Great Crossing of the Andes Expedition (Los Patos Pass)

Description

ITINERARY

DAY 1: ARRIVAL AT LOS PATOS
Arrival in Patos in the afternoon (4:00 p.m.). Immigration procedures with the PDI (National Police) and Carabineros (National Police). Transfer to the campsite. Dinner and overnight in a tent around a pleasant campfire.

DÍA 2: LOS PATOS – MAITEN BONITO
Por la mañana después del desayuno, chequeo de documentación y equipos ante Policía Internacional. Recepción de arrieros chilenos, preparación de animales carga y descripción en terreno de la excursión. Inicio del ascenso por el estero hasta la zona de Maitenes. Box Lunch durante el recorrido. Continuamos el Trekking hasta la zona de Camping .Cena y alojamiento.

DÍA 3: MAITEN BONITO –QUEBRADA DEL DURAZNO
7:30 am desayuno. Continuación de la expedición siguiendo el curso del estero hasta remontarnos en la cuesta de la colorada. Una vez en la meseta al final de la cuesta, tendremos una vista panorámica en altura, lo que entrega una sensación de relajo y a su vez nos hace dimensionar la magnificencia del paisaje por el que transitamos.. Observación de la vegetación incluyendo matorrales típicos de la región Alto Andina, los cuernos de cabra, arbustos espinosos y la vistosa “yareta”. Box Lunch en el recorrido. Luego descenderemos en dirección al río Rocín y acamparemos antes de cruzar el río en la quebrada del Durazno
17:30 horas app. Llegada al Campamento.

DAY 5: MORROS COLORADOS – VALLE HERMOSO PASS – PIRCAS DE CABREROS
After breakfast, we begin the final stretch of ascent along the Rocín River to reach an altitude of 3,500 meters. We will reach the border pass after 3 hours of trekking with moderate to sometimes demanding gradients. We will meet with the Argentine gauchos at the border point, who will transfer our loads for the rest of our days in Argentine territory. We begin the descent into Argentine territory, to the Pircas de Cabreros (2,600 meters above sea level).

DÍA 5: MORROS COLORADOS –PASO VALLE HERMOSO- PIRCAS DE CABREROS
Luego del Desayuno, iniciamos el último tramo de ascenso por el río Rocín hasta alcanzar los 3500 mts de altitud. Llegaremos al paso limítrofe luego de 3 horas de Trekking con pendiente moderada a exigente a veces. Encuentro con los gauchos argentinos en el punto limítrofe, quienes nos trasladarán la carga por el resto de los días en territorio argentino. Inicio del descenso en territorio Argentino, hasta las pircas de cabreros (2600msnm).

DAY 6: PIRCAS DE CABREROS – INGENIERO SARDINAS
We wake up in a beautiful, flat valley with almost no slope and abundant vegetation and birdlife. Vast green pastures and marshes alongside pools cover some sections of this valley. After 3 hours, we arrive
along the course of the Los Patos River to the Argentine Gendarmerie Refuge, where we will rest before continuing our trek for another 3 hours along the valley floor of an ancient, extinct lagoon until we reach Camp Las Cuevas in the area. Dinner will be served by the warmth of a friendly campfire.

DAY 7: REST DAY
Reveille and breakfast will be later. We'll be able to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of this area and share their typical muleteer customs with the gauchos. There's also the option of fishing for mountain trout and roasted goat at night.

DAY 8: SARDINAS ENGINEER – RANCHO DE LATA
7:30 a.m. Breakfast. Continue the journey through stunning vegetation of large grasslands in the middle of the valleys. You will marvel at the diverse birds amidst the intense aquatic and underwater life, as well as the contrast with the imposing image and snow-capped expanse of Mount La Mesa, at 6,300 m, and Mount Ramada, at 6,500 m. Box lunch during the tour. After ascending the Vega Larga, we will arrive at Rancho de Lata. Camp at Rancho de Lata. Approximately 5:30 p.m. Arrival at Rancho de Lata. Dinner and overnight stay.

DÍA 9: RANCHO DE LATA – PASO LA HONDA. PEÑON SAN MARTIN
7:30 a.m desayuno y preparación para la partida. Jornada muy dura ya que deberemos ascender desde los 3.500 mts, a través de sinuosas laderas, al cordón del Espinacito. Recorrido por el paso de la Honda a una altitud de 4.250 metros. Desde este punto se obtiene una vista espectacular de la cordillera de Los Andes. Box Lunch durante el recorrido. Comienzo del descenso hasta el río Las Leñas para posteriormente llegar al sector del Peñon de San Martin en donde acamparemos.
Cena y alojamiento.
18:30 horas app. Arribo a Trincheras.

