4 days horse riding
Multi-day rides are our speciality. We have travelled 3 years on horseback through Argentina crossing vast and variety of landscapes covering 3200kms with infants. Combining Angie’s professional equestrian skills (B.Sc Animal Husbandry – Equine major), been riding since 2003 in various Equestrian Centers in Poland, worked professionally in stables all over Europe and Mo’s Wilderness Survival Education from UK, natural horsemanship that he learned from locals around the world. Thus offering our clients a unique blend of worldly knowledge, professional background, local equine culture, not just the region but the variations throughout the country.
We will dedicate an hour in explanations and preparations getting you to know your horse, his behaviours, and how you can have the ride as if you are the one doing the travel. Other riding centres do almost everything for you, the horses trained to follow the lead horse. Where the fun in that? Here we aim to offer you the experience in its fullest form the pleasure with its tolls. You will be in charge of your companion, attending to his needs, understanding what he isn’t comfortable with and treating him with respect. You will be brushing, saddling, cleaning, watering and feeding independently with supervision and assistance.
TRAIL MAP
Day by Day
After preparations we will ride to big rocks formation through easy well formed trials, where we will take 10 minute break for the views and photos. Continuing onto the crash plane site for lunch and resting the horses. After 3 hours break we will ascend a steep mountain walking alongside the horses, then atop riding along the ridges with stunning views of the Andes and the Lake. As the sun sets over the mountains, we will make our way down to the adobe for the night. This Gaucho house is not your regular Airbnb, especially rented only to the people the owners know and trust. This original Gaucho house was built with natural materials available in the zone and modified over the years to include modernization. The cabin is well equipped despite being built hundreds of years ago by one of the 1st gauchos to settle in the area. We will have the Argentinian BBQ – Asado with drinks. There is Wi-Fi and a hot shower available.
After dinner and drinks, we will feed the horses together before hitting the hay.
We will leave the gaucho’s house into the town of Las Vegas, through its hidden streets filled with trees contrasting the arid mountains we have been through. We will cross rivers and streams in this leg of the journey. There is a convenience store along the way if you fancy treating yourself. We will be riding on asphalted street as well in parts but mostly on tracks. Crossing the village of Vallecitos, located in high Andes, we will arrive at a river bank with green grass, flowing water where we will take break for the lunch. After lunch we will ride through the windy dirt roads of the “Cordon del Plata Park” as its prohibited by license to go off track in preservation of sensitive natural flora and fauna. We will be at altitudes around 3000 meters and our final spot will be the last refuge that can be accessed on horseback. Here you’ll be given warm dinner and drinks. Wifi here is unreliable so perfect place to disconnect yourself.
We will experience riding above the clouds thanks to the valley, high altitude and high humidity. Though its the same track, its different looking 100d’s of kms of vast open empty space, really mesmerizing. We will stop at a different river bank for lunch with shade of tress and dip in the fresh glacial waters. After lunch we will head back to the Gaucho’s house through the village of Vallecitos cantering or galloping through its empty streets with the beat of the hooves.
The next day we climb back the mountain and follow a different trail back home. The second section will also be riding along the ridges with great and closer views of the lake. Then we will descend onto a plateau of riverbed with lots of ups and downs.
We will stop for lunch at the abandoned Gaucho post where we will stay for 3 hours to let the horses graze and rest. This spot has a natural spring to freshen up and shadow to take a siesta. This abandoned post has a lot of cultural significance and history to be shared. Their purpose, why it got abandoned, and much more.
The last leg of the ride will be an easy and fast ride through an arid meadow. After being on the horse for more than 30kms, you’ll be comfortable to trot and canter on the flat tracks, crossing the big rocks we saw the day before until we reach the river bed on a completely different track till we reach our base. You can choose to stay for another night here with us or grab a bus/taxi to the city centre.
