T.A. Carrithers
Owner, Manager & Guide
T.A. has been coming to Ranquilco since age ten, when his father Ashley Carrithers bought the ranch. He spent his formative years endlessly exploring the land, forming a deeply intimate knowledge of its rolling plateaus, snaking river valleys and mountains passes. Now, T.A. manages the lodge and all its moving parts - wrangling staff, volunteers, interns and guests during the open season of December through end of March. When not at Ranquilco, he and his partner Lulu live in Northern California.
Lulu Waks
Manager, Gardener & Guide
Lulu's been traveling to Ranquilco every year since 2011, spending the Southern Hemisphere summers working at the ranch. She co-founded Ranquilco's annual Women's Pack Trips in 2015, and has led countless trips into Ranquilco's backcountry. She is deeply moved by the community that forms over the course of these adventures, the bonds that develop between horses and riders, and the inherent strength, courage and wild nature that the trips bring out in the participants. Lulu considers Ranquilco's rich quality of life, daily offerings of adventure, and community spirit cause for deep appreciation and awe. While at home in her native California, Lulu works in natural resource management.
Tom VonGnechten
Internship Coordinator & Blacksmith
Tom has spent his adult life in pursuit of self-sufficiency and sustainablity. His love for the wilderness has led him to various remote, off-grid living situations where he has acquired the skills needed to grow food, build, and make tools.
Tom's life experiences and wide-ranging skill sets lend themselves well to life in the wilds of Patagonia. As the internship coordinator, Tom teaches interns the basics of homesteading - be it metal work, gardening, building, milking, writing haikus or any number of activities, Tom's infectious enthusiasm and energy brings joy to any work task. As the resident metallurgist, he runs a modest smithy where he repairs, creates, and innovates.
Most guests at Ranquilco see only a blur of Tom as he scurries between work tasks. If you do have a chance encounter to pause him, he will be delighted to share a maté with you and expound upon the beautiful joy of existence.
Manuel Cuevas
Gaucho & Caretaker
Manuel was born and raised on Ranquilco. After a few years of study in the nearest town, El Cholar, Manuel came back to work on the property for the former owners and has stayed on ever since. He is greatly respected by all, as he knows the history and all of the inner workings of the Estancia better than anyone. Save for his trips to town to visit his wife and children, Manuel is a mainstay at Ranquilco.
Ashley Carrithers
Owner
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 of Ranquilco. He is pleased to share this with those that come to Ranquilco, 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.
