Transfer and Other Charges:

Sample Itinerary - 10 day cabin & camping ride - Subject to changes

Day 1: Pick up at Temuco airport (03.00 pm) or Pucon (01.00 pm). Time to get to know the horses, tack and equipment, and to get settled. Welcome dinner at the ranch house.

Day 2: We take an initial ride through the Mapuche Indian Community Quelhue and along the rapids of Trancura River to evaluate your riding experience, get familiar with the saddle and tack, and determine which horses to take on our great adventure. In the evening we move to our base camp at Laguna Geppinger from were we start our ride the following morning.

Day 3: We cross the first of three mountain ranges on our trail towards Argentina. At night we stay in double rooms in cabins 5 minutes away from the natural hot springs in Rio Blanco Valley.

Day 4: We ride through virgin rainforests and dense stands of Coighue trees and bamboo crossing the 2nd range. The night will be spent in a tent camp at a mountain farm at the Mapuche Indian community “Flor de Valle”

Day 5: Today, we ride along the slopes of Sollipulli volcano, overnight in the mountain lodge “Nevados de Sollipulli”.

Day 6:  We cross the last range before Argentina. We return to civilization again and ride through the small Mapuche settlement of Icalma. We spend the night in a cabin at the shore of Lake Icalma.

Day 7:  After arranging custom formalities with the Chilean border control we are heading into the mountains to cross the actual border to Argentina. High in the mountains we say goodbye to our Chilean horses and the guides that led us to this magnificent place. Then we cross the border 20 meters on foot, and greet Hernan and his wonderful Argentinean horses which will bring us through the unique world of the Argentinean Andes for the next three days. We ride up to the top of Batea Mahuida Volcano with 6560 feet the highest point on our ride. Overnight in tent camp.

Day 8: We ride the valleys and cliffs of Argentina, watch condors pass us by and enjoy amazing views over the endless wide open spaces of this uninhabited part of the world. On the evening we reach the outpost were Hernan lives with his horses.

Day 9: We enjoy a day long farewell ride to cliffs and a viewpoint overlooking the area of our last day’s rides. We celebrate the end of the trek with a typical Argentinean barbeque while recounting our adventures from the past week and sharing our impressions of this experience of a lifetime.

Day 10:  After breakfast we transfer back to Chile. We can bring you to Temuco city (1.00 pm) or Temuco airport (1.30 pm) or Pucon (3.30 pm). If you prefer, you may finish the trip in Argentina, and keep on traveling or riding some more days in the Argentinean pampas.

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Sample Itinerary - 9 day camping + cabin ride - Subject to changes

Day 1: Pick up in Pucon at 09.00 am. We have breakfast and afterwards we take an initial ride through the Mapuche Indian Community Quelhue and along the rapids of Trancura River to evaluate your riding experience, get familiar with the saddle and tack, and determine which horses to take on our great adventure. Lunch at the farm and then, it’s time to pack the saddlebags. In the evening we go to our base camp at Laguna Geppinger from where we start our ride the following morning.

Day 2: We cross the first of three mountain ranges on our trail towards Argentina. At night we camp beside the natural hot springs in Rio Blanco Valley.

Day 3: We ride through virgin rainforests and dense stands of Coighue trees and bamboo crossing the 2nd range. The night we spent at a mountain farm at the Mapuche Indian community “Flor de Valle”

Day 4: We ride along the slopes of Sollipulli volcano, overnight on a clearing in an ancient Aruaucaria forest.

Day 5: We cross the last range before Argentina and spend the night in a cabin at the shore of Lake Icalma.

Day 6: We ride to the border, after arranging custom formalities with the Chilean border control we cross the border 20 meters on foot, and greet Hernan and his wonderful Argentinean horses which will bring us through the unique world of the Argentinean Andes for the next three days. We ride up to the top of Batea Mahuida Volcano with 6560 feet the highest point on our ride. Overnight in tent camp.

Days 7 and 8: We ride the valleys and cliffs of Argentina, watch condors pass us by and enjoy amazing views over the endless wide open spaces of this uninhabited part of the world. On the evening of the 8th day we reach the outpost were Hernan lives with his horses and which marks the end of our journey. We celebrate the end of the trek with a typical Argentinean BBQ.

Day 9: After breakfast we transfer back to Chile. We can bring you to Temuco city (1.00 pm) or Temuco airport (1.30 pm) or Pucon (3.30 pm).

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Sample Itinerary - 11 day camping ride plus Sllipulli - Subject to changes

Day 1: Arrival day, pick up at Temuco airport (03.00 pm) or Pucon (01.00 pm). Welcome to the ranch and dinner at the ranch house.

Day 2: We take an initial ride through the Mapuche Indian Community Quelhue and along the rapids of Trancura River to evaluate your riding experience, get familiar with the saddle and tack, and determine which horses to take on our great adventure. In the evening we go to our base camp at Laguna Geppinger from where we start our ride the following morning.

Day 3: We cross the first of three mountain ranges on our trail towards Argentina. At night we camp beside the natural hot springs in Rio Blanco Valley.

Day 4: We ride through virgin rainforests and dense stands of Coighue trees and bamboo crossing the 2nd range. The night we spent at a mountain farm at the Mapuche Indian community “Flor de Valle”

Day 5: We ride along the slopes of Sollipulli volcano, overnight in the mountain lodge “Nevados de Sollipulli”.

