ASHLEY
Ashley Kent Carrithers was acquired by the lands of Ranquilco in 1979 and ever since has fallen deep into its magic sway.
His memories of travel, adventure, flying, sailing, diving, polo, business, philanthropy, writing and striving for ever more freedom, appreciation and love, dance with the inciting energies of deep peace inherent in the experience, over time, of Ranquilco.
He is pleased to offer to share these with the fortunate few who manage to come here, and hopes that some hints of life defining peace-filled perfections may be witnessed, as pure Nature whispers her dreams of enjoyment in birdcall, river purl and wild, wild winds.
Ashley can be contacted at ashleykentc@hotmail.com.
LAURA
Laura Carrithers has a BA in Poetry from Mills College and has spent much of her life immersed in the disciplines of writing and meditation. She is a student of Surat Shabd Yoga. She has been working with herbs and other alternative healthcare options for herself, friends, and family for over fifteen years. She recently completed a course in herbology with Steven H. Horne and over 100 hours of E.F.T. training. Laura is working on a Naturopathy degree at Clayton College of Natural Health.
When at Ranquilco Laura offers wellness consultations to address optimum health and acute or chronic imbalances using a comprehensive holistic approach that includes a solid foundation in anatomy and physiology,nutrition, herbology, homeopathy, E.F.T., hydrology, cleansing and detoxification, and lifestyle counseling.
Laura can be contacted at lccarrithers@yahoo.com.
SKY
Sky Carrithers, largely raised at Ranquilco, is about half horse herself, having grown up with horses both in Argentina and the US. She now lives on the estancia full time, training and managing the herd of horses and running cattle.
Sky has worked as a guide in both countries, and on various ranches as an exercise rider, groom, and riding instructor. She has also spent nine years working and showing Quarter horses, and has successfully competed in endurance races.
Sky leads horseback adventures at Ranquilco adding in her knowledge of the local terrain and culture, packing skills, basic leather work, and riding instruction.
T.A.
Since he was ten, T.A. Carrithers has spent seasons at Ranquilco and the surrounding mountains. His years in Patagonia have been well spent, riding and hiking through many different areas of the cordillera bringing him to know these lands intimately.
For five years T.A. worked for the Boulder Outdoor Survival School leading trips into the desert and mountains of Utah. Along with teaching primitive survival and outdoor leadership skills, he was responsible for directing all aspects of 27-day outdoor leadership courses with 30 students and 6 staff members. His job included overseeing all phases of the course syllabus, monitoring staff and student relations, route selection, logistics, and risk management. It was during that period that T.A. discovered that spending time with people in the backcountry is highly rewarding, exhilarating, and just plain fun. T.A. also worked as a pilot in the Wrangell-Saint Elias Mountains of Alaska in the North American summers. He currently lives on a ranch in northern California for half the year and continues to spend many months of the year at Ranquilco.
Leading horse riding adventures and pack trips into the Andes at Ranquilco provides a chance for him to spend some quality time introducing a few adventurous people to the mountains he loves.
Contact TA at tac.ranquilco@gmail.com.
HORACIO
Horacio Castillo, from El Cholar, has been working with us on Ranquilco since 2004. He now manages our herd of horses along with Sky, together they shoe and care for all of the horses and tack and train each years colts, he is also directly involved in the cattle operations and high country grazing.
Horacio is a great leather craftsman and has made almost all of his own tack, he plays the classical guitar and knows all the traditional gaucho songs and dances of the region.
MANUEL
Manuel Cuevas, from El Cholar where he has his wife and children, was born and raised on Ranquilco and came back after a few years of study in the nearest town to work on the property for the former owners and has stayed on ever since (45 years).
He is greatly respected by all as he knows the history and all of the inner workings of the estancia better then anyone.
CHIPI
Born and raised in El Huecu, Cipriano Arevalo has been working for the estancia for 35 years. He lives and migrates with the herds between Buta Mallin (summer grazing camp) and Estancia Colipilli in the winter.
LALO
Also a native of El Huecu Lalo Tarifeno has worked all of his life on the estancia. He is now retired but stays on as he can not stand to live in town. There are no two wiser and weather worn men than Lalo and Chipi. You will meet Lalo at our winter estancia, Colipilli.
MARTIN
Lalo’s son Martin Tarifeno has worked as the head man in the winter estancia Colipilli for 3 years now, managing the herds during winter months and otherwise keeping the grounds and houses up during the summer months. Volunteers who live out at Colipilli love Martin for his patience and sense of humor.
