Trekking & Horseback Riding

 

(1)Our fearless trekking guide, (2) After hiking up the cliff with ski poles (3) me and Gillian in our ridiculous hats provided courtesy of Uspallata hostel

 

 

 

Sunday I discovered I was outdoorsy. We set out at 9:30 for trekking, which I thought was more or less hiking. Um, not exactly. Our tour guide, who spoke no English, kept insisting that we bring ski poles, which I thought was ridiculous and would be a nuisance. I finally gave in—thank goodness! We literally just climbed up a vertical wall. That MAY be somewhat of an exaggeration, but there were definitely points where the tour guides locked arms as a safety net between us and tumbling down the mountain. If it were in the U.S., we’d have had to sign multiple waivers. It had the most amazing views, was a ton of fun…can not say enough good things about trekking in Uspallata in March. Also, we roamed around in a cave for a while, which was pretty cool.

This was followed by horseback riding through the most beautiful landscapes. I will provide a warning: this trip is not for those with a fear of heights. There were moments when I was thinking if this horse missteps, the both of us are going tumbling down this ridge. Luckily, horses are not as clumsy as humans such as me. I also felt pretty rebellious as I kicked off the stirrups 5 minutes in since they were uncomfortable. Pretty much a gaucho at this point.

I now understand the phrase stubborn as a mule. It kept wanting to run off on its own. Best. Trip. Ever. Everything for $130 US dollars might I add (bus tour, food, hostel, trekking, horseback riding, ride home, etc.)