Day 6: We ride up the volcano, reaching its 2.5 miles wide crater which is filled with a 660 feet deep glacier. We return to “Nevados de Sollipulli” for a second night.

Day 7: We cross the last range before Argentina and spend the night in a cabin at the shore of Lake Icalma.

Day 8: We ride to the border, after arranging custom formalities with the Chilean border control we cross the border 20 meters on foot, and greet Hernan and his wonderful Argentinean horses which will bring us through the unique world of the Argentinean Andes for the next three days. We ride up to the top of Batea Mahuida Volcano with 6560 feet the highest point on our ride. Overnight in tent camp.

Days 9 and 10: We ride the valleys and cliffs of Argentina, watch condors pass us by and enjoy amazing views over the endless wide open spaces of this uninhabited part of the world. On the evening of the 10th day we reach the outpost were Hernan lives with his horses and which marks the end of our journey. We celebrate the end of the trek with a typical Argentinean BBQ.

Day 11: After breakfast we transfer back to Chile. We can bring you to Temuco city (1.00 pm) or Temuco airport (1.30 pm) or Pucon (3.30 pm). If you prefer, you may finish the trip in Argentina, and keep on traveling or riding some more days in the Argentinean pampas.

Temuco area
 

Seasons
Temperatures in Chile vary a lot with the height and whether we have sunshine or clouds. As a general rule we have high temperatures only with direct sunshine, as soon as the sun disappears, at night or because it's cloudy, temperatures drop immediately. In Pucón and on the ranch from January to March you can count on 25 degrees Celsius up in the day. At night however, temperatures go down to 10-15 degrees Celsius. On a ride in the heights of National Park Villarrica you may get temperatures near the freezing point at night, even in summer.

The weather is usually fine starting from October, with pleasant temperatures. However, we do not start running this tour before November because snow usually stays until that time, high up in the mountains. The best time of the year to visit weather-wise is probably mid December to March as temperatures are warm and there is a low possibility for rain.

Please note that as Chile is in the southern hemisphere, seasons are opposite to the seasons on the northern hemisphere.

 

Special note - altitude
Pucon is situated on the entrance of a huge valley that reaches right into the center of the Andes at a height of 200meters/660 feet above sea level. The main house is at 350 meters/1150 feet. Behind the paddocks the mountain within 1.5 kilometers/ 0.9 miles rises to 1200 meters/4000 feet. On the trails we cross passes at about 2000 meters/6600 feet but ride into lower regions for the night camps. Generally speaking the Andes in southern Chile are not as high as further north. The highest peaks around are Volcano Villarrica with 2,860 m (9,380 ft) 14 km/8,6 miles away and Lanin with 3,776 m (12,388 ft) 70 km/44 miles away.

Packing list suggestions for trail rides
Some suggestions for your packing list for horse treks  


The luggage you bring on the ride should fit our waterproof packroll of 20x12x12 inches.

• Sun block
• Torch (flashlight), water bottle (we can provide if you let us know).
• Hat or cap, best with wide rim.
• Sun glasses (compulsory on the Chile - Argentina ride) 
•Swimming suit, towel.
• Rain gear: we suggest you bring waterproof trousers and jacket, we provide additional rain ponchos which are great on horseback, but may not be suitable for the time you're not riding.
• Riding trousers: jeans or trekking trousers are perfect for the kind of riding we do.
• Shoes: Light trekking boots, best if they are high enough to protect your ankles.
• Fleece clothes to keep you warm during the cool nights in the Andes. Bringing several layers is the best option so that you can easily adjust to the temperature.
• For rides outside in the main season (which is January, February, March) and in the high Andes we strongly recommend that you bring warm underwear.
• We provide half chaps, though if you prefer your own gear, you are welcome to bring it.
• We do not provide riding helmets. If you are used to wearing one please bring your own, as they are not common in Chile and it will be hard to find one in a shop.

Weight and volume limit for personal items: 

 2 x 5 kilo/11 lbs (not including tent, mat and sleeping bag), one package for the Chilean leg, one for the Argentinean leg of the ride. Before the ride each rider packs 2 bags, one for the Chilean part, a second for the Argentinean part of the trip. On the last night in Chile, the supply truck brings the second bag and returns the first bag to the farm.


If you prefer to bring your own sleeping bag, tent or mattress, the size/weight should not exceed:

Bag: 40 x 20cm( 16x8 inches) and 2kg ( 4.4 lbs )
 Mattress 30 x 15 (12x6 inches) / 1kg ( 2.2 lbs )
 Tent 60x15 (24x6 inches) / 3.3kg (7.3 lbs )

This trip includes some wine with dinner and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Passports

Passport valid for at least six months required by nationals referred to in the chart.

Passport Note

Passports issued to children must contain a photo and state the nationality.

Visas

Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days except the following:

(a) 1. nationals of Greece for up to 60 days and nationals of Romania for up to 30 days.

(b) transit passengers continuing their journey on the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding required travel documents for onward destination and not leaving the airport transit lounge.

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Visa Note

2. Nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA entering Chile for touristic purposes will be charged a processing fee payable on arrival and in cash only. For nationals of  Australia, the fee is US$56; for nationals of Canada, the fee is US$132; and for nationals of the USA, the fee is US$100 .