Chile: Horseback Trail Riding in National Park Huerquehue,Chile; 4 days on horsetails in the Andes of Southern Amerika

Rio Blanco Hot Springs Trail - four days trail ride in National Park Huerquehue

Join us for a four-day adventure on horseback through the heart of Chile’s temperate rainforests to natural hot springs in the Rio Blanco Valley. The pristine Huerquehue National Park will be the location of our trek, and we’ll ride beneath the towering canopy of Coighue trees and alongside deep blue, glistening mountain lakes. Carrying all of our luggage, food and equipment along with us, we’ll climb the rolling mountains and navigate the dense bamboo and lush green undergrowth of northern Patagonia’s virgin forest.
Once in the Rio Blanco Valley, we will make camp at the natural hot springs and rest in bathes heated by the volcanic activity of the area. Nights will be spent around the campfire roasting an asado and relaxing with a glass of wine.
This trek is led by an English speaking guide and a Chilean arriero who will introduce you to the deep, rural countryside and the farms that remain from the first pioneering settlers who came to the valley 150 years ago.

Itinerary four days trail ride National Park Huerquehue

DAY ONE
We pick you up in Pucon at 9.00 am, have breakfast, and then take off for an initial 3-4 hours ride crossing the Mapuche Indian Community Quelhue, decide which horse matches with which rider and which horses we will take with us. In the evening we move to our Huerquehue base camp at Laguna Geppinger.

DAY TWO

After a hearty breakfast we saddle the horses and off we go. We ride up the Huife mountain range within Huerquehue National Park. The ride leads us through farmland and virgin rainforest, passing by huge Araucaria (monkey puzzle) trees.At about noon we cross the pass from then on descending towards the Rio Blanco Valley were we put up our tents nearby the natural hot springs of "Termas Rio Blanco".

DAY THREE

We ride uphill, following Rio Blanco river to the hidden mountain lake "Laguna Isolda, dense forest, a loging camp and amazing views over the mountain range of Sollipulli Volcano are the highlights of this day.

DAY FOUR

In the morning we ride down the Rio Blanco river until we reach it's delta at Lake Caburgua. From now on we follow the lake-shore sometimes on the coastline sometimes high up in the mountain. In the evening our trail meets the road where we will be picked up by our van to drive back to Antilco. Back on the ranch a hot shower, a cold beer and a tasty BBQ are waiting for us to celebrate the last day of a great horseback riding adventure.

Facts about the Andean Lakes Trail

Meeting point

Pucón, 9.00 am first day

Duration

Four days, three nights, four days on horseback.

Kind of trip

Pack trip, no accompanying car

Number of Riders

2 - 8 riders

Riders Qualification required

Intermediate physical condition, some experience on horseback is required. We ride up to 7 hours a day with breaks

Accommodation

Three nights in tent camps. In the tent camps two riders share one tent. We always try to match adequate persons and try to give solo travelers a single tent. Because of weight issues this will not always be possible.

Sanitary equipment

Shower, water toilet on all days;
on the second and third day the camp is beside the natural hot springs of Rio Blanco.

Food

Complete food and soft drinks from dinner on the first day to the farewell BBQ on the last day. On the trail we have breakfast, a snack at midday and dinner at the campfire.