| Chile is a long thin country sandwiched between the | | | | next resting place. The sight of the Torres covered |
| Andes and the Pacific Ocean. On the plane from | | | | in snow, towering over clear blue lakes, was |
| Santiago to Punta Arenas I looked out of the | | | | breathtaking. The ride took us through ancient beech |
| window for most of the journey marvelling at the | | | | forests filled with white margarita daisies, condors |
| landscape below. I instantly recognised the peaks of | | | | flew overhead and herds of guanaco scattered |
| the Torres, which I would soon be seeing at closer | | | | across the hills as we approached. Each vista was |
| quarters. | | | | epic and the sight of the sun's rays breaking through |
| Punta Arenas is the southern most town in Chile and | | | | the clouds took on almost biblical proportions. The |
| like Ushuaia, its counterpart in Argentina, it is the main | | | | journey took longer than it should because we kept |
| departure point for ships cruising to the Antarctic | | | | stopping to take photographs. |
| Peninsula. I met Alex, the Equitour Worldwide Riding | | | | It was almost dark when we reached Laguna Azul |
| Holidays agent in Chile and the rest of the small | | | | Campsite and the hot meal waiting for us in the |
| group of riders, in a comfortable guesthouse on | | | | Quincho or communal kitchen, was very welcome. I |
| Bernardo O'Higgins Avenue. | | | | sat by the open fire and drank mate, the local herbal |
| Early the next morning I went for a walk along the | | | | beverage, with the Mirko and Victor, before retiring |
| edge of the shore and could almost feel the chill in | | | | to my tent. |
| the air from the frozen continent. But I wasn't going | | | | The next day we set off with all the packhorses |
| cruising. Two hundred miles north in the wilds of | | | | fully loaded and accompanied by extra Baquianos, for |
| Patagonia; a horse was waiting for me. | | | | this time we were camping in the wild. |
| After breakfast we put all our bags in the waiting | | | | Baquianos are the local horse guides and are unique |
| minibus and began our journey north across the | | | | to the National Park. They wear very interesting |
| desolate pampas of Southern Chile. We stopped in | | | | costume consisting of baggy trousers tucked into |
| Puerto Natales, a pioneer town set on the edge of a | | | | high leather boots, a long sleeve shirt, woollen jumper |
| lake. There was a charming quality about the single | | | | and beret. Around their waist they wear a wide |
| storey houses constructed out of wood and brightly | | | | leather belt tooled and decorated with old Chilean |
| painted corrugated iron. | | | | coins. These belts are highly prized as the men make |
| There were a few tourist shops and outdoor activity | | | | them during the long winter months when the park is |
| centres. We had our lunch in an Internet | | | | inaccessible. The also make all the tack for the |
| café, which was our last chance to make | | | | horses in the same style. |
| contact with the outside world for once in the Park; | | | | The journey to Lake Cimono was the highlight of the |
| mobile phones are out of range. | | | | whole trip for me. We encountered every sort of |
| We met our trip leader, a young American girl called | | | | terrain and every kind of weather. At one point I |
| Magan, and our cook, Jorge and continued our | | | | was wearing full waterproofs as Loreto and I battled |
| journey north for another two hours. The landscape | | | | through the wind and the rain. We stopped for lunch |
| got hillier and the road got bumpier until we arrived at | | | | near the ruins of an old house that had been |
| our next destination and start of our adventure, a | | | | destroyed by a storm years ago. There were still the |
| beautiful estancia called Mirador del Paine. Estancias | | | | remains of its extensive fruit garden and we ate |
| are working ranches and the Mirador was set | | | | handfuls of ripe gooseberries. The packhorses joined |
| between hills and a lake with views of the mountains | | | | us and then went ahead to make camp. We rode |
| in the distance. There were outbuildings dotted | | | | through the very beautiful and remote Dickson Valley |
| around and a very comfortable accommodation block | | | | until we reached the black shores of Lake Cimono. |
| where we would spend one night. There were | | | | We pitched our tents in a very high wind and while |
| horses everywhere grazing around the buildings | | | | Jorge was preparing dinner, we drank Pisco Sours on |
| unrestricted by fences or barriers. That evening I had | | | | the beach and watched the sun set behind the |
| a superb meal of salmon steak and salad and my first | | | | mountains. |
| taste of the local and very potent aperitif Pisco Sour. | | | | The mess tent was very cramped with all of us |
| The next morning I dressed for riding and packed my | | | | sitting around the table but we had great fun after |
| saddlebags with the bare essentials including full | | | | dinner practising drinking wine from the leather flasks |
| waterproofs and a lunch box. Even though it was | | | | that the baquianos use. Needless to say I managed |
