Horse riding across the Andes with gauchos

By: Virginia Imberti Posted: 27/11/2020

Horse riding across the Andes mountain range is on the wish list of the bravest riders, who have enough riding experience to undergo this special challenge.

The adventure of a lifetime with expert gauchos that will guide you from Argentina to Chile.

Are you ready?

The adventure of crossing the Andes on horseback

Every rider dreams of the perfect horseback adventure, and talking about landmark expeditions, you cannot miss the "Horse Riding across the Andes".

Crossing the Andes on horseback is "much more" than just a simple riding route. This ride across the Andes mountains represents a difficult and long journey, immersed in such a striking wilderness, which puts the rider in the midst of immensity itself.

The dimension of the Andes

The Andes are a mountain range that forms a continuous highland along the western edge of South America, on the Pacific coast. With a length of 8,500 km, it is the longest continental mountain range in the world.

How do we cross the Andes?

The best way to see the vastness of the Andes Mountains is on horseback.

It is advisable to take this famous equestrian trip accompanied by two leading figures – the Argentine "Gaucho" and the Chilean "Huaso". They know the area perfectly well and can guide riders safely across the highest mountains in America: Mount Mercedario (6,770 m) and Mount Aconcagua (6,959 m).

Historic events in the Andes

On this equestrian route across the Andes, we also relive one of the most important historical deeds of Latin America: the liberation of Chile, Argentina and Peru.

José de San Martín, the Argentine national hero, led the revolutions against Spanish rule crossing the Andes on horseback.

The city of Mendoza

On this extraordinary journey that begins in the city of Mendoza, you can visit beautiful places.

The province of Mendoza is located in central Argentina, at the foot of the central Andes, and it has an arid climate predominately.

It is a major industrial hub, a key strategic point for trade relations with Mercosur.

Its economic activity is linked to trade, the service industry and wine tourism, mainly. For this reason, together with other cities around the world, Mendoza is one of the "Great Wine Capitals".

You will be able to witness its varied range of cultural and nightlife activities. It is a quintessential tourist city and an outstanding university centre.

Its physiognomy has an evident European influence, like the rest of Argentina, which can be seen in the city´s architectural style, wide avenues and tree-lined streets.

To make the most of your stay in Mendoza, you can tour the city by day and, in the evening, enjoy a fantastic folklore show at a dinner theatre. Feast your eyes upon local artists performing traditional music and dancing.

After enjoying the charms of the wine city, you can travel by car to Las Hornillas, a town located in the Province of San Juan, Argentina. Along the way, you will have the possibility to discover some beautiful places that we’ll list below.

Potrerillos

Potrerillos is a district in the region of Cuyo, 70 kilometres south from the Capital of Mendoza. Nestled in an incredible natural setting, at the foot of the Andes Mountains, the city of Potrerillos is a tourist destination with endless attractions.

The Potrerillos Valley can be a perfect mountain retreat, where you can spend a few days relaxing and taking in this spectacular scenery. But adventure tourism lovers also have a wide range of options at the Potrerillos Dam. Mountains, sunshine, a river and lots of snow in winter make this place ideal for all kinds of sports such as kayaking, windsurfing, kitesurfing or sailing, and many people from Mendoza come here in summer. Birdwatching is another interesting option due to the great number of birds that can be found here.

The Uspallata Valley

Following the road among the mountains, we find the Uspallata Valley which is located between 1,900 and 2,500 meters above sea level and 100 kilometres from Mendoza. Compared with the lush vegetation of this green valley, the panoramic views of the snow-capped Andean peaks contrast sharply.

Uspallata is a city located in the municipality of Las Heras, province of Mendoza, Argentina. The Mendoza River and the San Alberto and Uspallata streams flow through town. In 2018, the districts of Las Cuevas, Penitentes and Uspallata were merged into one single district called "Uspallata and High Mountain".

Uspallata has had great historical relevance as it was part of San Martín’s military campaign, being the place where the two armies gathered before crossing the Andes, to liberate Chile and Peru from Spanish rule. Uspallata was the starting point of this heroic feat.

