AN ambitious and exciting adventure — on the other side of the world — has recently been completed by a father and son from Exbourne. The Andes is the world's longest exposed mountain range. It forms a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. It is more than 4,400 miles long, 300 miles wide and has an average height of 13,000ft. The landscape is as diverse as it is spectacular, to cross it is not easily achieved. To cross it on horseback, at the age of 68, a year after having knee replacement surgery, would be an outstanding achievement. But Michael Macklin, aged 68 from Exbourne and his son Graham, achieved exactly this. Michael, an Okehampton Rotarian, and Graham undertook this exciting and demanding cross- Andes ride in January. The ride took nine days as they travelled 270 miles from northern Patagonia in Argentina to hot volcanic springs in Chile, spending between 6 and 7 hours in the saddle every day. Beginning in the Andean foothills, they rode through miles of dry range lands that were intersected by trout rich glacial rivers and streams. Michael said that the ride crossed several mountain ridges and much of the riding was over steep rocky terrain interspersed with fast gallops through valley bottoms. Their nights were spent camping by streams and enjoying 'campfire cuisine,' usually a whole lamb or goat, provided by local villagers, barbecued on the campfire and washed down with Malbec wines from Mendoza. Michael said: 'Washing was infrequent, we were pretty dirty, and washed in glacial streams which were very cold if invigorating!' The ride saw them take in magnificent landscapes with snow-capped volcanoes often in view. The highest point they reached was between 6 and 7,000ft around the flanks of the Lanin Volcano. 'As we climbed into the higher Andes we moved into higher rainfall areas and rode through Andean beech forests with bamboo undergrowth. 'We rose higher and passed into Chile under extraordinary Monkey puzzle tree forests. 'Many of these ancient trees were over 2,000 years old,' said Michael. Once in Chile, they enjoyed riding the pure Criollo, the strong and fast native horses. Fortunately for Michael and Graham it was the height of the southern hemisphere's summer, so they enjoyed a Mediterranean climate and dry alpine meadows, rather than the 3 metre snowfalls of winter. Their ride finally came to an end at a group of hot volcanic springs in Chile where they could at last enjoy a hot shower and relax in the spring pools. Michael added: 'It was a wonderful and exciting ride through magnificent and totally unspoilt countryside. 'It is part of the world I have never seen before — I'd definitely go back but there are lots of other places I'd like to see first.'
