Quebec Rider Takes on One of the World's Most Ambitious Journeys
Olivia Cazes has never been one to think small. The Armagh, Quebec native is currently attempting to become the first woman in history to travel solo on horseback along the Pan-American Highway — the epic transcontinental route that stretches from the southern tip of Argentina all the way up to Alaska, covering roughly 26,000 kilometres.
That's not a typo. Twenty-six thousand kilometres. On a horse.
A Route That Crosses Continents
The Pan-American Highway is one of the longest road systems in the world, threading through jungles, deserts, mountain passes, and everything in between. For most people, it's a bucket-list road trip tackled in a vehicle. For Cazes, it's a multi-year equestrian odyssey that demands not just endurance from her, but from her horse as well.
Travelling solo adds another layer of difficulty — navigating unfamiliar terrain and cultures without a support crew, all while caring for an animal that depends entirely on you.
Why a Horse?
For Cazes, the choice of transportation isn't a gimmick — it's a philosophy. Travelling by horse forces a slower, more intimate engagement with the land and the people along the way. Where a car can cover 500 km in a day, a horse might manage 30 to 40 km comfortably, meaning Cazes will spend years immersed in the communities and landscapes she passes through.
It's a style of travel with deep historical roots in the Americas, and Cazes is consciously connecting to that tradition.
Putting Quebec on the Map
Armagh is a small municipality in the Chaudière-Appalaches region of Quebec, not exactly the kind of place that typically produces world-record adventurers. But Cazes is putting it firmly on the map. Her journey is being followed closely by CBC's The Current, which spoke with her about the undertaking.
If successful, she won't just be the first woman to complete this route solo on horseback — she'll be among a tiny handful of people ever to have done it at all, regardless of gender.
The Road Ahead
The journey is expected to take several years from start to finish, with Cazes navigating through South America, Central America, and eventually through Mexico and the United States before reaching her final destination in Alaska. Each country brings new logistical challenges: border crossings with an animal, finding safe places to rest, sourcing feed, and dealing with wildly different climates.
It's the kind of trip that's easier not to think too hard about — and yet Cazes is out there doing it anyway, one hoofbeat at a time.
Her story is a reminder that extraordinary ambition doesn't only come from big cities or famous names. Sometimes it rides out of a small Quebec town, heading south toward Argentina, with all the time in the world.
Source: CBC Top Stories / The Current
