Valle de Los Patos, San Juan Province, Argentina
Overview
Amazing Horse Riding Tour Argentina
This expedition invites you to discover a path full of history. You will travel the same route used by General Don José de San Martín to experience this magnificent epic in the flesh. Ride and venture to the great slopes of the Andes!
Dates:
| Arrival date: Saturday December 9, 2023 Departure: Monday December 18, 2023 | Arrival date: Tuesday January 9, 2024 Departure: Thursday January 18, 2024 |
| Arrival date: Tuesday February 6, 2024 Departure: Thursday February 15, 2024 | Arrival date: Monday December 9, 2024 Departure: Wednesday December 18, 2024 |
Key information
- Rider Weight Limit: 198 pounds / 90 kilograms
- Tack Type: Criollo saddle
- Horse Breed: Meztizos
Highlights
- Approximate daily riding time: 8 hours
- Ride and go up to the col «Espinacito» pass over 4500 meters and down to the «Los Patos» river
- Ride along the great slopes and valleys of the Andes mountain range, passing for the huge and long Patos Valley
- Venture and take up the highlands mountain summits of America
- 9 nights accommodation
- Daily meals
Skill level
- Beginner and experts
Styles
- Trail Riding
- Point to Point Trails
8 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: Spanish
Airport transfer available: Gov. Francisco Gabrielli International Airport (El Plumerillo) (US$30 per person)
Accommodation
You will be staying in a tent (double or triple igloo-shaped tent) for eight nights and in a hotel in Uspallata Valley for one night on the last night.
Program
Day 1: Mendoza (750 meters) / Hornillas (2,100 meters)
You will start from the city of Mendoza by vehicle to the Uspallata Valley and later to Barreal. During the transfer, you will go through Potrerillos, Uspallata Valley, Pampa del Leoncito, and the town of Barreal, until arriving at Las Hornillas, a site located at the base of the Cordillera Frontal (Álvarez Condarco, province of San Juan). In Las Hornillas, you will wait for the arrieros with the horses, the mules, and all the necessary equipment for the expedition.
- Distance: Mendoza – Las Hornillas 350 kilometers approximately north of Mendoza
- Duration of the trip by vehicle: seven hours approximately
Day 2: Las Hornillas (2,100 meters) / Manantiales (3,020 meters)
This will be the first day on horseback and in the middle of the Andes mountain range. You will arrive at the Manantiales or El Peñón camp. Tonight, you will camp close to a stream, with a fertile plain and clear water. Dinner and overnight will be in the tent.
- Distance: 16.71 kilometers
- Riding time: five hours
- Average speed: 3.3 kilometers per hour
- Height gain: 974 meters
Day 3: Manantiales (3,016 meters) / Paso Espinacito (4,481 meters) / Vegas de Gallardo (3,016 meters)
With the third day begins the most intense day of the expedition. You will go up to where the Las Leñas River goes down. The road becomes increasingly rocky, crossing the same river several times. You will travel through the Cordon del Espinacito, passing a large mountain ridge, until reaching the pass at 4,500 meters. You will descend from the Portezuelo and enter a valley. You will go through the Vegas of Yeso, through Vegas de Gallardo, and downstream, where you will arrive at the campsite.
- Distance: 31.15 kilometers
- Riding time: nine hours and 20 minutes
- Average speed: 3.3 kilometers per hour
- Height gain: 1,695 meters
Day 4: Vegas de Gallardo (3,016 meters) / Valle Hermoso (2,990 meters)
You will cross the Yeso hills and by following the path, you reach the imposing Valle de Los Patos. Passing by the Refugio de Gendarmería Nacional «Ingeniero Sardinas», you will continue your journey to the Valle Hermoso where you will set up camp and spend three nights. During the crossing, the highest mountain in America, Mount Aconcagua (6,962 meters) is present. You will also observe Cerro Alma Negra with a large glacier on its summit.
- Distance: 22.18 kilometers
- Riding time: eight hours
- Average speed: 4.1 kilometers per hour
- Height gain: 266 meters
Day 5: Valle Hermoso (2,990 meters) / Hito límite Argentina – Chile (3,518 meters) / Valle Hermoso (2,990 meters)
The cavalcade continues its march westward and you will arrive at the border with Chile (border of Argentino – Chilean) where you observe a reminder of the Sanmartiniana epic and the milestone which indicates the border between both countries. You will arrive at the most desired point of the expedition, «cross the limit», and in the middle of the mountain range, Trekking Travel will offer and share an emotional picnic lunch. You will return to Valle Hermoso camp for dinner and rest.
