10 Day Horse Riding Trip
If you are looking for a real horse-riding adventure holiday, we know a great place! In this 10-day horse riding trip in Neuquén, Argentina, you will find miles of mountain trails to ride on. You will spend nights under the southern hemisphere stars and witness extraordinary landscape. This incredible place combines lodge stays and horse treks. It’s the ultimate horse-riding adventure, a must for horse lovers!
This amazing estancia is located 2 hours away from the town of Caviahue, best known for its thermal waters and ski resort. The nearest town to the lodge is “El Cholar”, a small town located in the north of the province of Neuquen.
The idea of this pack trip is to enjoy as much as possible horses and nature. The stay will be divided in two parts: 5 days at the ranch eco lodge and other 5 days riding and sleeping in camps.
The estancia is a 100.000-acre family-owned property. The owner is Ashley Carrither, and he shares his love for this region and horses with his family. T. A. Carrither, his son, manages the lodge along with his wife. They receive guests from all around the world each year during the season.
This place is unique for horse lovers! Even if they have horses for all levels, we recommend this ride to experienced riders because of its length and difficulty. If you don’t have much experience on a horse, EQUUS ARGENTINA recommends taking some riding lessons to prepare for this ride.
Horse lovers can find in the ranch different horse breeds such as criollos, thoroughbreds and Arab horses (only for experienced riders).
Let’s start the adventure!
- Destination
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Departure
Neuquén City
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Included
AccomodationAdvancedAlcoholic DrinksBreakfastDinnerEndurance HorsesEquipmentFull Board AccomodationIntermediateLunchLuxuryprivate GuidesRiding HorsesTransport
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Not Included
BeginnerCaballos de equitaciónEconomicGimnasioHalf Board AccomodationJumping HorsesLocal ToursPolo HorsesSpaTickets to National Parks
From our gallery
Itinerary
- Riders will meet Ranquilco's driver in the town of Neuquen, or Zapala, for the drive to the ranch outpost (Buta Mallin)- the end of the road for most vehicles. From Neuquen is a 5 hours drive and from Zapala a 3 hours car drive. Once at Buta Mallin, guides and gauchos will be waiting for the riders with horses and mules. Riders will mount up for a two and a half hour ride into the heart of the Estancia where the lodge is located. Guests will be welcome with a glass of wine at the Casa Grande Terrace where they will meet the hosts and estancia staff. Each guest will be assigned a room; all rooms are spacious and have different furniture and style, but all of them have spectacular views of the mountains and the Trocoman river.
- Day 2: After a delicious and hearty breakfast, the guides will introduce the group to the tack and provide saddling instruction. Ranquilco guides strive to teach guests how to saddle with the local Argentine gear so that everyone is self-sufficient in saddling their own horse by the midway point of the pack trip. After the lesson, riders will head out for a local morning ride to learn about trail safety and get better acquainted with the horse and tack. After, lunch will take place in the Lodge, followed by a discussion about mountain trip preparation, itinerary, safety and gear. The plan for the afternoon is to take a walk around the property, learn about the eco lodge and then enjoy drinks and dinner on the patio.
- The third day is the beginning of the big adventure! While guests are having breakfast, guides will be packing the mules and preparing horses to start the epic 5 night, 6 day adventure into Patagonia’s backcountry. The pack trip begins by traveling up the Trocoman River and ascending into high steppe land towards the confluence of the Trocoman and Picunleo rivers. Riders will cross the Picunleo and head upriver, climbing out of the river valley onto a high plateau with amazing views towards the high country ahead. In the afternoon, the trail drops back down by way of a steep, rocky hillside, eventually leading to a lovely riverside camp spot. Dinner and overnight will take place here.
- Most mornings on the pack trip begin with a fairly early rise, breakfast and hot beverages at the fire, and a couple of solid hours of packing up the gear, saddling the horses and loading the mules. The fourth day the riding starts with several river crossings as the Picunleo River valley narrows and steepens. After a few hours, the valley opens up, offering spectacular views of massive rock cliffs towering over open grasslands bordered by the shrub-like trees that grow at these elevations. Riders will follow a stream into a glacially carved bowl tucked up against the border of Chile and make camp at the upper end of the valley - the headwaters of the Picunleo River.
- The fifth day the trail leads up out of the valley, across a mountain pass, and then another high ridge and the steep upper bowl of a side valley, and tops out at the highest point on the trip (~7750 feet). From here you can see massive vistas of active Argentine and Chilean volcanoes. Ride down from the summit along a steep and switchbacking trail into the Cerro Negro Valley, home of the beautiful alpine lake, Laguna Negra. Stop at the lake for a dip, then continue another half hour to the “Laguna Puesto” -the estancia´s summer cattle outpost. The puesto has a few simple huts (where the gauchos live) and other basic, but welcomed, luxuries, such as benches, a sink, and an outhouse. It makes for a wonderful home base. Here riders have a chance to spend time with the local gauchos that tend the herds of cattle, sheep, and goats in these beautiful summer grazing lands.
- Day 6 and 7 will be to relax at the camp, explore the valley by horse or on foot, fish, swim and lounge at the lage. During the evenings riders will be able to hang out around the fire at the puesto and share stories with the gauchos.
- The last day of the pack trip is a full day’s ride back to the lodge, with vast views of the Cordillera Del Viento in the north. Upon returning riders will be reunited with the wonderful luxuries and hospitality at the lodge – hot showers, cold beers, and comfortable beds. Finish off the long day with an excellent meal.
- The 9th day of the stay will be to recover from the long pack trip and enjoy all of what the lodge has to offer such as walks around the area, swim in the river, sauna by the river, short ride or fly fishing. During the night the last dinner will take place, this is a special dinner because it is a farewell celebration for the guests. They will have a goat asado (typical of Patagonia) and will have the opportunity to watch and participate in traditional gaucho dance.
- The last day, after packing everything, once again guests will ride two hours and a half to the farm post in Buta Mallin, where drivers will be waiting to take them back to Neuquen or Zapala City.
Location
Cholar town is the nearest town to the estancia, located in the Ñorquin department in the province of Neuquen Argentina. The access to this town is by provincial road 6, 64 km west from the town of Chos Malal.
Other activities for riders and non riders companions:
The eco lodge in itself offers all type of activities for non riders companies, for example they can go for long walks around the 100 000 acre property, enjoy swims in the river and also relax at the sauna in the river; they can do a walk every day to the Trocoman House ( house by the river) and stay there relaxing, reading or painting. Also, they can do horse rides because at the estancia there are horses for all levels, so no matter if they don't have experience because the guides at the lodge are willing to teach them how to ride.
However, this region has lots to offer to its visitors, so for those who want to get to know the area a little bit more they can do a 2 hour car drive to the town of Copahue (named like this due to the Copahue Volcano located by the town and in the border between Argentina and Chile). Copahue Volcano - which in mapuche language means sulphurous waters - is known for its amazing thermal waters, considered among the best in the world. In the town there are several spas where to take a healing bath in thermal waters, guests can choose between different services: steams baths, sulphurous waters, ferruginous waters, baths in the Laguna Verde. Also they can choose thermal mud baths and hydro massages.
Copahue town is only open from December till May because during the winter it is completely covered in snow. There are top level hotel and gastronomy services. Also, visitors can go to the neighbouring town Caviahue which is a ski resort with very good snow quality. We recommend a stay in the Grand Hotel and Spa Caviahue; this is a very nice and confort hotel, it has a spa that offers heated swimming pools, hydro massages services, and saunas. Therefore, while riders are doing the adventure pack trip, companions have the option to visit these towns and enjoy all its healing benefits.
