Tia Christie and her husband Randy Lowery live in Quesnel, where the winters are long and cold. They’ve found a rather exciting way to warm up! Here’s the start of the story of their adventures last December driving a herd of horses from rural Chile to their summer pasture in the Andes Mountains.
Every winter Randy and I like to take off from winter here in British Columbia and head to a warmer climate. Our interest in riding has led us to meet folks throughout the world who have invited us to ride and/or work with them, or sometimes we book adventurous treks with outfitters. Our latest adventure began with a Spanish speaking friend who helped us set up a trip to Chile to help a local horseman move a herd of horses to the high grazing lands of the Andes.
Last December we flew to Santiago and after a visit to the city we headed to rural Rari via bus, arriving at the home of Danilo, where our friend Nora met us and gave us the keys to La Casa Azul (the blue house), where we stayed for a week before the trek. Our Spanish is limited, so Nora acted as our translator. Danilo is known in Chile for his horse breeding, and for winning an annual endurance competition. We soon found out why!
We were introduced to the horses right away, and had the week to prepare. First we had to round up the 45 horses from different pastures and bring them in for worming, hoof trimming, and branding. Mulas (mules) were brought in and readied to carry their packs, which are constructed of rebar covered with either goat skin or plastic. They don’t weigh or tie their packs, but there wasn’t a single pack that slipped or sored any of the mules. The trip to the summer grazing area in the high mountains would take 8 to10 days. Along the way we encountered other herds of horses, vaca (cattle) and goats, all heading in the same direction, and the gauchos greeted each other in beautiful sing-song voices. We were amazed not to encounter any wildlife, other than a huge spider that looked like a tarantula. (I made sure to shake out my sleeping bag before I crawled in!)
The day we left was warm and pleasant. Two new foals, one about 12 hrs old and the other just a day, were bundled up in back of the farm truck atop layers of sheepskin and blankets, tied so they couldn’t get up. They got to connect with their mothers for lunch. The first day we crossed a small mountain and continued along country roads and trails. Keeping the herd in line was a bit of fun the first day, but nobody got lost or misplaced and we arrived at some holding pens near a dam project. The company building the dam provides trucks and drivers to take livestock across the project area to waiting corrals at the base of the mountains.
The trails to the holding pens passed through forest and up and down the steep banks of dry riverbeds. It was hard for the five of us to keep the herd together, as the horses were hungry and wanted to head off in all directions to graze. As we waited at the holding pens for a truck, along came another gaucho with his herd of horses, then a fellow with a herd of cattle, and then a herd of around 250 goats. Randy and I were amazed, given the crowded, muddy area and the big trucks coming and going, that with all these animals, the herds didn’t get mixed up. Our herd was loaded into four trucks and driven to the other side of the Dam. The truck ride on the steep and bumpy road was pretty scary to say the least. I was in the first truck, and was greeted by some gauchos who insisted I join them for their noon meal. They were interesting and friendly people, though we often had to resort to gestures to communicate.
We were soon on our way to the mountains. My horse was a 17 year old, slab sided QH type with a choppy gait, but I was glad to have a responsive and sure footed mount. For spending 7 to 9 hours a day in the saddle, Randy lucked out with a sturdy Peruvian Paso cross with wonderful easy to sit gaits. The first night we arrived at the hacienda of Danilo’s friend where we camped in his pastures and enjoyed a meal made over an open fire. This was the first night for the newborn foals to be with their moms. The dew was heavy and we learned that sleeping on the ground, even with a tarp above and below, was not recommended in the low lands of Chile!
We were up and on the trail again at dawn. There are always one or two horses that just don’t like the agenda, so we lost a few within the first half hour but Randy and Yito (helper) galloped off to find the wayward ponies and return them to our moving herd. We rode uphill all day, on narrow rocky, boulder strewn trails . The stamina of the herd and the riding horses was amazing, and even though we were seasoned riders, it sometimes hurt! I rode the first half of the ride in an Aussie type saddle while Randy opted for the traditional western saddle. The gauchos are amazing ropers but instead of using saddle horns to hold their roped critters, they just use a small ring on the side.
The trail was steep and narrow, sometimes with barely room for a horse. We climbed up and up sparsely treed slopes. Sometimes we met another herd on a trail not wide enough for both herds to pass. It’s amazing that the critters don’t intermingle en route. Their trail etiquette dictated that one group had the right of way and the other held their herd off to the side to let them through. After hours in the saddle, we finally reached the top!
Lunch breaks were always during the heat of the day, followed by a siesta. Lunch might be a white bun and cheese or a shared can of tuna, with the ever-present maté, a caffeine drink made from dried leaves with sugar added. It’s sociable to share maté with those you meet along the way. I am not normally an afternoon napper but soon found that the 30 plus degree heat made it easy to fall asleep under a tree, or even in the shade of a rock! After a twenty minute nap, we were off again, with the horses rested and watered.
We then started our descent along a mountain ledge 400 meters above a river. The ledges were narrow and barely wide enough for a horse and rider. In some spots we had to dismount and hike the ledges, and for someone with height issues (like me!) it was a challenge. At one point one of the foals teetered on the edge of the ledge, and I closed my eyes fearing a wrong step. Gawd, these animals are sooooo sure footed it’s crazy! We came across a lone rider on the ledge, returning from the mountains. He pressed as tight as he and his horse could against the mountain wall while our herd of 45 horses, mules and five riders squeezed past him. How we got past him and didn’t fall off the ledge still amazes me!
That night we camped at the river’s edge and just around the corner was the first ‘check point’ where Danilo had to get his papers stamped to allow him access to the Andes and his allotted grazing areas. He had to show our passports as well, since we also had to register to be in the mountains. We went to bed early, under the stars, after the same meal we had for lunch. It was our longest day in the saddle so far, and it took its toll. At least the dew wasn’t bad. After that night we were given a much appreciated tent. The horses were housed in an old stone corral for the night with no grazing; they had to graze what they could during the day’s move.
continued ….
For the rest of this story (which gets even more exciting – trust me!) and more awesome photos, visit Tia’s blog site at http://horsetrekkingtheworld.blogspot.com. Tia has promised to share more of her and Randy’s adventures with us, including their ride and wagon drive (!) on the Alexander MacKenzie Heritage Trail from Quesnel to Anahim Lake. That probably won’t be until after they’ve returned from this year’s trip, riding the home “range” of the Monarch butterflies in Mexico!
As Tia says:
The intention … is to share our experiences, photos and to help all those want to do riding treks and maybe need that little extra boost to get them started on their own personal journey by horseback and so you to can enjoy the horses, the scenery, the countries and the people of not only our own country but also those in other countries. Its a small world out there and there is nothing better than being on the top of the world, fresh air, and experiences that will stay with you for the rest of your life!
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There were fifteen riders, drivers and swampers, including Tia and Randy’s 12 year old granddaughter Alise, with 3 wagons, a team of two horses per wagon. They were the first wagons to cross this route in well over 33 yrs. In addition to camping and food supplies, the wagons carried extra horse shoes and tack repair equipment, and the very important bug dope for both horse and riders, since the area is known for the small black biting flies and mosquitoes. Each day on the trail started at sun-up and they were usually all packed and saddled and ready to roll by about nine a.m. and would finish riding around 4 or 5 pm every afternoon to set the evening camp.
