A hard westerly wind blows in from the distant sea, flattening the coarse pampas grass and whipping the tough matta negra scrub into a frenzied dance. The little horse with the puma scars on her flank shies nervously as a hare breaks cover and darts from beneath her hooves.

Condors circle overhead, dark angels of the Andes waiting patiently for us to pass before returning to their communion with a sheep’s carcass that lies drying in the sun. With 20 kilometres behind us and twenty yet to run, this is no time to be dawdling out on the flat pampas. The fairy-tale spires and snow-shrouded columns of the Torres del Paine massif have been drawing steadily closer during the day, and now we are close enough to see its jagged profile reflected in the ice blue of a sub-glacial lake.

Settling into the fatly padded Chilean saddles we turn to face the beckoning mountains and urge our uncomplaining horses into a gallop, dust flying from their hooves as we flee across the Patagonian steppe towards the promise of hot showers, chilled pisco sours, and a feast of local lamb barbecued over a pit of lenga wood.

The day before couldn’t have been more different from this mad stampede across the wind-blasted pampas. An amble in light rainfall along the banks of the Eberhard Fjord, with black headed swans on the water and eagles watching beadily from the rocks above. Then a branch-ducking meander through an ancient forest of Southern beech, the local Criollo horses sure-footed as they scrambled and slid down rocky tracks and shouldered aside the savage spikes of berberis lining the path. Flocks of green parakeets chattered noisily in the trees as the rainbow-arched sky cleared, and we lunched al fresco in the dripping, overgrown gardens of a once grand estancia, burned to the ground by its owner rather than letting it fall into
government hands during the turbulent, agrarian reforms of the Allende Government in the ‘70s.

Patagonia, remotely located at the Southern tip of the Americas, is literally the bottom of the Earth, the last piece of civilisation before land gives way to the towering waves and lashing winds of the Southern Ocean. Patagonia is not a country but a territory, its 260,000 square miles spanning the lower extremes of both Chile and Argentina. From the storm-scoured rocks of Cape Horn to the verdant forests of the Chilean Lake District, it contains a breathtaking variety of terrain: vast acres of windswept pampas riddled with innumerable lakes and fjords; snow-tipped mountains rising from icy blue glaciers; and the steaming, rolling rain forest – and all with a population density of barely 1.3 people per square kilometres.

The trip is operated out of Puerto Natales, a frontier town of gaudily painted, low-rise buildings clustered on the banks of the Ultima Esperanza fjord in the southern region of Patagonia. While a number of tour companies in the area offer riding as an add-on option along with activities such as kayaking and hiking, they specialise in riding holidays; more importantly, they have their own horses rather than relying on renting them ad hoc from local estancias. Furthermore, their trips are always accompanied by an experienced, English-speaking riding guide, usually either Gustavo, who was show jumping and dressage champion of Chile for two consecutive years, or Heidi herself, who has been riding her own ponies and horses since the age of 6. On each ride they are assisted by a local wrangler, or baqueano, who takes care
of the horses during the trip – and whose horsemanship is likely to leave even the most experienced European rider slack-jawed in admiration.

Declared Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO in 1978, the Torres del Paine National Park, (located in the Chilean Patagonia) in internationally renowned as one of the most beautiful, unspoiled and remote places of the planet.

Their attractions reside on its spectacular mountain range, lakes, flora and fauna that make of this place an ideal destination for Eco-tourism and adventure.The trails in between the Torres del Paine famous craggy mountains are among the world's classic trekking routes. Breathtaking views together with glaciers, rivers, lakes, forests and abundant wildlife provides the trip with constantly changing sceneries and experiences. Chilean Patagonia is a magical region of long forgotten pioneering and civilization, home to the llama's cousin, the guanaco, pumas and the giant condor. For the ones interested in riding on Chilean saddles together with the typical "baqueanos" the trails are equally fascinating. During summer (Dec-Mar) there are 18 hours of daylight which gives the explorers plenty of time for the riding journey.

Estancias Getaway Ride
This is a seven day horse ride suitable for novice and/or experienced riders, which combines excellent riding opportunities on well schooled horses and comfortable accommodation full of history with the magnificent Torres del Paine national park that offers open pampas, wooded valleys and breathtaking views of the towering mountains, the turquoise lakes and the rolling glaciers. Riders will experience a first hand view of Patagonia estancia life and the joys, threats and difficulties posed by farming cattle and sheep in this area. This exciting short getaway ride between working estancias, converted estancias and wilderness lodges.

All information is sourced with kind permission from www.hiddentrails.com

Hidden Trails
Explore foreign places away from the tourist rush and off the beaten path - on Hidden Trails. They are about galloping on endless beaches, forging rivers, cantering through forests, trotting along age-old trails, gazing at beautiful vistas, and encountering foreign cultures. Hidden Trails is owned and operated by nature enthusiasts who love horses and adventure activities. They have been involved with riding vacations for the last 20 years and have collected some of the best horseback riding destinations all over the world, with some hidden places they would like to share with you.

Skype: hiddentrails
email: [email protected]
www.hiddentrails.com