South America ~ Chile ~ Patagonian Frontier and Puelo Valley

Riding: 4-8 hours a day.

Horses: locally bred Criollo and Chilean cross.

Pace: moderate and varied, with some open going for canters.

Riding ability: all abilities if reasonably fit; Chilean horses are fairly small, around 14-15hh, and the local riding and tack different from the English style and easy to learn, but hours can be long so a reasonable level of fitness and some previous riding experience are required.

Weight limit: Andean Crossing 80 kg (12 ½ stone); Puelo & Grand Traverse Rides 90kg (14 stone). Heavier riders can be catered for but there will generally be a charge for an extra horse.

Accommodation: local hotels / guesthouse, rustic farmsteads and cottages (2* camping on Grand Traverse ride only).

Group size: maximum 10.

The horses are medium build cross breeds, generally Chilean Horse crosses or Criollo mix. They are bred locally for working cattle and sheep and most range from about 14hh to 15hh. They are good natured and a sensible, responsive and enjoyable ride. Saddles are Chilean style with a comfortable sheepskin on top. The horses are trained western style and are used to neck reining.

Hours: There is generally 4 to 8 hours riding a day, with breaks for rests and lunch.

Pace and experience required: To take part in these rides you should have a reasonable amount of previous riding experience and a reasonably good level of general fitness. You should be comfortable and in control on a well schooled horse at a walk, trot and canter and used to riding in open country. Experienced riders will have fun, well paced riding over varied terrain. The horses include sensible, steady schoolmasters so less experienced riders who are fit and adventurous, can also participate. The pace is varied with some canters most days.

Accommodation on the rides varies with the itinerary, all include 2 nights in a little private island on a lake in the Andes. Other nights are in rustic farmhouses, cottages, guest houses and hotels. The Grand Traverse also includes 3 nights camping in 2 man 'dome' tents. Rooms in homestays are generally twin, triple or dormitory style with shared bathrooms and hot showers. Single rooms are not generally possible except on nights when hotels are used.

For most rides the meeting point is Puerto Montt in Chile, for the Grand Traverse it is Bariloche in Argentina. There are flights in Chile from Santiago to Puerto Montt and in Argentina from Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery (Aeroparque) domestic airport into San Carlos de Bariloche.

Currently there are no direct flights between London and Santiago but Iberia, LAN Chile and Aerolineas Argentinas, all fly to Santiago via Madrid. Flights will cost from about £900 economy return, depending on the airline and season. There are regular internal flights between Santiago and Puerto Montt from about US$150 return. There is also an extensive network of buses.

For the Grand Traverse you can either fly to Puerto Montt via Santiago and take scenic bus/boat route across to Bariloche, or fly into Buenos Aires and then travel down to Bariloche either by internal flight or by luxury overnight bus. British Airways currently have daily flight departures to Buenos Aires, usually leaving London Heathrow at about 21:00 arriving Buenos Aires at about 10:30 the next day. Iberia and Aerolineas Argentinas also have daily flights from London via Madrid to Buenos Aires. Fares to Buenos Aires start at about £850 per person economy return.