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Most
Frequently Asked Questions
How long have you been operating tours?
1983-2018 Celebrating 35 Years offering small groups great Outdoor Adventures !
Saddling South's owner, Trudi Angell, began sea kayaking and
exploring the pristine coast of Baja in 1976.
After 7 seasons working at the National Outdoor
Leadership School Baja branch and organizing
private kayak expeditions, she began running commercial
tours in 1983. Paddling South and Saddling South are known as Loreto,
Baja's oldest and most respected adventure travel
company.
Local partners, Jorge Salas and Antonio Hernandez grew up in Loreto and have joined us as owner-guides of Loreto Kayak Tours, our sea kayak tour operations (17 and 12 years respectively), making our company unique in the Loreto area.
Trudi had horses as a teenager growing up in the Napa valley, and found a whole new side of Baja life when she climbed on a mule and rode into the rock art canyons in 1985. She has led trips for Harry Crosby, Eve Ewing and other BCS notables....has ridden the length of the peninsula with her daughter... twice !.... and in 2018/19 has a variety of listed and custom trips scheduled. Come ride the trails with us!
What is the usual group size? (ask in our office for group sizes on Custom Tours)
On the pack trips 8 to 9 participants is usually the maximum
group size. We feel that our guests
receive a more intimate experience with the
environment and culture by traveling in a smaller
group. If you are a single traveler, no problema, you will have your own tent for camping. Sometimes our tours will operate with just a
few folks, and our private custom trips may
even be run with a minimum group size of 2 traveling
friends!
We can also arrange for a customized multisport tour which, besides some trail riding or short, 2 or 3 overnight camping trips, can include hotel based day-trips for sea kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, island tours for wildlife viewing, and whale watching. We have it all in Loreto and San Ignacio!
See Private Trip Rate Sheet links on the home page - located along with the trip itinerary lists.
I don't have any experience riding, can I do this?
Our tours are designed to give novices and
advanced riders/hikers a great vacation. We teach basic
skills on the first day, and offer help throughout
the tour for those who wish to improve technique.
Trail Riding / Pack trips - We often adjust the riding days to allow for shorter ride days at the beginning (2 to 3 hours) and longer riding days later on the route (4 to 6 hours). We take breaks along the trail, plus there's the option to hop off and walk at times. Hiking instead of riding, or sharing a mount, can happen too.
If you are an active person who likes
to camp and learn about new environments, these are the ideal trips for you. We send you some pre-trip information to help get you prepared ....which,
along with your adventurous attitude could make
this a 'trip of a lifetime' !
Where is Loreto or San Ignacio, and how do we get
there?
Loreto is located 750 miles south of San Diego
on the Lower California peninsula in Mexico
(the peninsula is comprised of the 2 most northwestern
states of Mexico, Baja California, and
Baja California Sur). Though Loreto is a more
remote destination than other more touristy
areas in "Baja", we do have the service
of an international airport with arrivals from Los Angeles, from Calgary, from Tijuana, and other Mexican airports.
Rock Art Rides - San Ignacio is 4 hours north of Loreto on Highway 1. And the trail heads for World Heritage rock art tours are about 2 additional hours from the town of San Ignacio.
Driving
is a great option for folks who have some time
before and after the tours. Please see the Travel
notes on the Information pages of our site.
The most frequent way folks arrive is by jet from Los Angeles, Tijuana, or Calgary direct to Loreto. There are also many flight options from US cities to San Jose del Cabo on the south tip of the peninsula, then, travel north to Loreto is easy and safe. Ask us for more helpful hints. See Alaskaair.com / Westjet.com, or contact Calafiaair.com.mx for direct flights to Loreto.
When is the best time to travel to
Baja?
For Pack trips, October through May is best. In late spring through summer for any of our adventures, we can customize tours.
.What kind of training do the guides
have? Do the guides cook?
We are proud to claim that most of our guides and staff
are Mexican nationals and long-time local experts with special insights, cultural, and natural history knowledge to share. All of our trip
leaders are trained in adventure travel
and safety, and most have basic wilderness
first aid skills.
Cowboy guides and the liason
cookbreakfasts and dinners and often add their favorite
family recipes to our menus, making a very special
addition to your cultural experience of Baja.
On the pack trips, sometimes the group leaders, (working alongside our local packing and rock art guides), are from the US with special skills for translating, cooking, natural history and other trail skills. Trudi leads a few of the trips, and sometimes local partners or others step in to share the trail-time.
What is the minimum age for the tours?
Most tours find group member ages ranging between
the 30s to 60s. During spring break and holidays
is when families generally look for an active
outdoor winter vacation and so...the minimum
age on trips is 10 years old for Pack Trips. For families
with younger children we can schedule a private
trip and plan the route according to needs.
What equipment do I have to bring?
We supply everything except your personal clothing
gear and sleeping bag and sleep pads, although with advance notice you may rent a bag and sleep pad for $25 for the week. You'll receive an equipment
list in the pre-trip packet we send you upon
making a reservation in order to help you get
ready for your tour.
How do I sign up?
Please check with our office first for space
availability, then print out and mail (or email) the reservation form from
the web site and follow instructions for payment.
We accept personal checks, and Paypal... with our secure Paypal payment link you may pay with your credit card. There is no need for you to have a Paypal account to be able to use your credit card with our on-line payment system.
For more answers to questions see our pages
on General Information for Mule Pack trips.
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