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from £1,950 or €2,195
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22 – 29 January 2024
21 – 28 February 2024
4 – 11 March 2024
18 – 25 March 2024
Note: Rates are subject to daily exchange rate fluctuations, please refer to our Terms & Conditions for full details.
Included – All riding, guiding, accommodation, meals, drinks and San Carlos de Bailoche tranfers.
Excluded – Flights & tips.
Getting There
The nearest airport is San Carlos de Bariloche.
Transfer
The transfer from San Carlos de Bariloche to Sapucia is 4 hours by car.
The Alto Chubut Ride is a special trip out on an adventurous trail brought to you by our trusted hosts, Dominic and Tammy Robaina and their beautiful herd of Criolla horses from the Sapucai Mountain Retreat. Begin your week riding between rocky mountains and the Patagonian steppe at the first trickle of the Chubut river, full of wilderness and mountain path roads used only farmers. Camping out in the remote areas and enjoying the peace of true countryside. Ride up to 1700m and enjoy the incredible view over Alto Chubut then discover signs of habitation from years gone by including abandoned gold mines.
Jill visited here in February 2019
Really friendly people I connected with straight away, Dominic is laid back and informative about the area and a true horseman, Tammy is this small bundle of joy, always laughing and happy to run to your assistance at any moment. This creates a great vibe in their rustic homestead, their gaucho hands are equally as friendly and helpful. It’s in a very special position, sitting on a river, deep in the Chubut valley surrounded by the Andes. On arrival, we were quick to chuck off our dirty travelling gear and jump into the fresh, clean river for a swim!
I loved the riding and my Criolla horse, she was compact, very beautiful and so very powerful, the mountain sides we climbed were insane and she moved up and down them like a nimble goat, I felt very safe to let her take the paths she thought best. While we were there, we experienced riding over the vast Patagonian steppe, through beautiful beech forests, crossed rivers and the highlight was this incredible high mountain climb to see a beautiful glacier lake – it took us 9 hours, with a few times having to get off to let the horses scramble up and down steep parts of the route. It truly felt like an adventure that day, to get so high up on a horse felt amazing. Incredibly the next day when we went to check and mount our horses every one looked as fit and well as they did the previous day, testament to the care that Dominic and Tammy give their much loved horses and to the incredible Criolla breed itself, which is characteristically strong and hardy.
Alto Chubut Ride: Horses – A much loved herd of sure footed and forward going Criolla type horses, often left to graze in the garden and grounds on the estancia.
Alto Chubut Ride: Level of Riding & Pace – Intermediate to advanced riders.
Alto Chubut Ride: Tack – Western style.
Alto Chubut Ride: Weight Restriction – 90kgs / 14 stone 2 lbs / 198lbs.
Alto Chubut Ride: Group Size – Maximum 8
Accommodation includes 2 nights camping (a tent for every two people with sleeping bag and mat available if needed). 2 nights at El Sapucai mountain refuge (double occupancy rooms with shared bathroom), 1 night in a mountain lodge and 2 nights at a hotel in Bariloche
El Sapucai mountain refuge is located on the banks of the Chubut River, an isolated area in the foothills. The house has a warm kitchen-dining room where delicious meals are prepared with firewood. There are two bedrooms for two people each, a complete bathroom with a wood heater and a living room with a fireplace. Everything is set to make this place a unique experience. Outside, a small stream separates the house from the 2 yurts, located in front of the Chubut River. Each one has wooden floors, wood heating and full beds for 2 / 3 people. Its solid construction and warm interior ambience allow you to enjoy a full rest.
All the meat and vegetables are all organically grown and sourced from local farms. You can expect breakfasts that include freshly baked breads, freshly laid eggs, cheeses and ham. Lunches are picnic style out riding and dinners are often fresh trout or an asado with lamb or goat, potatoes and fresh salad, washed down with some local red wine.
Horse Riding Holidays like this Across The Andes expedition, are part of the Zara’s Planet collection of Horse Riding Holidays Argentiana.
Please Ask About
Day 1
Arrival at Bariloche’s international airport where a private transfer will take you to your hotel, located in the centre of this beautiful city surrounded by lakes and mountains, situated in the very heart of the Patagonian Andes. Depending on your arrival time, you will have time to visit the city and do some last-minute shopping for the horseback ride. In the afternoon your guide will meet the group at the hotel to give you a brief outline of what we will spend the next few days doing. Dinner at a traditional steak restaurant. Dinner; Overnight at Hotel.
