Turismo en Mendoza - Aventura - Vinos y gastronomía - Empresas - Excursiones y alojamiento

Start: We will leave Mendoza City to head for our base of operations located in Blanco Encalada, just 35 minutes away from down town. Since it is situated at 4.593 feet a.s.l., we will be astonished by its magnificent view.
  
Activity: Once in the base of operations, the guides will give us instructions on security measures. In this way, we will be able to feel safe and at the same time to enjoy this exciting adventure while having a great time together. Then, we will go for a leisurely ride all along from the foothills (“pedemonte”) to higher mountains. In the middle of our activity we will stop to eat a regional breakfast (“mates” and “tortitas”).

Start: We will leave Mendoza City to head for our base of operations located in Blanco Encalada, just 35 minutes away from down town. Since it is situated at 4.593 feet a.s.l., we will be astonished by its magnificent view.
 
Activity: Once in the base of operations, the guides will give us instructions on security measures. In this way, we will be able to feel safe and at the same time to enjoy this exciting adventure while having a great time together. Then, we will go for a leisurely ride all along from the foothills (“pedemonte”) to higher mountains. We will also delight ourselves with a regional breakfast (“mates” and “tortitas”) and a traditional lunch (creole barbecue, Mendocinian wine, and fruits as dessert.)

Start: We will leave Mendoza City to head for our base of operations located in Blanco Encalada, just 35 minutes away from down town. Since it is situated at 4.593 feet a.s.l., we will be astonished by its magnificent view.

Activity: Once in the base of operations, the guides will give us instructions on security measures. In this way, we will be able to feel safe and at the same time to enjoy this exciting adventure while having a great time together. Then, we will go for a leisurely ride all along from the foothills (“pedemonte”) to higher mountains. We will also delight ourselves with a regional breakfast (“mates” and “tortitas”).
Afterwards, we will have a regional substantial lunch at a nearby wine cellar. Undoubtedly, this is a unique experience you should go through. At the end of the day, we will visit a winery to know more about the wine-making process !!!

Our horseback riding trips are the most complete and adventurous ones. While riding through mysterious mountains, we will discover the magnificent sceneries of the great Andes Range, pure hot springs, and a wide variety of indigenous flora and fauna.
We will start our horseback riding crossing valleys and rocky grounds with beautiful footpaths to reach huge mountains with a height over 3.000 m.a.s.l.

We will live every minute as if we were a “gaucho” (Argentinian cowboys). This experience involves sharing time with our team of guides and muleteers, who will teach us all the traditional costumes of a typical Argentinian “gaucho”.

Itinerary:

Day 1: MENDOZA - LAS HORNILLAS
The expedition will begin with a morning meeting, in which we will get to know all the members of the trip. Before leaving, we will check your equipment. Then, in a private vehicle, we will head for the Uspallata valley and the Barreal town. During the trip we will pass through Potrerillos, the Uspallata valley, Pampa del Leoncito, and the Barreal. In the early afternoon, a 4-wheel-drive bus will transfer us from Barreal to Las Hornillas (Álvarez Condarco, Province of San Juan)
At night we will sleep in tents.

Day 2: LAS HORNILLAS - EL PEÑON
Near Las Hornillas, there will be ready-to-go mules and horses waiting for us. The loads and all the necessary equipment for the expedition will be carried by mules. Then, we will start the first day on horseback towards the highest Andes peaks. We will settle our first camp at el Peñon, near a beautiful and cold stream with strong torrents and small waterfalls.

Day 3: EL PEÑON - VEGAS DEL YESO
Together with the rising sun, we will start the most intensive day of the expedition. We will walk along a gorge where Las Leñas River flows. The horses will walk on slippery rocks with an incredible assurance. We will pass by Cordón del Espinacito, at 4500 metres. Then, on the other side of the mountain, a vast and outstanding valley with magnificent colors will appear. We will ride down towards our next camp, where we will fine good pastures for our horses. At nightfall a campfire will warm us up while the guide prepares a delicious and typical meal of the Andes region.

Day 4: VEGAS EL YESO - VALLE DE LOS PATOS
This day we will be able to admire the highest mountain of the American continent, the Aconcagua Mount at a height of 6,962 metres. Then, after passing through the Yeso hills, we will arrive at the vast and imposing Valle de los Patos, a beautiful valley where we will set up our camp on the bank of its river, located nearby the Ingeniero Sardinas National Gendarmerie´s Refuge.
This valley- magnificent for its size, its luxurious pastures, and its green colors- represents one of the most beautiful valleys in the world. Its tranquility, silence, and mild climate make it the perfect place to spend a rest day. The Valle de los Patos will be our base camp for 3 days.

Day 5: VALLE DE LOS PATOS - INTERNACIONAL BORDER - VALLE DE LOS PATOS
We will ride westward until a valley called Valle del Río Volcán. From there you will enjoy a unique view of the Aconcagua Mount. After a four-day horseback riding, we will arrive at the border with Chile (Argentinian-Chilean frontier). From there, you will admire a fantastic valley surrounded by snow-covered mountains with green pastures full of flowers and streams passing through.

Day 6: VALLE DE LOS PATOS: REST DAY
We will do some trekking and learn about the flora and fauna of this region. Upstream of the river, we will reach a place where trout can often be caught with a fishing rod or just using a thread with a lead or hook. If you are lucky, in a short time you can fish a good quantity of trout, which will be gathered and prepared for our dinner.

Day 7: VALLE DE LOS PATOS - RANCHO DE LATA
We will come back to the highest Andes peaks through the Valle de los Patos path. We will spend the night at the Rancho de Lata camp.

Day 8: RANCHO DE LATA - MANANTIALES (Last camp)
Once again we will undertake the ride on the high Andes crest, to reach a height of 4300 meters, passing through the Paso de la Honda. The breathtaking beauty of this place is composed by its impressive landscapes and its infinity of colors. The horses, with a firm and steady step, will walk down along the steep mountainside.

Day 9: MANANTIALES - LAS HORNILLAS - USPALLATA
This will be our last riding day. After the incredible Andes crossing, we will ride the last four hours.  After that, we will reach the vehicle which will transfer us first to the Barreal town and later to the Uspallata valley. We will celebrate the end of the riding adventure with a farewell dinner in a pleasant hotel in the mountain, where we will spend the night (double rooms.)

Day 10: USPALLATA - MENDOZA CITY
The end of our most thrilling Andes adventure will be given by our return to Mendoza City in a private vehicle. This program will also include the last night accommodation in Mendoza City. End of services.

Itinerary

Day 1
We will pick you up at your hotel in Mendoza City at 8:30 a.m. to go to our base camp in the mountains. The muleteers and the horses will be ready, waiting for us to leave. Once on the horses, we will ride up through beautiful landscapes. At dusk, we will arrive at the camp. There, we will enjoy a great time around a typical campfire and have a barbecue ("asado") as dinner. We will spend the night under the stars. There will also be roofed open-on-all-side structures, similar to garden gazebos just in case you need them.

Day 2
Once we have our breakfast, we will go deep into the mountains to “climb almost up to the clouds” (3,000 m.a.s.l.), discovering the mysteries of the Andes Range. In the afternoon we will reach our next camp, where we will have dinner and rest.

Day 3
Last horseback riding day. We will enjoy the last panoramic view of the Andes Range, while riding for 4 hours. Finally, we will reach our meeting point with the transfer. We will go back to Mendoza City by private vehicle and end up one of the most exciting adventures that the Andes Range can offer us.

* Ask for other programs.