explore backcountry Patagonia by horseback and kayak and build a first-ever playground for local school kids

Dates: Jan. 7 - 15 (exact dates can be flexible)
Price For 5-7 people: $4,500 / person
Price For 8-10 people: $3,900 / person

For 8 days, immerse yourself in the crisp summer radiance of peak-season Patagonia, riding and paddling into a region way off the tourist circuit. And while you're at it, turn the tables and give something sustainable and positive back to the culture and people that welcomed you, by building a first-ever playground for schoolchildren from the nearby estáncias.

Explore a spectacular Patagonia wilderness on horseback and by paddling through crystalline lakes clean enough to drink from. Eat like a cowboy king, from open-fire feasts that feature local brews and wines. Learn to horseback through summer meadows. And complete a volunteer project in 3 days, giving impoverished Patagonian children the inarguable right to play.

No prior horseback experience needed. Hikers welcome.

expedition route & itinerary

This small-group expedition begins as you land in San Carlos de Bariloche, where we'll be waiting for you outside baggage claim. Together, we travel overland along the ridiculously pretty Ruta de 7 Lagos on the way to charming town of San Martin de los Andes.

From San Martin, we disappear on horseback into the surrounding mountains for 4 days of riding, exploring nature and rustic backcountry camping in generously sized tents around an open fire. We are accompanied by local gauchos and our English-speaking Argentine partner, an experienced horse rancher. 

Rather hike instead of horseback all 3 days? No problem! We'll find a way to make it work for you.

Returning to San Martin, we spend a day paddling across a pristine lake local folks drink from directly. Then begins our hands-on volunteer project. It's a small, sustainable way to give back and contribute to the very culture and region you've vigorously explored.

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your volunteer project

We'll spend 3 days building, with plenty of local helping hands, a playground for provincial school kids from the region's backcountry farms and ranches. This will be their first one.

The students are generally poor; many walk or ride horses to school from nearby estancias (farms), where their parents work and live in modest rented housing. About half the students live far enough away that they board at the school during the week. Winters are rough and snow-packed, making attending school an extra challenge.

Our local non-profit partner for this project is Fundación Somos Acción Ciudadana.

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what's included in this expedition?

This expedition includes: all lodging, tents and sleeping bags;  hearty meals that include beer, wine and spirits; kayaks and experienced, well-mannered horses that are able to ride off track; ground transportation; airport pickup & drop off; deeply experienced local horse trainers and backcountry guides; and a custom-designed, start-to-finish, hands-on volunteer project coordinated with a reputable local non-profit organization in Patagonia.

The price does not include international airfare to and from Argentina and entry visa (which remains valid for 10 years).

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lodging & food

In Patagonia, you will eat well, drink well (if you care to) and sleep very well, whether under a hotel roof or the starry Patagonian sky. Upon arrival in San Martin de los Andes and during our 3-day playground-building project, your lodging is in a comfortable, locally owned hotel. During our 3-day backcountry horseback adventure, accommodations will be a rustic log cabin and, for 2 nights, spacious tents in a campfire setting. Rustic? Yes. Survival of the fittest? Hardly. 

Meals during the horseback adventure are prepared by local guides, and consist of hearty meats, locally grown vegetables, beer, Argentine wine and even local spirits. Vegetarians thrive in Patagonia. Meat eaters weep tears of joy. Wine lovers may never leave.

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your arrival & departure

You should plan to arrive in San Carlos de Bariloche on the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 7, when we will pick you up at the airport. Bariloche is reached from Buenos Aires by daily connecting flights. We recommend flying into Buenos Aires a day early, spending one night in the city, and connecting to Bariloche the following day.

Departures can begin from San Carlos de Bariloche on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 15. There are same-day connecting flights in Buenos Aires to international destinations, so you may be able to continue home directly without another layover.

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