On Horseback to Coa-Có Cascade

We met at a pretty forest in the outskirts of the village in order to set off towards Coa-Có Cascade. Half a dozen elegant horses of beautiful chestnut hair were waiting for us in the shade. None of them was tied and it was evident that they were docile, as they were not affected by our presence. The sound of the hoofs and a thick cloud of dust gave us the alert that another group of horses were approaching us. They would be our 4WDs for a while. Our guide, Osbel Olate, saddled up the horses and assigned one of them to each rider. Once the group was ready, we began to leave the venue leisurely following a single line. First, we rode across a very gloomy forest. The sun would barely filter through the canopies of the old species. We felt relieved from the heat. It was a pleasure to duck in order to avoid some low branches: they had an exquisite aroma. We followed a neighboring road and the houses were left behind. Everything was silence, except for the smooth rubbing of the saddle against the horse’s back and our feet into the stirrups.

We Let Ourselves Be Carried Away As we waded across Coa-Có Creek, the road became narrower and we rode almost parallel to the water stream. It was a stony road and somewhat slippery, but the firm horses steps calmed us down. We let the horses choose their way through the slopes and very narrow trails. They knew well when to take more time to go ahead and where to step. Upon reaching the high part of the creek, some wooden balconies from where we could watch the huge Coa-Có Waterfall appeared before us. We appreciated the depth of the ravine and the pool below. A huge basalt rock seemed to hold up the cascade with a high 25-metre slope. We learned that the volume of stream water varied according to the season and the rain and meltdown pattern. Reaching our Destination To both sides of the river, there was plenty of vegetation as a result of the high humidity in the forest. The rocky river banks were packed with cypress trees. We got off the horses and made ourselves comfortable on some wooden benches from where we caught a 180-degree sight of the scenery, including the intensely blue Lake Traful, spotted at first sight. Osbel told us that the source of this stream came from several creeks which emerged spontaneously from the ground in the outskirts of Mount Monje. In turn, after a short stretch, the creek would end up in the lake near the piers. On our way back, our chestnut coat friends also took the necessary measures to go over rocks and some difficult parts of the creek. We said goodbye to them with a gentle caress on their neck and they responded with a movement of their heads. Riding in silence, letting ourselves be carried away by a very calm rhythm enabled us to leave our haste behind and enjoy the intelligence of the animal that would always choose the best route. Other roads also lead to the cascade and allowed an easy hike through coihues and ñires wood. Our good equine friends made the rode easy and effortless for us. This excursion gave us the taste of the humid soil in the wood, the ups and downs on the saddle and the spectacular scenery, all at our hands.