The Gaucho Way
7-DAY Horse Ride IN PATAGONIA, CHILE
Explore an untouched and largely unknown part of wild Patagonia. The Gaucho Way is our signature route. It follows traditional routes used by the Gauchos, Chilean cowboys who are friends and neighbors. On horseback, they herd cattle to market and return to their homesteads with flour, sugar, yerba mate and other sundries. The Gaucho Way denotes both their passage through the mountain landscape and their distinctive, gracious culture. We ride through beautiful valleys, lush forests, craggy mountain trails, and sandy beaches all with the Northern Patagonia Icefield rising 10,000 feet above you.
The horse is one of the most salient features of everyday rural life and to ride a horse in the vast expanse of wild Patagonia is more than a simple adventure. It is also a chance to become momentarily immersed in the distinctive and gracious culture of the local cowboys, or gauchos, and to be offered a glimpse into one of the most traditional cultures of Chilean society.
Day by Day at a Glance:
Day 1: Arrive Balmaceda Regional Airport (BBA). Private transfer to Puerto Bertrand. Boat shuttle to Patagonia Frontiers Main Ranch. Overnight at Patagonia Frontiers Guest House, Main Ranch.
Day 2: Orientation and day ride. Overnight at PF Guest House, Main Ranch.
Day 3: Begin multi-day horse ride in Solér Valley and Cacho Valley. 12 km. (7 mi.). Overnight Tent Camp.
Day 4: Continue ride toward Northern Patagonia Icefield. 12-18 km. (7-11 mi.). Overnight at Tent Camp.
Day 5: Complete multi-day horse ride. Celebrator dinner. 12-16 km. (7-10 mi.) Overnight at PF Guest House, Main Ranch
Day 6: Boat shuttle to Puerto Bertrand. Option for day hike or raft the Baker River. Overnight Pto. Bertrand at Local Guest Cabin.
Day 7: Private transfer to Balmaceda Regional Airport.
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: From the Santiago airport (SCL) you transfer to a domestic flight. Your driver will meet you at the regional Balmaceda airport (BBA) where you will continue your journey. You will travel south on the Austral Highway on paved and improved gravel roads. Within 300 kilometers of driving you pass two small villages, Villa Cerro Castillo, at the foot of its impressive peak, and Puerto Río Tranquilo, a village on the shores of Lago General Carrera, Chile’s largest lake, and South America’s second largest lake.
You will continue south, poised between the deep blue waters of the lake and the sharp, snowy peaks flanking the Northern Patagonia Icefield. You will arrive at the tiny hamlet of Puerto Bertrand, located at the headwaters of the Baker River, Chile’s largest volume river, a world-class fishery and the centerpiece of a dormant, yet contentious dam-building project by the Spanish Energy Consortium, Endesa.
Puerto Bertrand is your departure point for Patagonia Frontiers. You board a boat and travel 16 kilometers (10 mi.) across two connected lakes to reach our dock and main ranch. There are no roads here. Once you’ve met your guides and staff and had a look around you’ll get settled into your accommodations in the guest house.
Driving time is approximately six hours, with a one-hour boat shuttle.
Day 2: This morning you will be introduced to some of the ranch’s sturdy Criollo mounts and become familiar with the comfortable Gaucho tack. Plan on riding and exploring as you get to know the horses and some of the surrounding terrain.
The horse is one of the most salient features of everyday rural life here and visitors soon notice the ubiquitous mount, saddled and waiting outside each sparsely scattered homestead. Here, the relationship between horse and rider begins early in life. It is no surprise to come across a child atop a horse, riding alone, confidently along a mountain path.
In the evening loads are prepared for panniers and packhorses that will accompany us on the next portion of our trip. Overnight in the guest house.
Day 3: Begin the day with yerba mate, a bitter tea sipped from a gourd through a metal straw. It is a traditional start to any Patagonia day and important social custom. After a hearty breakfast, the horses are saddled, the packhorses loaded with food and camping gear, and you begin your ride.
The long valleys, lush temperate forests, and mountain peaks offer a wide variety of terrain in which to ride and it’s not uncommon to see soaring condors. The varied terrain means that you’ll be able to experience everything from craggy mountain trails to long, sandy beaches, and always with a backdrop of the majestic mountain panorama.