Barreal, among rivers and mountains

Located on the right bank of the Los Patos River, Barreal is a town in the Calingasta department, in the southwestern corner of the province of San Juan, in the geographical region of Cuyo (Argentina).

The landscape of Barreal combines the mountain range with the precordillera (foothills), a natural corridor where vegetation is relatively sparse. It is also renowned for its sheltered microclimate, its friendly people, its fresh air; its deep-green poplar trees and its natural beauty, which make this town a true Andean oasis for domestic and international tourism. It has been rated as one of the ten most beautiful places in Argentina by an English travel guide.

Pampa del Leoncito

Barreal Blanco, or Pampa del Leoncito, is a dried-out lake located 20 km from the town of Barreal, in the Calingasta department, in the province of San Juan, Argentina. This flat area is situated on the side of the road that connects the town of Barreal with the Leoncito National Park.

Las Hornillas, where you will meet our horses

After visiting these towns, you will reach Las Hornillas, located at the foot of the Andes Mountains in Alvarez Condarco, province of San Juan.

Our muleteers will be waiting for us with the horses and pack mules, and our team will be with all the necessary equipment for the expedition.

Here, at the camp, we will have time to try our Peruvian Paso Horses, which will take us up to the border with Chile.

The horseback adventure begins

Once we have chosen our horses, the next day we will start our horseback route to the Los Patos Valley, on the Argentine side.

We will cross the Aldeco River to continue climbing the black pampa until we reach the plains of Manantiales, at 3,000 meters above sea level.

The next day, new challenges will be waiting for us because the road becomes increasingly rocky until we reach Paso El Espinacito, a point at 4,476 meters of altitude.

In the Los Patos Valley, we will sleep in tents and will also have the exceptional opportunity to contemplate the Aconcagua, which is the highest peak in America with 6,962 meters above sea level.

After that, we will head towards the Chilean border on horseback, and we will also sleep at a camp.

Our route will take us through Vegas del Yeso and Vegas de Gallardo, to finally reach our base camp in Vega Larga, at 3,000 meters high.

On the border with Chile

Once we get to the border with Chile at the summit of the Andes, we must leave the Peruvian Paso Horses due to sanitary regulations.

On the Chilean side, the Chilean muleteers or "Huasos" will welcome us to their country. They’ll be in charge of guiding us during the next 3 days.

After meeting our new guides, we must arrange custom formalities with the Chilean border control. Then, we will be ready to start our descent towards Lagunitas.

Our final destination on horseback will be “Los Patos”, in Chile.

Arriving in Santiago de Chile

Then, we will go to Santiago, the capital of Chile, by land. It is located on the banks of the Mapocho River.

With a population of 8 million, Santiago is the most populous city in Chile and the seventh most populous city in Latin America.

The country’s geographic features allow for a wide range of activities. Skiing, trekking, hiking and horseback riding are very popular in the mountains of Chile.

The importance of the Crossing of the Andes

• Crossing the Andes on horseback is a great physical challenge for riders, since they have to climb these high peaks and, on top of that, sleep in tents in the open.
• It is the best option to get away from the routine and do something unique. You will surely find more adventure than you thought.
• On this journey, you will be able to explore places that are landmarks in the history of Argentina and Chile.
• Some of the places you will visit in Argentina and Chile during this horseback trip are renowned tourist destinations in Latin America.
• Any mountain will look small compared to the Andes.
• Clean and fresh air, an amazing plant diversity, friendly local people and good food make this trip truly special.

These and many more reasons make
Horse riding across the Andes from Argentina to Chile,
a "must-do equestrian route" for those who are passionate about riding in high mountains.

Do you like Argentina as your next horse riding holiday destination?

We encourage you to download the catalog of our horseback riding tours in Northern, Central and Western Argentina. Discover Argentina on the back of a Peruvian horse and with our team of equestrian tourism experts.

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