Cochamó Valley

We have chosen this beautiful and relatively unknown area because we think it is a good representative of Northern Patagonia. It has huge granite walls which are the remains of ancient glaciers. It is also called the Chilean Yosemite because climbers from all over the world are starting to explore new routes.  As we go deep into the valley we will cross many rivers and see the exuberant nature and biodiversity on this corner of the planet. We will be able to listen to birds like Chucao and Huet Huet singing, see the Alerce (Larch) a tree that can live up to 3,500 years and reach 50 mt high. We will also find beautiful lakes where settlers live year round surrounded by nature and connected by paths that can only be used by horses or people on foot. The settlers use these paths to take their products to the nearest town or market. We will spend some time with them, listen to their stories and buy their 100% organic products. This is a trip that will take us through  wild nature in Northern Patagonia.

Details of the Expedition:

• Horse ride or horse supported walk, Argentina Crossing.
• Length: 7 days/ 8 nights
• Hotel: 2 nights          
• Camping: 6 nights
• Level of difficulty: moderate, it does not need previous experience.
• Place:  Northern Patagonia,  Esperanza Valley, 
• Meeting Point: Airport in Puerto Montt
• End of Trip: Bariloche, Argentina
• Dates:  From November to April.
• Group Size:  2 to 8 people max.

Included:

• All meals from day 1 to day 7, including wine and appetizers (except meals for Day 0)
• All land  transportation
• 8 nights lodging
• All gear for horses, trekking and camping (GPS, UHF Radios, handy,  Satellite phone, maps, aerial photographs, tents for two, Therma Rest mattresses, kitchen tent, shade, first aid kit and more)
• Bilingual Guide (Spanish-English) accredited by Wilderness First Response with a wide experience in horse riding and mountain trips.
• Local Guide with horses raised and trained for mountain trips.
• A Cook with a balanced diet in mind that will please the taste of  the traveler and who has some vegetarian specialties.
• Book Collection about the trips which will help you enrich the experience and increase your knowledge of the places.
• Talks about minimal impact, land navigation, flora and fauna. The aim is to reinforce or to acquire basic knowledge to visit wild areas and enjoy outdoor life. Voluntary attendance.    

No Included:

• Air Trips, insurance, personal equipment, tips or any other service not mentioned in this program

Optional:

• Sleeping bag rental, edited video of the expedition or photo set.

Day by Day

• Day 1 Airport in Puerto Montt/ Puerto Varas
  We will meet you at the airport in Puerto Montt and drive you to a Hotel in Puerto Varas. We will have coffee there and talk about details of the trip. Free afternoon.

• Day 2  Puerto Varas/ Las Juntas
  We will go to Cochamó , a town by  Reloncavi estuary the first fiord of the Patagonia, and meet our local guide. We will also meet and load our horses, you will be given safety instructions and we will begin our horse ride through a valley with lots of vegetation and spectacular views of granite walls. Camp.

• Day 3 Las juntas/ El Arco
  This is a great day because at dawn we will be surrounded by granite walls and as we go up the valley we will see  Alerce (Larch) forests. We will cross many rivers and ancient forests and go past a peculiar rock formation called El Arco. Free afternoon to explore and camp.

• Day 4  Las Juntas/ Vidal Gonzalez Lake
  We will go deeper into the Andean Range, go past a lake and some marshes where we will find traces of early settlers (early 1900´s), we will finally reach  Vidal Gomez Lake and meet a family who lives there, we will set camp by the lake, in this family’s property.

• Day 5 Bahamondez Family/ Soto family
  This day we will ride for only 3 hours to get to the south side of the lake and share the rest of the day with Panchito Soto and his family. We will have a lamb barbecue and vegetarian food with plenty of locally  grown vegetables. Free afternoon and the chance to sleep either in the tents or in the family’s lodging.

• Day 6 Bahamondez Family/ Steffen River
  We will drink Mate and say goodbye to then go down by the valley of river Manso. We will visit several families on our way and cross several hanging bridges built by the community in order to avoid isolation when rivers flood during strong rain days. We will visit the home of Don Juan, set camp there and enjoy a hot bath, toilets and Don Juan’s hospitality. 

• Day 7 Steffen River/ Tagua Tagua River
  We will leave early to take a ferry crossing Tagua Tagua Lake, we will sail these waters which are used by local people to transport all kinds of goods, including animals. After a few hours we will get to Rio Manso Bridge where we will catch our bus to Puerto Varas.

• Extra Day
  It is important to mention that river water levels rise quickly and depending on the weather conditions we might have to wait for one day.
  

Cochamó, Chile -Argentina Crossing by El Leon
Horse ride or walk supported by horses

• Day 8 Bahamondes Family/ El León Crossing
  After drinking a Mate and saying goodbye to this family, we will go down to Correntoso where we will have lunch and rest for one hour. We will then go up Manso River which will take us to El León, the border with Argentina. We will set camp here and spend the afternoon with a local family.

• Day 9 Crossing to Argentina
  We cross the border on this day, we will say goodbye to our local guide and his horses to then go through the frontier paperwork both in Carabineros de Chile and Gendarmería Argentina . We will cross two large hanging bridges and we will visit a Chilean family who has a garden divided in two by the frontier. Here we will catch our bus which will take us back to Greco Hotel in Puerto Varas (Chile) and for those wanting to stay in Bariloche we will find a nice hotel as part of the costs of this trip.

• Extra DayIt is important to mention that river water levels rise quickly and depending on the weather conditions we might have to wait for one day.

Viajando por la naturaleza salvaje de la Patagonia.
Al estilo de Miralejos Chile Adventure
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