the Patos Sur Valley

MEETING POINT IN BARREAL:
Reception of the expedition members in the town of Barreal (1700 masl - Province of San Juan). Check in at a mountain hostel. Preparation of the equipment. Technical and logistic talk. Welcome dinner.

• First Day:
Breakfast and check out at the mountain hostel. Transfer in 4×4 trucks from Barreal to Los Manantiales (3200 masl). Meeting of the expedition members with the muleteers and the sillero and carguero cattle. Horseback riding from Manantiales to Peñón Colorado (2900 masl). Lodging in camp. Dinner and rest. Horseback riding for 4 hours.

We will ride through Las Hornillas, a picturesque mountain range landscape where the Andes Army crossed the Los Patos River in 1817.

• Second Day:
Breakfast and start of the ride. Ascent of the slope until reaching the highest point of the expedition, the summit of El Espinacito (4500 masl). Arrival to the Ciénaga de Gallardo (3000 masl). Overnight in camp. Dinner and rest. Horseback riding for 6 hours.

In El Espinacito are the commemorative plaques of the Crossing of the Andes made by the Liberator Army in 1817. The Vanguard Division (Brigadier Soler), the Thick Division (Brigadier O'Higgins) and the Rearguard (General San Martin) passed through this altitude.

• Third Day:
Breakfast and start of the horseback ride to Los Patos Sur Valley (3100 m.a.s.l.). This valley is an ancient glacier deposit characterized by the beauty of its landscapes, native flora and fauna. Overnight in camp. Dinner and rest. Horseback riding for 4 hours.

Los Patos Sur Valley was the place that allowed the Andes Army to reorganize before crossing the Western Cordon of the Andes (today it is the border with Chile).

• Fourth Day:
Breakfast and start of the horseback ride to the Argentine-Chilean International Boundary at the Valle Hermoso Pass (3850 masl). We will observe the North Face of Mount Aconcagua (6962 masl), with the imposing Gussfeldt Glacier. Return to Los Patos Sur Valley camp, dinner and rest. Horseback riding for 8 hours.

General José de San Martín crossed Valle Hermoso Pass, together with Major Arcos and 200 Grenadiers, to meet in Chilean territory with the Divisions of Brigadiers O'Higgins and Soler, and the Division of Colonel Las Heras, in order to fight the Battle of Chacabuco (Chile).

• Fifth Day:
Breakfast and start of the ride. Ascent to the Cuesta de La Honda (4300masl). Descent along the banks of Las Leñas River. Arrival to Los Hornitos (3000 masl). Lodging in camp. Dinner and rest. Horseback riding for 8 hours.

• Sixth Day:
Breakfast and start of the ride. Arrival to Los Manantiales, lunch and later transfer to Barreal. Check in at the mountain hostel. Farewell dinner. Horseback riding for 6 hours.

Dates for season 2023/2024 (*) (**)
• December 22 to 27, 2023.
• January 9 to 14, 2024.
• January 19 to 24, 2024.
• January 30 to February 4, 2024.
• February 9 to 14, 2024.

(*) Dates open, while space is available.
(**) Ask about the option of organizing groups to make the trip on other dates.

• Types: Horseback riding.
• Number of days in the mountain: 6 days and 5 nights.
• Number of people: 4 persons.
• Minimum recommended age: 13 years.
• Maximum recommended age: 65 years.
All the activities are adapted according to individual requirements. Medium, with passages of controlled difficulty.

Price per person: contact us Consultar

• Guide (trained to provide first aid)
• Muleteers
• Cook
• Horse and muleback riding
• Cargo mules
• Bag for transporting individual equipment
• 2 nights of lodging in a mountain hostel in Barreal.
• 5 nights of camping accommodation in the Andes Mountains - Camping equipment: tents, sleeping bags and insulating mats
• Saddlebags
• Creole Menu (vegetarian, vegan and celiac menu will be considered for those who request it in advance).
• Tableware
• Satellite communication
• Support truck
• First Aid Kit

• Transfers from the place of origin to Barreal
• Personal equipment
• Air Evacuation Insurance
• Travel Assistance Insurance / Personal Accident Insurance
• Program abandonment costs.
• Tips