By Eva Mossberg, TIES Travel Ambassador

Temuco, located 670 km south of Santiago, is the capital of the Arauncanía Region of Chile. The name means “water of temu”; “temu” is the name of a tree used by the Mapuche Indians for medicinal purposes. It is a town with poetic history: this is where Nobel Poet Pablo Neruda lived as a young man before travelling away from his disapproving father to Asia and beyond to further his career as a writer.

My Chilean business partner Jaime greeted me at the bus station, where I arrived on an overnight bus from Argentina. The bus system in Argentina and Chile is outstanding: punctual, very comfortable, and inexpensive. Our quest was to explore a new route for a camping trip on horseback along the “Heritage Route” in the Cordillera de los Andes, near Lonquimay, a small town, 156 km north-east of Temuco. After a brief lunch we boarded the bus to Lonquimay, where we were to begin our journey into the wilderness.

Our local guide Patricio and his dog Clifford met us early in the morning at the edge of the area called Ranquil-Pelehue. After adding our tent to the pack horse’s load, we set off on our surefooted horses up the so called Pelehue ascent, in a landscape dominated by beautiful oaks and lenga trees in high hillsides of mountains. We travelled through the greenest valleys and broom sedge fields, where finches and sheep kept us company, and across windy, outcrops of volcanic rocks on the Chilean/Argentine boarder, to suddenly traverse the top of a crest to see fumes rising above several active hot springs: Pelehue Springs.

We dismounted, made a fire, and put a pot of water on for tea. An elderly man was shoveling mud to secure the all handmade, three foot deep, soaking pool, and he soon joined us for lunch. After a rest for the horses and us, we departed together, and our new friend expertly led the way across snow and down the steepest descents, like the professional mountain man he was. Two pairs of majestic condors soared above us for hours; it is believed they bring good luck, so we were happy to have them with us. As we approached the valley for our overnight camp, we parted ways, amazed to have met such a remarkable man.

We carefully snaked our way down the hillsides to a beautiful valley, divided by a stream and dotted with several simple wooden huts, and grazing sheep, cows, and horses. Camp was set up right next to the fresh water, which was, as expected, very cold, but wonderful for washing up after a day’s ride. The horses, un-tacked and in hobbles, quickly put their heads down to eat.

Patricio used the hut of a local shepherd’s for a roaring fire and shelter, who also brought us dinner. Shepherds who spend the summers up in the cordillera use these shelters when the weather is too harsh to sleep under the open sky. (Bugs are never a problem since the temperature drops significantly at night.) We discussed the experiences of the day and enjoyed chorizo and a glass of wine whilst waiting for the freshly prepared lamb to cook over the fire. No meal is better than an asado made with fresh ingredients!

Cold temperatures and a howling wind greeted us in the morning, but dressed in warm ponchos, lightweight gloves and hats we were very comfortable, enjoying a hearty breakfast. As soon as the sun climbed high enough in the sky to reach our camp deep in the valley, the temperature rose quickly. In bright sunshine, we rode down through the open valley amongst sheep and horses, contently grazing the lush summer vegetation.

As we ascended, the fierce wind tore into us traversing rocky, barren terrain with unparalleled views of the valleys below and mountains beyond. When we reached lower altitudes, we rested and devoured the leftover asado and bread at the feet of millennia Araucarias, the tree most distinctive to the area; a tree now protected from felling since 1976, after a long history of careless logging. Clifford the dog could not have been happier as he too was included in the feast.

Our ride continued through thick vegetation, pristine meadows and green valleys; it took us up mountains, past beautiful waterfalls, rivers, and eventually onto the very dusty last portion of our two day exploratory journey. When our faces looked like the black and white faces of raccoons and we could not eat any more dust, we came upon the most beautiful and little creek. We quenched our thirst with the crystalline water, our horses and Clifford the dog included, but downstream from us, and then continued to the final location of our journey near Ranquil River. We took farewell of Patricio and Clifford, certain to return soon.

Since then, Jaime and I have, with the help of the local government, explored added existing and potential opportunities for the local community, many of Mapuche Indian origin, such as local artisan craft sales, lodging, and provisioning. We are making the final preparations for an expedition for six guests to join us in January 2011 on a journey to the most untouched nature available to man.

We hope you will be able to join us!

*If you would like to receive more information about the trip or routes described in this article, please contact Eva Mossberg at email: evamossberg12@gmail.com or phone: 978.836.9133. This website (coming soon!) www.pehuenchetravel.com will also provide additional information.

Photos by: Jaime Zaror Provoste

Eva Mossberg, TIES Travel Ambassador

Since 2006, when she went on a horse-packing tour across the Andes, Eva has been working to develop relationships with certain hand-picked, small, owner-operated tour companies in Argentina and Chile, and working with them to create viable, sustainable tourism programs for the US market, focusing on low-impact small group tours, utilizing of local resources and educational opportunities. As a TIES Travel Ambassador, Eva hopes to help promote sustainable tourism destinations within Argentina, Chile, and Sweden to the US market, and to become more involved with volunteer based travel and the overall international aspects of ecotourism. Eva believes that once travelers understand the many choices available to them within ecotourism, it will be their only choice.

>> Read Eva’s articles on Your Travel Choice Blog
>> Learn more about TIES Travel Ambassador Program