Day 2
1st Day on horseback (5 – 6 hours) Transfer to the area of the Pichileufu River, located 35 km from Bariloche where we will meet our guide, his assistants, and the horses with which we will spend the next few days. To get to Pichileufu, we cross one of the most important ranches in the area, the “El Condor” ranch, whose activity is the breeding of sheep and cattle and most likely we will see some of these large herds of cows or sheep that graze in this field. Assignment of horses and equipment. Brief talk about safety and details of the ride. The ride takes us to the heart of the pre-cordillera located between rocky mountain formations and the openness of the Patagonian steppe. After lunch at a ranch post we continue our journey in this pristine environment. Overnight in camp, surrounded by nature and without any noise from society, we review this first day of our adventure. Breakfast, Lunchbox, Dinner. Overnight in Camp.
Day 3
2nd day on horseback (6 – 8 hours) After a delicious breakfast, we will leave behind the landscape of gentle hills and deep valleys and begin to climb a trail used by the local people to move their animals to reach their verandas. We will arrive at the “Paso Sin Nombre” at 1700m. Leaving this area among the rocks, we find a landscape that opens up to the immensity of a huge valley in the middle of the mountain range, the area of “Alto Chubut”. The journey continues for a few more hours until we reach an idyllic location surrounded by an ancient lenga forest where we stay in a mountain refuge. Breakfast, Lunchbox, Dinner; Overnight stay in mountain refuge.
Day 4
3rd day on horseback (5 – 6 hours) This morning we will go down the valley of the Pantanoso stream, leaving behind the wooded area of the Foyel. First we pass by some solitary lagoons and finally we return to the waters of the Chubut River, which the day before appeared as a small stream in its source area in the high peaks and which is becoming more and more important. The landscape is wild, sometimes almost violent, but always breathtakingly magnificent. We set up our camp on the banks of the river and spend another night in this environment of nature in its purest state. Breakfast, Lunchbox, Dinner; Overnight in Camp.
Day 5
4th day on horseback (5 – 6 hours) We will leave behind the forests of the rocky mountain range and continue descending, leaving the area of Alto Chubut, to first pass by an old and abandoned gold, silver and lead mine and surely the inhabitants of this place, the Miranda family will tell us some stories of the past and also of their present life. Now we are only two hours away from our special mountain refuge “El Sapucai” where a delicious meal, a hot shower and time to rest and enjoy the comforts of our small establishment awaits us. Breakfast, Lunchbox, Tea, Dinner; Overnight stay in our mountain refuge El Sapucai.
Day 6
5th day on horseback (6- 8 hours) We will climb the mountain range to appreciate the panoramic view of the surrounding Andes. We are fascinated by the dexterity of the Creole horse crossing different terrains: mallines, lenga forests and rocky terrains. At the end of this climb, a 360 degree view, where we will be able to appreciate the lagoons where we will have lunch in front of the Cordillera with the eternal snow. We will return by another trail that goes through forests of stunted ñires and old lenga forests until we reach our refuge. Breakfast, Lunchbox, Dinner; Overnight stay in our mountain refuge.
Day 7
6th day on horseback (2 – 3 hours) Today is our last day with our horses. We will follow the course of the Chubut River until we reach the Escuela Vieja. It is a quiet ride, which offers us another spectacle of unique landscapes and little by little the first villages of the people who live at the exit of this valley are appearing. We will share one more picnic with our baqueanos before leaving them behind. A last trip by minibus will take us to the city of Bariloche. A return trip that we spend mostly in silence, as there is so much to review from our ride of the last six days on horseback. Overnight in Hotel. Breakfast, Lunchbox, Night in Hotel.
Day 8
A private transfer takes us according to our flight itinerary from the hotel to the airport. End of our services.
All our horse riding holidays hold a price guarantee. We believe in your piece of mind on price when you book one of our horse riding holidays and will refund the difference should you find the same horse riding holiday elsewhere at a lower price.
If you are having trouble finding exactly the right horse riding holiday for you from our horse riding holidays collection, please contact us directly using the form below and tell us in your own words what you would like to do and we will use our extensive knowledge to make sure we find that perfect horse riding holiday.
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