Description
ITINERARY
DAY 1: SANTIAGO / TERMAS DEL PLOMO
We will cross Santiago to access the Yeso Reservoir through the Cajón del Maipo. This beautiful artificial lake supplies water to Santiago. In the San Gabriel area, the PDI (National Institute of Customs and Border Protection) will issue us our immigration documents to enter Argentina. We will then arrive at Termas del Plomo, where we will set up camp. We will have a brief tour of the surrounding area and dinner.
DAY 2: TERMAS DEL PLOMO – LAGUNAS DE LOS PATOS
We will hike toward Laguna de los Patos to acclimatize our bodies to the altitude we will ascend the following day. A short afternoon of hot springs and dinner will follow.
DAY 3: TERMAS DEL PLOMO – PIUQUENES PASS – CALETON
We will have breakfast very early in the morning and begin our hike toward Piuquenes Pass. A zigzagging trail that quickly gains altitude will lead us to the Piuquenes Pass, located at an altitude of 4,200 meters. It is a challenging trail in some sections. The route descends along the eastern flank of the Andes mountain range along gentle paths that wind down the valley until we reach the Caletón area, our campsite. We rest and have dinner.
DAY 4: CALETON – REAL DE LA CRUZ
After breakfast, we will continue our tour through the valley floor, which is sometimes very close to the river. The southeast face of Mount Marmolejo, at 6,100 meters high, will impress us with its beauty. Sparse mountain vegetation will add life and enliven our journey. We will continue through the Palomar Valley until we reach the Tunuyan River. We will cross the river on horseback. We will arrive at the military shelter. Rest in the afternoon and have dinner.
DAY 5: REAL DE LA CRUZ – LAGUNA DE LOS PATOS
Total rest day at the Real de la Cruz Argentine Army shelter. A day to swim, perhaps do some laundry, and get moving at a different pace. In the afternoon, if you wish, take a short hike to Laguna de Los Patos.
DAY 6: REAL DE LA CRUZ – LA OLLA
After breakfast, we'll head slowly toward the La Olla area, aiming to shorten our journey for the next day. After 3 hours, we'll arrive at this point.
DAY 7: LA OLLA – LAS YARETAS
Diana arrives very early in the morning, as this day will be long. We have the challenge ahead of us: climbing the pass called EL PORTILLO ARGENTINO, which is located at 4,350 meters above sea level. A gentle, winding trail will take us to the base of the pass, and then we will ascend the final steep section. Once at the top of this historic pass, we will begin our descent to the Las Yaretas camp. Dinner and overnight.
DAY 8: LAS YARETAS – SCARAVELLI – PORTINARI – MANZANO
We will have breakfast and begin our descent, alternating along an old vehicle road and trails made by muleteers. At noon, we will arrive at the small Scaravelli refuge. At this point, the trek ends. We will then continue our descent by vehicle until we reach the Argentine Gendarmerie refuge, where we must present our documents to enter the country. We will then continue to the historic town of Manzano Histórico, where we will spend the night in cabins. We will visit the beautiful San Martín monument, which commemorates the passage and heroic deeds of the Army of the Andes. Dinner.
DAY 9: MANZANO – MENDOZA – FREE AFTERNOON
Breakfast. Onward to Mendoza. Free lunch to explore Mendoza. A visit to some vineyards is recommended. This is a privileged area, located at the foot of the Andes Mountains, famous for the excellence of its Cabernet Sauvignon and other varietals. It is a place of large and beautiful wineries. Farewell dinner.
DAY 10: MENDOZA – SANTIAGO
In the morning, after breakfast, we will travel on our transfer back to Chile via the Los Libertadores Pass.
Services Included
- Transfer from Manzano Histórico to Mendoza, the starting point of the trek.
- Transfer to Portinari and descent to the historic Manzano.
- Transfer from Santiago de Chile to Termas del Plomo.
- 1 night in a *** hotel in Mendoza in a double room.
- 1 night in Cabañas en el Manzano in a double room.
- 07 nights accommodation in a tent, double occupancy.
- Complete camping equipment (tableware, thermos, lamps) and double-base tents.
- Kitchen-dining tent.
- Satellite Phone, for emergency calls only.
- Radio Transmitters for internal coordination.
- First Aid Kit
- Muleteers.
- Pack mules, transport of personal equipment on mules (up to 15 kilos weight).
- Technical advice in the mountains
- Certified Guide.
Not Included:
- Farewell dinner on day 9.
- Personal equipment or clothing.
- Rescue and Evacuation Helicopter expenses if required.
- Personal expenses such as phone calls, tips, laundry, etc.
- Medical Expenses.
- Personal accident insurance.
- Sleeping bags, mattress.
- Single Option: $350.-
(Single tent during the expedition and hotel room) Subject to availability - Tips
THE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD LIVE THIS ADVENTURE
- 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.
- The Great “CHALLENGE” of crossing the Andes, the second highest mountain range in the world after the Himalayas.
- The remarkable experience of crossing from one country to another, Argentina to Chile.
- Share the experience and culture of our mountain muleteers.
- 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.
- Route used by merchants, ranchers, Incas and Charles Darwin in 1835 during his visit to Mendoza.
- 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 ADVENTURE
Anyone who decides to take an adventure tourism trip of this nature 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 reserve the cancellation policy or allow any trip before the emergency, if any emergency situation is out of 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.
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