The Gaucho Way

9 DAY Horse RidE IN CHILE, PATAGONIA

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.

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Day by Day at a Glance:

  • Day 1: Arrive Balmaceda Regional Airport (BBA). Private transfer to Puerto Bertrand. Overnight Pto. Bertrand at Local Guest Cabin.

  • Day 2: Full-day trek. 12 km. (7 mi.). Overnight at PF Guest House, Main Ranch.

  • Day 3: Day at main ranch. Options for day hike or riding. 0-18km. (0-11 mi.). Overnight at PF Guest House, Main Ranch.

  • Day 4: Begin multi-day supported ride. 12 km. (7 mi.) Overnight at Tent Camp.

  • Day 5: Ride to view Northern Patagonia Icefield. 12-18 km. (7-11 mi.). Overnight Tent Camp.

  • Day 6: Continue ride down valley. 12-18 km. (7-11 mi.) Overnight at Tent Camp.

  • Day 7: Complete supported ride. Celebratory dinner. 12-16 km. (7-10 mi.) Overnight at PF Guest House, Main Ranch.

  • Day 8: Boat shuttle to Puerto Bertrand. Option for day hike or raft the Baker River. Overnight Pto. Bertrand at Local Guest Cabin.

  • Day 9: Private transfer to Balmaceda Regional Airport.

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1:  Your driver will meet you at the regional Balmaceda airport (BBA).  You will travel south on the Austral Highway on paved and improved gravel roads.  Within 300 kilometers of driving you will 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.

Overnight in Puerto Bertrand.

Driving time is approximately six hours.

Day 2:  After breakfast you depart taking a short boat shuttle to the start of the hike. You will carry a daypack loaded with essential items and luggage will be taken to the main ranch where it will be waiting for your arrival.

Today holds a spectacular segment of the trek. Our route will rise up intermittently forested slopes to a high shoulder overlooking the joining of waters between Lago Bertrand and Lago Plomo.  These waters connect through a breach in the long, narrow moraine that forms a peninsula separating the two lakes.  This short gap demarcates where the deep blue of Lago Bertrand abruptly changes to the jade green of Lago Plomo.

After the trail’s initial ascent, you will hike along rocky outcroppings, across high alpine valleys, and through enchanted forests of moss-covered beech trees.  The glaciated peaks are at your shoulder and the waters of the lake are below your feet.  Keep an eye skyward in search of an Andean condor, with its distinctively broad wingspan.  Near the lake’s end are spectacular views far up the Solér Valley, where the afternoon sun stands watch over the enormous expanse of the Patagonia Icefield summits.

Finish the day with a descent past a marble outcropping, sculpted by time and the elements, and walk across a forested pasture to the dock, boats, houses and barns of the main ranch.  It will be a long, satisfying day finished with a wholesome meal, a glass of fine Chilean wine, and falling asleep in the rustic, relaxing guest house.

Trekking distance is approximately 12 kilometers (7 mi.).

Day 3:  Spend the day exploring the ranch and surrounding property.  Today 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.

Riding distance is approximately 0-18 kilometers (0-11 mi.).

Day 4:  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 an important social custom.  After a hearty breakfast the horses are saddled, the packhorses loaded with food and camping gear, and you begin your ride. You carry only essentials in your daypack as you travel along the route.

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 at the beginning of another Patagonia Frontiers ranch.  This tent camp is located just beyond the intersection of two large valleys facing each other across the Solér Valley floor.  This is one of our favorite spots in the valley 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, 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 5:  Mate and breakfast are around a campfire this morning as you watch the long, creeping approach of the morning’s sun slip down from the peak tops to the valley floor.  Today you explore an untouched depth of wild Patagonia that is seldom revealed. 

If the day is clear your views will encompass the immediately surrounding peaks and glaciers, five and six thousand feet in elevation above you, as well as 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 the valley floor at the far end of our Cacho Ranch and the summit of this colossal peak is 10,000 feet!

Along the way is 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 here, or heard, 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 Geoffroy’s Cat, Patagonian Fox and Puma.  Hidden in plain view, inconspicuous amongst the grandeur of so much else, is a marble mountainside.

Your tent camp location will be chosen based on conditions.  Riding distance will vary and is approximately 12-18 kilometers (7-11 mi.).

Day 6:  The night’s long song of rumbling ice falls and murmuring tree branches gives way to the crackle of campfire and early morning calls of the Chucao and Hued-Hued.  Weather, river levels, equine health as well as the group’s energy ultimately influence our route today.  When conditions permit you may reach as far as the massive glacier’s edge before continuing towards the main Solér Valley.

Perhaps you’ll have an opportunity to pass by one of our few neighbor’s homesteads, subsistence ranches deep in the wilderness and enclaves of human presence and affable hospitality.

Your tent camp location will be chosen based on conditions.  Riding distance will vary and is approximately 12-18 kilometers (7-11 mi.).

Day 7: As the sunlight edges toward camp from across the river you’ll sip yerba mate around the morning fire and marvel as the light plays over the peaks of snow, ice and rock. There’s plenty of time to enjoy the morning routine before packing camp, and heading back home down valley. There’s no hurry to depart, yet eventually you'll follow one of several paths down valley to to the main ranch.

Evening brings a celebratory dinner.  Don’t be surprised to find yourself staying up late listening to the strumming of a guitar and a soft, Spanish melody.

Riding distance is approximately 12-16 kilometers (7-10 mi.).

Day 8:  Breathe in this morning’s clean, cool 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 simply relax as you prepare to say goodbye to the ranch and shuttle 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.

Add-on excursions and activities available *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 its intricate boardwalks.

  • Additional trekking days.

You overnight and freshen up in a local guest cabin, or bed and breakfast.

Day 9:  Your driver will meet you for the return north directly to the regional Balmaceda airport, your domestic flight to Santiago and international departure.

We hope that this sample itinerary highlights what this trip offers.  Ideally, each trip is best crafted by working together with our guests and clients. 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.

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