In the wilds of Patagonia, cowboys called bagualeros pit themselves against the meanest livestock on the planet. Here, bagueleros pause in their search for cattle on Antonio Varas Peninsula, in Chilean Patagonia. Few choose the bagualero way. “It’s a beautiful life but a tough one,” says Sebastián García Iglesias (at far left).

See more pictures from the December 2014 feature story “Cowboys on the Edge.”