| summer in Chile, weather in the mountains is very | | | | to get more red wine down my sweater than in my |
| unpredictable so we had to be prepared for anything | | | | mouth. |
| and everything. I met the local horseman or | | | | The next day we had a short trip to a Refugio on an |
| baquianos. Victor and Mirko, who would be the guides | | | | island. We left the horses tethered under the trees |
| on the trip. We were taken to the horses and I was | | | | and then had to shout for the boatmen to bring the |
| asked what sort of horse would I like. 'A quiet kind | | | | boat across. This was not easy as the sound of the |
| one' I said nervously, and I was given Loreto, a | | | | wind and the sound of the gushing river drowned out |
| 15.3.bay mare. Soon I had my foot in the strange | | | | our cries. We waved our scarves in the air and |
| leather cup that is a Chilean stirrup and was up in the | | | | screamed as loud as we could until the men heard us. |
| saddle ready for action. I rode along the track, which | | | | A Refugio is a hostel where you can stay the night |
| rose gently into the hills and then through trees when | | | | and due to its remoteness, most people staying |
| suddenly the horse in front of me disappeared. | | | | there were hikers. I also noticed that there were lots |
| Before I could even think about it, Loreto took me | | | | of very handsome Chilean guides. |
| down into a steep gully, briefly stopped for a drink in | | | | On our way back to the camp, Victor was stopped |
| the stream at the bottom and climbed niftily up the | | | | by a couple of mountain park rangers whose horses |
| other side. This was my first experience of riding in | | | | needed shoeing. I watched as Victor pared the hoof |
| this sort of terrain but by lunchtime I had gone down | | | | down with his hunting knife and a stick of wood and |
| into so many gullies that I was quite used to it. | | | | then apply the shoes with a pair of pliers and |
| We stopped for lunch high up on a hill above Laguna | | | | hammer. He did it all so quickly and deftly. |
| del Toro. It was a beautiful spot with mountains in | | | | We left our campsite the following morning and rode |
| the distance and a deep blue lake down below. | | | | back to Lake Azul where a minibus was waiting to |
| We continued by descending on a very steep track | | | | transport us to our next stopover. The men would |
| and then traversing across a scree slope on a very | | | | take our horses along with the packhorses and herd |
| narrow path. There was a very long drop on one | | | | them up into the mountains to an Estancia. Three of |
| side and places where the path had slipped away but | | | | us decided we wanted to ride with the men and in |
| by now I realised that Loreto and the other horses | | | | an instant we were off galloping through trees, |
| were so surefooted and safe that I needn't worry. | | | | across rivers and up steep mountain sides. It was the |
| Loreto only walked when she was negotiating | | | | most thrilling ride I had ever experienced. |
| boulders. Her normal pace was a little jogging trot, | | | | We stayed at the Estancia La Tercera for two |
| which I learnt to sit to quite comfortably. When we | | | | nights. It was on a high plateau with very clear views |
| arrived at the bottom of the mountain, Magan | | | | of the Torres in the distance. The horses were let |
| shouted ' fancy going a bit faster?' and we had the | | | | loose and roamed the plains. The accommodation |
| longest and most exhilarating gallop I have every | | | | was very comfortable with soft beds and a little cat |
| experienced across the endless pampas. That night | | | | that slept with me mine both nights. This was |
| we stayed for the first of two nights in wooden | | | | becoming a common occurrence. It was here that |
| cabins near a river and a friendly little cat came into | | | | we met Boris, a very handsome cowboy, who spoke |
| my room and seemed very happy to sleep on my | | | | no English but it didn't really matter. We just smiled a |
| bed. | | | | lot. He had a very gentle way with horses and was |
| Over the next couple of days, we explored the area | | | | an excellent rider. I think that Magan liked him a lot. |
| in a big circular route, climbing mountains on | | | | When we left La Tercera it was very sad, as we |
| boulder-strewn paths, crossing rivers and enjoying | | | | knew there was only one long day of riding and then |
| lots of long gallops. | | | | it would all be over. The route took us onto the main |
| Early morning on the next stage of our journey, we | | | | road into the National Park. We stopped to look back |
| left the horses in a corral near the National Park | | | | at the Torres one more time and then continued |
| Information Centre and we went on a boat trip to | | | | down the dusty road back into civilisation. |
| the famous Glacier Gray and drank Pisco Sours near | | | | I have very special memories of this trip but a |
| the wall of blue ice. | | | | wonderful thing happened after it. |
| We returned to the corral and from here, we started | | | | Magan and Boris got together and now live in the |
| on an eight-hour trek across the mountains to our | | | | USA and have a baby daughter. |