Departing from El Calafate (9:00 a.m or 5:00 p.m) along the unmade road of the Provincial Route 15, also known as “the road to the estancias”. Along the way, it is common to come across condors, foxes, and hares, with Cerro Frías taking center stage.
After crossing over the Río Rico, the landscape changes suddenly from the steppe land to mountain scenery. The Estancia Nibepo Aike is reached after traveling along the edge of Lago Roca and entering Los Glaciares National Park.
The host guide welcomes you to the ranch and takes you to the Quincho [rustic dining room], where you will be invited to have a hot drink (tea, coffee, or mate) accompanied by homemade cakes and pastries. A good moment to pause and enjoy a magnificent view of the Andes mountain range. The walk starts around the main building, the perfect example of a typical Patagonian estancia that was formerly devoted to sheep rearing and now has become the most prestigious Hereford breeding ranch of these latitudes while retaining a small herd of sheep. At the stables, those who have paid the extra to do a horse ride will be given a mount and go out to explore the surroundings accompanied by a guide.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group has a good long walk during which there are excellent views of the Southern Arm of Lago Argentino, discovering the diverse rocky outcrops eroded by glacial action and the changes of water level in the lake (due to the periodic closure of the way out by the Perito Moreno glacier and its subsequent breaking).
The folds of the earth’s crust can be appreciated there, differentiated by the variety of sediments from which they originate. These formations continue until they reach a point where the rocks form a natural amphitheater, creating quiet beaches of curious shapes. The footpaths lead through the native woodland of lenga and ñire, a habitat for caranchos, Austral parakeets, hares, woodpeckers, eagles, and an abundant variety of native flora and fauna.
The route may vary according to weather conditions. After the walk or horse ride, the group meets up again at the door of the shearing shed.
This is a chance to see inside such a shed with all its skilled hands and understand the work of the shearing teams. The process is described from the shearing of the animal to the baling of the fleece, ready for the wool to be stored and transported. Manual shears are used for the shearing as they were on all the estancias until the appearance of the mechanical handle with cutting comb, a much faster and more practical system, although not so kind to the animal and does not give such a good cut. Then a demonstration of horse handling skills is given, or according to the rural activities of the day, working with the herd in the corrals close to the main buildings. Between the daily activities, the guest could also participate in the morning of cow milking and the afternoon of herding sheep, concluding with a typical work day at the Estancia.
These activities are subject to weather conditions. Returning to the Quincho, where a whole lamb is being roasted on a vertical stake in traditional Patagonian fashion, the emphasis is on the history of the place, retelling anecdotes and stories from the early settlers. Crossing through the vegetable plot where most of the vegetables consumed on the Estancia are grown, we arrive at the Quincho, where the person doing the roasting has the meat ready to delight the diners with tasty Patagonian lamb while enjoying the impressive view of the mountain range. Meanwhile, the life of the Estancia carries on, and it is not uncommon to see the gauchos ride past herding the cattle or sheep and disappearing over the horizon. After lunch, people who choose the Ranch Day Program + 3-hour horse ride will meet the guide to start with the long ride through the different trails around the property. Back in El Calafate, the experience of life on a typical Patagonian estancia will have given a fresh outlook on things, making more sense of the wide-open Patagonian landscapes characteristically stretching out into the remoteness of infinity.