A WILD RIDE IN PATAGONIA

My unforgettable horseback trip in Argentina put me on top of the world

- BY Liz Beatty FROM CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC

Some journeys leave a mark. That was the case with my ride into the last vestiges of authentic gaucho culture in northern Patagonia. Though it's been more than two years since my trip, the transformative powers of this experience linger with me even now.

Somewhere past the town of Loncopué in western Argentina, the paved road turns to dirt. Another hour beyond that, the car I'm riding in rattles and heaves over what has devolved into a track. Finally, my vehicle and the one following cross a grassy expanse surrounding the Andean mountain Buta Mallin. This tiny outpost in far northern Patagonia is the end of the road for the drivers, but for their women passengers, it's where the real journey begins.

With dark locks flowing from beneath her hat brim, 26-year-old guide Lara Simon, who hails from Germany, greets us with a broad smile and a sing-songy "Helloooo." In contrast, the piercing gaze of head wrangler Alyssa Young evokes 1970s Clint Eastwood-if Eastwood were a 24-year-old woman with long auburn hair. A veteran horsewoman from California, she is Zen, a bit fierce and completely in charge.

Young's welcome talk is all business: horse care, trail rules, staying hydrated. She then washes in the stream. Despite the scrubbing, it's clear that it will take weeks back in civilization before her hard-working hands will look clean. Suddenly, my white shirt feels conspicuously laundered.

It's time to mount up. Simon doublechecks each cinch (the strap that holds the saddle in place). "We have just enough daylight," says Young, swinging her leg over the sheepskin-covered saddle. The three-hour trail ride is the final leg of a long day that's drawn us five women to this remote trailhead. One more will arrive tomorrow.