Tonight’s destination is situated on the banks of the Cacho River. This tent camp is located just beyond the intersection of two expansive valleys facing each other across the Solér Valley floor. This is one of our favorite spots and we always sense energy here, be it from the massive peaks, the open space, the flowing water, or the pristine landscape. There’s contentment here in an evening fire, while enjoying good company, and watching the horses graze against a slowly darkening backdrop that reveals southern stars above white, jagged peaks.
Riding distance is approximately 12 kilometers (7 mi.).
Day 4: Mate and breakfast are around a campfire as you watch the long, creeping approach of the morning’s sun slip down from the peak tops to the valley floor. Today, you will ride and explore an untouched depth of wild Patagonia that is seldom revealed.
If the day is clear, your views will encompass the surrounding peaks and glaciers, five and six thousand feet in elevation above and the awe-inspiring and formidable Northern Patagonia Icefield, with Cerro Hyades standing firm at the head of the Cacho Valley. The difference in elevation between your horse’s hooves and the summit of this colossal peak is 10,000 feet!
Along the way is the old-growth forest of Coigüe, or Dombey’s beech, with its elegant branches and thick, lustrous evergreen leaves. The large Magellanic woodpecker is frequently seen or heard here, with its resoundingly deep echo reverberating through the air as it searches for grubs in the ruin of aged trunks. This is also home to the endangered huemul, or South Andean Deer, as well as predators such as the Geoffroy’s Cat, Patagonian Fox, and Puma. Hidden in plain view, inconspicuous amongst the grandeur of the landscape, is a marble mountainside.
Weather, river levels, the group’s energy and pace will ultimately influence the furthest point of the ride. If conditions permit it is possible to reach as far as the massive glacier’s edge before returning to the tent camp for the night.
Riding distance is approximately 12-18 kilometers (7-11 mi.).
Day 5: As the morning sunlight edges toward camp, you’ll sip yerba mate around a fire and marvel as the light plays over the peaks of snow, ice and rock. There’s plenty of time to take in the beauty before packing up camp and heading back home down valley. Perhaps we will have an opportunity to pass by one of our neighbor’s homesteads, subsistence ranches deep in the wilderness, an enclave of human presence and friendly hospitality.
The evening will include a celebratory dinner . Don’t be surprised if you find yourself staying up late to listen to the strumming of a guitar and a soft, Spanish melody.
Riding distance is approximately 12-18 kilometers (7-11 mi.).
Day 6: Breathe in the refreshing, cool morning air. Spend the morning on a stroll along the beach, or through the orchards, gardens and greenhouses. Take a walk in the pasture and share a moment with the horses, or relax as you prepare to say goodbye to the ranch before departing by boat to Puerto Bertrand.
The dock there is the departure point for a whitewater rafting descent of the crystal-clear powerhouse that is the Baker River. *You can alternatively choose to have an additional day at the ranch relaxing and exploring or if you prefer more vigorous activity a longer day hike instead of rafting.
Overnight in Puerto Bertrand at a local guest cabin.
Additional add-on excursions and activities available upon request. *pricing will vary:
Visit marble caves and chapel in Pto. Tranqilo, and Exploradores Glacier.
Visit the Confluencia, the junction of the mighty Baker and Nef rivers, Chacabuco Valley, site of the newly formed Patagonia National Park, and frontier town of Cochrane.
Visit town of Caleta Tortel, with it’s intricate boardwalks.
Additional trekking days.
Day 7: Depart for the Balmaceda airport.
We hope that this sample itinerary offers highlights what this trip offers. Ideally, each trip is best crafted by working together with our guests to best meet their needs. Each trip’s length, activity types, and skill level may be adapted to meet a party’s goals and desires.
Whether you choose an established itinerary or create one of your own, our commitment is to accommodate your interests and to provide you with a thoroughly enjoyable, safe and memorable experience. We look forward to hosting you at our wilderness ranch home.
Other Sample Itineraries:
Mountaineering: 10 Day Beginner Course