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Outdoor
activities at Estancia de los Rios |
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| Horseback
riding Horse Rides The Horses American Criollo horses with
roots on the Spanish races, its breed is Anglo-Spanish, particularly Argentinean
horse, taller than the Chilean, equally strong but quite spirited. They
vary in size but the majority being between 14,2 and 16 hands . They are
well schooled strong, fit, willing and sure footed. Horses are allocated
to suit your level of riding experience. Each day before departure the
horses are thoroughly checked for any signs of fatigue or injuries, when
necessary the horses will be changed. Saddling up and the horses general
welfare during the rides is the responsibility of the guide unless the
guest wants to saddle its own. You will not be asked to help or look after
your horse unless is something you specifically request. The Riding Customs The tack is Chilean
and comprises of metal-framed saddles. Its origin is Spanish and they
have been designed specially for long trips. Layered with “chiporro”
(sheepskin) and protected with leather. The other clothing beneath the
saddle are called: batan, pellon and matra (felt) and are normally laid
on ground by gauchos and baqueanos to provide a soft and warm bed. Rope,
rawhide and leather form the bridles, girths, straps etc. The stirrups
consist of a leather cup through which the foot cannot pass. Most of the
horses are ridden in simple snaffles. Halters are worn throughout the
ride with rope tied around the horse's neck to tie up at lunch stops/rest
stops, etc. We Hill dismount for 30 minutes to hydrate relax and
to enjoy the different vistas. For the more adventuresome, a short hike
to take pictures or to swim under the waterfall is a possibility. We
will then start our return to the lodge, riding along a slightly different
route. Our guide will show us the potential of our horses to ride in a
safe and calm way along traditional routes used by local “gauchos”
on their daily work. Along the way we will observe the Cisnes river valley
to the East as it transforms into a vast steppe or “pampa”
with soft rolling hills covered by tussock grass as far as your eyes can
see. The ride is coming into an end when, in the distance and we see the
trees surrounding the lodge where the chef is waiting for us with refreshments
and ours d'oeuvres. Walks
and hikes:There are several
hikes of different lengths and difficulty levels to beautiful corners
of the ranch such as; water falls, forests and mountain lakes with a plethora
of bird life including flamingos and black necked swans, several species
of ducks and other interesting water fowl. Winchester lookout. We follow the Winchester
creek up stream on its right shore. As you go up the hills you can appreciate
great vistas of the main valley behind. Finally we get to the lookout
and you can also appreciate the snow capped Andes. The gradient of the
hike is intermediate and takes from. Sarta Lake ( the source of the Cisnes river )
We start from the lodge by car and drive to a Gaucho post,
here we will appreciate the local way of life of a sheep herder
in Patagonia. From this point we start our hike ascending towards the
North leaving the steppe and entering beautiful Ñirre
and later Lenga forests. We continue ascending until we reach the
tree line. We reach the beautiful Sarta lake which is the source of the
Cisnes river on our way back we will enjoy beautiful views of the Andes
and the Cisnes valley below and the tips of the Magdalena mountains further
South. The variety of environments will enable us to appreciate several
species of local flora and fauna. Sawmill lookout. We drive to the ruins
of an old sawmill. We walk towards the South following an old logging
road until we get to a cross road, we take the left road and begin slowly
walking up the hills. Having advanced up the hills we can see the beautiful
Cisne Valley and the snow capped Andes mountains towards the West.
Carlota lake descent to lodge. We drive
from the lodge to the Carlota lake passing first through the floor of
the main valley and then through thick Lenga forest. We continue climbing
until we reach the lake almost at the top of the mountains. Once we reach
the lake, we continue climbing by foot to get to the top of the Carlota
hill which is above timberline. On our way we will walk by a smaller
lake which hosts a variety of birds. As we climb we will appreciate the
change in size of the Lenga forest due to the increased height and stronger
winds. Once on the top of the Carlota hill we will be able to enjoy magnificent
vistas of both the Cisnes and the Magdalena valleys. On our way down we
will enjoy walking through the Lenga forest and walk by several small
lagoons and bogs this will give us the chance to see a variety of birds
and animals. Buitrera falls We start our hike
following the Cisnes river downstream all the way to the confluence of
the Buitrera creek and the Cisnes. We follow the creek upstream
walking through a beautiful and small valley as we continue up the valley
as it gets narrower and the rivers runs through a small canyon with
rock walls which get steeper and narrower as we continue up ending on
a great waterfall that flows through interesting rock formations. From
this point we can continue wading the river upstream or walking along,
we will find beautiful pools here we can swim in its crystal clear waters.
After we have followed the creek upstream for almost a quarter of a mile,
we turn East and walk through the barren hills appreciating the beautiful
Cisnes valley below. Mountain Biking: The
ranch offers the opportunity to travel along a variety of trails and ridges
on a mountain bike. Using the equipment we provide to assure comfort and
safety, biking allows our guests to fully enjoy the geography of Patagonia.
The use of helmets, gloves, sunglasses and adequate footwear are an important
element for each of these outings. Half-day bicycle explorations will
be combined with trekking and horseback riding explorations. Bird watching: The extent of the property
and the variety of environments provides several different eco systems
for birding. The guides have identified and catalogued close to a hundred
species of birds at the ranch. If we venture into the rain forest, we
can observe several more unique species such as most of the Tapa Culos,
the Des Mur’s wire tail or the Megellanic wood pecker. Further
east on drier and open environments there is a very good chance to see
several species of birds of prey such as; falcons, owls, eagles and
carrion eaters like the Crested Cara Cara, Chimango and the majestic Andean
Condor. The river and several lakes offer the opportunity to observe:
The flamingo, the black necked swan, rails, grebes, geese, ducks and stilts.
Photographic and Cultural Safaris: Visit
the local village to learn about the unique way of life of its inhabitants
and go shopping to the local store where you will see a reflection of
the local way of life by looking at several interesting items such
as; hand tools, saddles, horseshoes, hats, shoes, boots, essential
food items such as the “Mate” a herbal infusion, and common
items to us but there considered a luxury such as Chocolate, a soda can
or a bottle of wine. Drive across the Andes from the dry pampas and hike into
the rainforest. On the way you will see an interesting transition of landscape as
we get deeper into the mountains populated by several unique species
of tall trees and plants such as the wild fuchsia, tall Beech Notofagus
trees, ferns and elephant ears. |
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