eating locally reared sheep and beef. Home grown vegetables. riding horses which are adorned with locally made crude leather and hand spun, woven wool with naturally sourced dyes.
Our Trusted Partner's Responsible and Sustainable Travel Policy
The estancia lodge is virtually self sustaining and thus enviromental impact is negligable. Electricity is generated by water turbine, meat is reared on farm. Livestock is minimal and thus no over grazing. Access is only by horse.
About our Trusted Partner
Remote estancia lodge. Running wilderness learning courses, moving by horse back. learning survival skills and how to travel by horseback self sufficiently.
What a place to ride! : A Wild Race at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
What a place to ride!
it can be quite fresh at times but usually in weeks after the race! : A Wild Race at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
it can be quite fresh at times but usually in weeks after the race!
Resting after a 2 hour gallop to nearest neighbour 'Tres Pasos' : A Wild Race at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Resting after a 2 hour gallop to nearest neighbour 'Tres Pasos'
if we hear of local rodeo going on, we will try and attend : A Wild Race at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
if we hear of local rodeo going on, we will try and attend
Laguna Amarga, near the location of race start : A Wild Race at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Laguna Amarga, near the location of race start
rounding up horses : A Wild Race at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
rounding up horses
baqueanos riding home, laughing and joking : A Wild Race at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
baqueanos riding home, laughing and joking
A beautiful autumn day : A Wild Race at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
A beautiful autumn day
eating and drinking after the race : A Wild Race at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
eating and drinking after the race
Great view from the lodging : A Wild Race at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
Great view from the lodging
following puma tracks in the first snowfall : A Wild Race at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
following puma tracks in the first snowfall
your in galloping country, there is no limit : A Wild Race at www.NatureandKind.com (THE.NATURAL.CHOICE)
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