- Round trip: 21.06 kilometers
- Riding time: six hours and 30 minutes
- Average speed: 3.7 kilometers per hour
- Height gain: 586 meters
Day 6: Valle Hermoso (2,990 meters) – day for rest
The sixth day will be reserved for rest. You will walk to a neighboring camp where there are Chilean goats summer with their goats (veranada) and make handmade cheeses. After lunch, you will go up the river to a sector where trout are often found. Following a small stream, you will reach a waterfall where you can bathe. Dinner will be chivito on the grill with salads.
Day 7: Valle Hermoso (2,990 meters) – Piedras Coloradas (3,322 meters)
From Valle Hermoso, you will go through the Los Patos Valley again and take up the highlands mountain summits. You will go through Puente de Tierra and Vegas de Gallardo, and upstream, you will arrive at Piedras Coloradas.
- Distance: 28.52 kilometers
- Riding time: seven hours
- Average speed: four kilometers per hour
- Height gain: 691 meters
Day 8: Valle Hermoso (2,990 meters) – Piedras Coloradas (3,322 meters)
Again, you will ride along the great slopes of the Andes mountain range, reaching 4,300 meters of altitude, and passing through the Paso de la Honda. The downhill return following the Leñas River is demanding. You will camp in the springs as well as on day two of the expedition.
- Distance: 24.36 kilometers
- Riding time: seven hours and 39 minutes
- Average speed: 3.2 kilometers per hour
- Height gain: 1,254 meters
Day 9: Manantiales (3,020 meters) – Las Hornillas (2,100 meters)
Today will be the last day on horseback. After breakfast, the last four hours will assemble up to the burners. There, you will have lunch, and by vehicle, you will move to the town of Barreal and later to the Uspallata Valley. You will stay in a hotel in Valle de Uspallata, where you celebrate the farewell dinner.
- Distance: 18 kilometers
- Riding time: four hours and 10 minutes
- Average speed: 4.1 kilometers per hour
- Height gain: 89 meters
Day 10: Uspallata – Mendoza
After breakfast between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., you will have a transfer by vehicle to the city of Mendoza.
The horses
The horses are very strong and they always take safe and firm steps and you only need to have confidence in them.
Other information
Captivated by the immensity of the mountain range, you will travel through unparalleled landscapes, reaching a maximum height of 4,500 meters above sea level. You are exhibited over 4,500 meters above the sea and the wind can be very strong and the forecast can be bad. If you are lucky, you can spend very good weather during the trip. Sometimes it is snowing, sometimes sunny, and sometimes the temperature is over 10 degrees during the days in the mountains and sometimes the temperature is 1 degree below zero. The weather in the Los Andes mountain range can change very quickly.
Location
This horse riding tour will start from Las Hornillas, Calingasta, San Juan Province, Argentina.
Food
You will be served daily meals and drinks included in the price. If you have special dietary requirements, it is a good idea to let Trekking Travel know when making a reservation.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Coffee
- Tea
- Alcoholic beverages
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
If you have special dietary requirements it’s a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What’s included
- 8 days of horse riding sessions with instruction
- Tame horses with mounts
- 9 nights accommodation
- All meals and drinks during the development of the horseback program
- Professional instructor guide (baquianos and arrieros permanently)
- Complete camping team (tents, kitchen utensils, crockery, etc.)
- First aid kit
- Saddlebags
- Satellite telephony for emergencies (does not include private calls)
- Personal accident insurance
- 21% VAT
- Transportation of personal equipment on mules (up to 10 kilograms per person)
- Transfer from Mendoza to the starting point of the ride (Las Hornillas – San Juan)
- Transfer from the end of the ride to Uspallata
- Transfers between Uspallata and city of Mendoza
What’s not included
- Sleeping bag
- Personal equipment (clothing, etc.)
- Meals not stipulated in the program
- Drinks in restaurants
- Personal expenses such as telephone calls, tips, laundry, etc.
- Any cost derived from the abandonment of the program ahead of time
- Rescue expenses
- Medical or air evacuation expenses
- Insurance or medical assistance
- Airport transfer
How to get there
Recommended Airports
MDZ : Gov. Francisco Gabrielli International Airport (El Plumerillo)
Transfer available for additional US$30 per person
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
Book with flexible conditions
Need to cancel your trip due to COVID-19? Cancel up to 7 days prior to the arrival date and you can reschedule your booking free of charge, or receive store credit for your non-refundable deposit to use at another time.
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