Horse riding holidays in the Chilean Andes, from
Bano Morales, cajon del Maipo near Santiago |
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Riding Season: Longer rides with camping are usually only possible in the 3 months from January to March. After a winter with little snow it might be possible in the second half of December. Shorter rides, or hotel based riding tours, are possible from November to April. It is important
to read the terms and conditions before booking a trip. |
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Ride III, 4 days and 3 nights - level easyDay 1, drive out from Santiago to Bano Morales from where we startThis is a gentle ride up to the campsite. We arrive in time to make camp and perhaps bathe before .a pisco sour round the fire. This is a 2 to 3 hour ride, easy but still beautiful and with a small river to cross. The idea is to have an easy day to set up camp, relax, get to know the guides, the horses and the place on day 1 Day 2 Ride to Valle EngordaWe ride up the valley Engorda, a flat pastoral area with cattle grazing and flowers. This is a gentle day's riding, with nothing very steep or difficult, although the river is crossed twice on horseback. The valley is full of flowers and there are horses and cattle grazing. As you ride further up the valley the flowers get more interesting and a final picnic near the water and below the steep mountain at the end of the valley makes a pleasant end before riding back down. Day 3 Ride to Refugio el PlantalSome of our visitors have voted this the best ride of all. It starts from the Valle Engorda and goes up steeply through what is known as the funnel (embudado)- a narrow steep gorge- and emerges at a plateau with a 'vega' or meadow with cattle and goats and often baby animals of various kinds. Once we actually saw a kid being born. Then more climbing to a second vega with mares and foals and amazing views of all the high cordillera roundabout. The refugio itself is also fascinating. It is a stage for the climbers attempting Volcan San Jose. It was built by a family called Plantal and is always open, because once a climber was descending in a snowstorm, could not get into the refugio and died of exposure. The custom is always to leave a little food or something for future users. Day 4: Pack up camp and ride down to Bano Morales. Optional vist to hot springs Colina |
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| ** For photographs of these days, see the page detailing all the rides. For experienced riders we would exchange Vall Engorda on Day 1 (ride 3) with the ride to the fossil lake (ride 4) | ||
| Email: ridingsantiago@gmail.com | website: www.horseridingchile.com | |