DAY 10: PEÑON DE SAN MARTIN – MANANTIALES – HORNILLLAS
7:30 a.m. Breakfast. We continue descending the Las Leñas River for 3 hours, where we will cross the river of the same name about 6 times. We will climb uphill to Manantiales for 1 hour, then reach the plateau.
We will continue descending along a trail that will connect us to Hornillas and the road. The vehicle will take us to Uspallatas in the province of Mendoza, before completing customs procedures to enter Argentina. In Barreal, we will have dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

DAY 11: RETURN – LOS LIBERTADORES – SANTIAGO DE CHILE
Breakfast at the hotel from 8:30 a.m. onwards. Departure and transfer to the border crossing and stop in Uspallatas before crossing Los Libertadores by private bus to Viña del Mar or Santiago.

Program Includes:

• Transfer Santiago to Los Patos, San Felipe.
• Return transfer from Barreal, San Juan, Argentina to Santiago/Mendoza
• Immigration Procedures Management in Chile and Argentina
• 10 nights accommodation in a tent, double occupancy
• Complete meals throughout the expedition, until the snack on day 11.
• Complete camping equipment (tableware, thermos, lamps) and double-base tents.
• Tent Kitchen Dining Room
• Chef
• Emergency Horse.
• Satellite Phone for Emergency Calls
• Radio Transmitters for internal coordination
• First Aid Kit
• Muleteers
• Pack mules
• Technical advice in the mountains
• 1 Guide for every 6 passengers
•  All services described in the program

Not Included:

• Bebidas alcohólicas en restaurantes
• Evacuation Helicopter if required
• Sleeping bags
• Tips

THE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD LIVE THIS ADVENTURE

1.  The only globally significant trek rescued from history in 1992 by Andes Trek Adventure. We are pioneers in bringing this trek to the world of adventure tourism.
2.  The Great “CHALLENGE” of crossing the Andes, the second highest mountain range in the world after the Himalayas.
3. The remarkable experience of crossing from one country to another, Argentina to Chile.
4. Share the experience and culture of our mountain muleteers.
5. The extraordinary story behind this journey, which will be told to you. It was the first step toward liberating Chile from the Spanish Monarchy. We will follow the paths of the Army of the Andes and some of the 3,000 men who crossed with them to fight in the Battle of Chacabuco.
6. Route used by merchants, ranchers, Incas and Charles Darwin in 1835 during his visit to Mendoza.
7. The flora and fauna we'll encounter along our journey. Guanacos, trout, condors, and, with luck, a puma or the footprints it leaves behind. 

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY

 Namely:  The trek you'll undertake will be with a small backpack on your back, weighing no more than 3 kilos, in which you'll carry your daily snack, windbreaker, and the isotonic drinks we'll provide. Both your main luggage and the rest of the expedition's logistical equipment will be carried on our support mules by our muleteers. This will allow you to truly enjoy the trip and concentrate on the experience of experiencing the landscape and reliving this historic journey.

 –  It is necessary to work and train normally 4 months prior to departure, (endurance and aerobic capacity) for the daily distances to be covered. If you are going to do a long-distance trek then you should train “by trekking”. The gym program is very helpful, but it is complementary. However, a taste for the outdoors is essential to fully enjoy the expedition. Group members should be aware that the weather in summer is very stable and does not pose major risks, but at the same time, it is also changeable, with occasional brief storms and small snowfalls sometimes in the afternoons, which are quite common in the high mountains due to the micro climate that the mountain range presents in summer.

– The average hike is 15 to 18 kilometers per day. Some days we hike less to make the journey more bearable and appreciate the beauty of the place we're traveling through. During the hike, we climb two mountain ranges. One is approximately 4,000 meters high, and the other is 4,300 meters high.

-However, and despite the difficulty, the pace of the trekking led by the guide allows us to take enough breaks to enjoy the surroundings, take photographs and marvel at the beauty of our central Andes mountain range.

– If you train and prepare properly, you'll enjoy this unique journey, rescued from history, much more.

VERY IMPORTANT……

 WHAT IS ASKED OF PARTICIPANTS?

• Active collaboration and participation in tasks (Group work)
• Good health and physical condition.
• Be willing to enjoy the unexpected and face many difficulties.
• Empathy and emotional intelligence to quickly adapt to the group.
• Being the main actor, in achieving the proposed goal and objective, is the great personal and group satisfaction.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ADVENTURER 

Anyone who decides to opt for an adventure tourism trip with these characteristics must be prepared to: 

• Experience a dose of discomfort.
• Some controlled risk
• Unforeseen weather conditions and schedule delays may occasionally occur. 

GENERAL CONDITIONS

ANDES TREK ADVENTURE reserves the right to cancel or postpone any trip prior to departure if any situation arises beyond its control. 

ASK ABOUT TRAINING OUTINGS

 ANDES TREK ADVENTURE plans and advises you on your training trips. These are intended to help you adapt as quickly as possible to the mountains, where you can confirm the physical conditioning you have achieved in the gym. These field trips will be your specific training. You will learn to adapt: ​​your pace to the terrain, breathing at altitude, how to navigate in an unfamiliar environment and, in general, the walking techniques that will successfully lead you to achieve your goal. On each field trip, you will have the opportunity to learn new mountain techniques that will be very useful when you undertake the trek.