ing age-old knowledge of the land and superlative horsemanship. The adventure unfolds on a Manhattan-sized private reserve bordering Nahuel Huapi, the oldest national park in Argentina, and Lanín National Park, with a snow-covered volcano its crowning centrepiece. From Buenos Aires, it’s a two-hour flight south to the old colonial city of Bariloche, then a few hours’ drive north in an off-road vehicle and a half-hour boat ride across a deep glacial lake to Jakotango base camp, located on a nearly 120sq km estancia. Here, the veranda of an old log cabin offers the first of many moments of true disconnection from the rest of the world, next to a fire with criollos grazing in the middle distance and the immense Patagonian silence looming beyond. A restful night is necessary before getting back in the saddle and ascending the Pass of Tears, one of the most dramatic mountain crossings Above: local settlers Felipe and Laura welcome Jakotango riders to their homestead on the banks of Lake Traful; below: one of the many rivers flowing through the private reserve bordering Nahuel Huapi, the oldest national park in Argentina 82 DEPARTURES
of the region. Riders overnight in comfortable tents, each with a proper bed and a wood-fired heater to chase away the high-altitude nighttime chill. The landscape practically begs for the traditional gaucho outfit rather than a synthetic spacesuit ordered from a catalogue. Riders dress in loose trousers called bombachas, following Jakob, who also wears a plaid beret stylishly tipped to the side and a facón (dagger) tucked into his belt. Unlike most horses, the criollos prefer that riders hold the reins with only one hand. Their stamina and balance on a mountaintop are legendary, and they love to decide for themselves which way to go. Even when balancing on the razor’s edge of a mountain ridge, as pebbles dislodged by their hooves tumble into an abyss, they never flinch or misstep. Still, an inexperienced rider will find it impossible not to be nervous crossing the Pass of Tears. Why do the criollos prefer to be steered with one hand? So riders can use the other to drink from the malbec-filled leather pouches they carry, tippling to toast the scenery Left: riding the Pass of Tears; below: the campfire at Jakotango base camp as well as to summon courage. Jakob describes the Pass of Tears as “vertigo unfriendly”, and as riders traverse the facón-thin trail their gaze inevitably falls over the alpine desert glowing orange, yellow and pink, backed by a green glacial valley stretching all the way to a menacing volcano. It can be too close for comfort, yet in Jakob’s steady hands, the condor’s view over the heart of Patagonia replaces terror with awe. In the evening, base camp awaits with giant sizzling slabs of seasoned lamb grilled on the parrilla, flickering candlelight in a log cabin, flowing malbec, then deep sleep. Every detail, from the enamel mugs and the iron kettle to the deer skulls mounted on the wall, seems curated to appear in a design magazine. The camp is a fine example of how rustic doesn’t have to mean primitive and uncomfortable. Every tent is private, with good beds, crisp linen and an adjoining fullservice bathroom. Wood-fired stoves heat up the bedroom and are lit twice a day. Other camps are simpler yet still cosy, with modest tents or “flycamping”, also known as sleeping under the stars. The rhythm of daily 83 DEPARTURES
