About Us
Mission
Using our unique field experience, we open the doors of the authentic rural Patagonian way of life to adventurers, and leave a long-lasting mark on them.
Vision
Be a world reference in the outreach of the Chilean Patagonian cultural heritage and organization of wild horseback trails.
Values
Respect all animals and our environment
Support local community and culture
HAVING A NICE TIME WITH OUR PARTICIPANTS
To be authentic and humble
Charlotte FrErot
Charlotte Frerot has been passionate about horses for as long as she can remember. After studying sustainable business and working for five years for a United Nations program in Paris, she decided to dedicate her life to what mattered most to her and moved to Patagonia. She worked in different estancias as a ‘baqueana’ and a horseback riding guide for 4 years, exploring Torres del Payne’s most remote places.
En 2021 she started to organize her own adventures in partnership with her favorites estancias, to share her love for the wilderness of Patagonia.
She tames and trains her horses, participates in regional endurance horse races and “Escuadra Patagonica” a women’s equestrian drill team.
Born in France, Charlotte speaks French, English, Spanish and has Wilderness First Responder certification. She will be your guide in the wild and the organizer of your journey.
Enrique Bascur
He grew up with horses, accompanying his father since he was seven years old.
He studied adventure tourism and always knew he wanted to combine all of his future activities with horses. That’s why he moved to Chiloe after graduating, where he developed his knowledge of equine culture. He worked as a horseback riding tour guide and started to tame horses. Chiloe was the starting point of his journey to becoming a gaucho, which continued in Tierra del Fuego, where he has been breaking horses, working in estancias, or hunting wild horses for years. In 2021, he arrived in Torres del Paine, where he worked in several hotels before joining Galope Austral.
Enrique also makes working knives and braided halters.
Enrique speaks English, Spanish and has Wilderness First Responder certification. He will be your cook, your driver and your guide in the wild!
OUR HERD
We have carefully selected a herd of 10 horses that are trained for any rider. Our horses are a mix of breeds and include part Arabians, part Quarter Horses, purebred Chilean Horse, and Criollos.
Our beloved horses are resilient, smart, and sure footed. They receive all the necessary care to ensure their health and good physical condition.
Whenever they are not working, our horses graze freely as a herd in a large pasture where they enjoy freedom and unlimited grass. We do our best to respect their natural needs.
Horses are still a keystone in the local culture, with the Chilean breed as national pride. Local horses are tireless and adapted to the climate. They are gentle and brave partners who will lead you to the most remote places.
Each one has its own personality and skills, we will choose the perfect companion for you!
A BIT OF HISTORY
In a pristine and unwelcoming land at the end of the world, the first immigrants settled in Patagonia to breed sheep at the end of the 19th century.
Synergies between immigration, international markets, politics, geography, and climate made the colonization grow and the native inhabitants disappear.
During the 20th century, breeding sheep and selling wool became an empire in Patagonia called Sociedad Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego. Renting, buying, or merging, it took control of up to 3.000.000 hectares of lands and industrialized the business thanks to the last European innovations, until its dissolution in 1973.
The National Agricultural reform (1962-1973) finally allowed its workers to acquire land and start their own ranches, with some training and follow-up. Here starts rural Patagonia as we know it today. The ‘baqueanos’, skilled horseback pathfinders that were living maps of the area, started to settle in estancias as ‘gauchos’.
Torres del Payne area and the broader Chilean Patagonia are mainly composed of vast private lands, which makes it very difficult for foreign travelers to roam.
Yet here remains the authentic essence of Patagonia.
