South America - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 256

camp, taking in Lago Nordenskjold,
Valle Francés, the glacial Lago de Grey,
the eastern lakes and the gigantic
granite monoliths of the Torres del
Paine. From the top of this awesome
range you'll feel like you're at the ends
of the earth, though of course you're
not: the Falkland Islands are only
800km away.

Need to know Prices, bookings, and
details of walking itineraries are at
W www.cascada.travel; T +56 2232
9878. Wilderness Journeys ( W www.
wildernessjourneys.com; T +44 (0) 131
625 6635) also organizes a sixteen-
day trekking holiday visiting the Torres
del Paine, Fitzroy range and Parque
Nacional Los Glaciares.

In the saddle: let
the horse do the
hard work while you
admire the stunning
views

grounds of Nahuel Huapi, Argentina's biggest
national park, where you stay in restored log
cabins overlooking a forested creek and the
valley of D'Agostini. The area is popular with
anglers, and there are guided treks and horse-
riding in the surrounding poplar-filled hills. The
short walks around the estancia connect with
the national park trails, which you can follow on
multi-day treks using the park's mountain huts,
plus there's white-water rafting and kayaking at
the nearby Río Manso.

336 Steppe on a horse
Ride across northern Patagonia on a nine-day
wilderness horse-riding adventure, galloping
across water meadows and rolling hills, passing
through narrow rocky gorges and climbing
up to high vantage points where condors soar
overhead. The trip begins and ends at Estancia
Heuchahue, a working cattle farm by the Río
Aluminé in the Patagonian Steppes. The estancia
is a centre for horse-riding - there are some
eighty horses here - and is almost entirely self-
sufficient: water for irrigation is gravity-fed from
natural springs, all the electricity is provided
by a hydro-turbine and fuel for hot water and
heating comes from firewood on the farm.

Need to know For prices, directions, booking
and details of accommodation and activities see
W www.peuma-hue.com; T [phone].

338 Paddles and pedals
Fitzroy Adventure Camp, 17km north of El
Chaltén, is a great base from which to explore
the Mount Fitzroy range - its eight cabins on
the shore of Río de Las Vueltas have views of
Mount Fitzroy's north face. The emphasis of the
camp is on low-impact activities, so you can hire
mountain bikes, canoes and kayaks for the day,
or join a two-day canoe-and-camping descent of
Río La Leona between Lago Viedma and Lago
Argentino.

Need to know The trip starts at Chapelco Airport
in San Martín de los Andes, by Lago Lacar in
western Argentina. For prices and itineraries see
W www.equineadventures.co.uk; T +44 (0) 845
130 6981.

337 Explore the Lake District
Just 35min south of Bariloche, the Lake
District is one of the most accessible parts of
northern Patagonia. Peuma Hue is a ranch at
the southern tip of Lago Gutiérrez within the

Need to know For trekking routes and expedition
details see W www.itzroyexpediciones.com.ar;
T [phone].