Andes Challenge

General Information about the Andes Challenge

Location: Starting point at Las Loicas, located at the Argentinean province of Mendoza- in the heart of the Andes-.

Destination point: Talca, capital of the Chilean 7th Region, crossing through  Pehuenche Paso ( 2560 meters over the sea) the Andes mountains.

Duration: 9 days. The trip can be done only in January, because both countries authorities allow  transit over the path because during winter it snowed in.

Services included:

Transportation in exclusive Minibus 15pax (w/TV, video and conditioned air)

Mountain bike transportation

All meals (includes hotel and restaurant ones, we exclude the ones on transit)

Medical insurance

Camp, tents, cooking equipment and dishes

Mechanical assistance

Support vehicle during the trip.

Bilingual guide

Two nights in 4 & 5 * hotel (Talca and Santiago de Chile)

Rafting in Mendoza’s river with Betancourt Rafting

Extra bike

Activities:

Depart:  We leave Buenos Aires on Friday noon (2 p.m.) on our Van (Fiat Iveco with the trailer for the bikes). Our meeting point is Carlos Pellegrini and Libertador, a popular meeting point in downtown. If the client decides to fly we’ll meet him at San Rafael’s airport in Mendoza.

Day 1: We arrive Bardas Blancas ,after meeting San Rafael and Malargüe, in the morning after 18hs on the van where we start cycling.. We’ll reach this place located in cordillera, where you’ll find no electric light. First stage is easy, not more than 40km, considering we did not have a decent rest. We’ll camp at a local’s puesto near the mountains and a few steps from Chico River that brings water from the snow. This one will be  getting to know each other day! In the night we have an especial guest dinner: local "chivo asado" and we start sleeping in tents.

From Buenos Aires to Malargüe we travel 1200km and from Malargüe to Bardas Blancas we do 60km plus. Las Loicas is 1800 meters over the sea level.

Usually temperature is around 30° during the day and can reach to 0° in the night.

Day 2: The following day the real Challenge starts. We start our  270 km to do in  6 days on an magnificent mountain path, with hard uphills and amazing downhills.

2° cycling stage, the hardest one because we join in 40km uphill. In the morning we do Argentinean border. From our first base camp, to the second one in Veranada de Sepúlbeda we go from 1800mts to 2300mts. The path is wide, about 5 meters and always having a wonderful blue and cold river aside. We  are at least two or three guides so you can choose if  you want to cycle ahead just giving the best of you or behind just more relax. We usually use two or three support vehicles: the big minibus will escort us with our equipment and the other will go ahead to prepare the meals and the camp. Usually we do the first 20km in the morning and we rest in the hours where the sun is more powerful. Then after 4 pm we start doing the last km to finish the stage. 

Here we’ll probably pass the coldest night.

Day 3: We start 8 km uphill where you finish watching amazing views and landscapes. There you’ll discover Laguna del Maule, a blue mirror in the middle of such huge and lonely place over 2300 meters. Then an incredible and fast downhill, uphill again and the lunch to recover.

Usually wind comes from Chile, so we got to face it all the time. Also rocky path makes things even harder! After lunch and 3 hours rest we start again. The landscape at this moment breathtaking, is arid, the peaks are still covered by snow and you wont believe you are crossing the Andes.

After that we do Chilean border and the  one of the best downhill of your life. It’s difficult to say what will you feel rolling on a 4 meters wide path, with the mountain on one side and the immense fall on the other. It’s the most self-control stage! We reach the camp to have some pasta.

Day 4: After a huge breakfast and a good stretching we start cycling towards Las Garzas, Chile.

Here landscape will be slowly more humid, dryness will disappear so we start finding trees and forests.  The beauty of the place is the most important we can say. We’ll find a small waterfall were we can have a recovering bath.

Day 5: We are now about 130km (81 miles) and we feel a little tired, but our die-hard cycling spirit will keep us cycling. This stage will be shorter, we reach the pavement and we do it in the morning, but you won’t regret: Lago Colbún, the place we arrive is fully incredible. It’s a big lake with the Andes at the end where we can enjoy and a  beautiful park where to rest or play sports.

Day 6: Last cycling stage of the Andes Challenge, where we road 50km until we arrive Talca, our finish cycling point. This is a nice cycling stage because we roll on pavement and the group is very close now. We arrive at the hotel we are going to stay the night. Yes!!!, we know you are going to have an incredible warm and satisfying shower. Free afternoon and cool dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 7: We travel to Santiago de Chile by Minibus (250km). We arrive in the afternoon and you can enjoy the quality and rest at the hotel or go shopping or visit the city. We go dinner in Santiago.

Day 8: We wake up very early to load the vehicle and cross the Andes again through Paso Las Cuevas towards Mendoza capital. You’ll see Mount Aconcagua, the highest in America (6959metres).We climb until 3000metres (the minibus does it) to do Argentinean and Chilean borders, we have lunch and then about 5.00 pm we have our last adventure: rafting from 2 to 4 degrees with Betancourt rafting. After that we depart towards Buenos Aires to arrive at 2pm the day after.

Difficult level: intermediate - advanced

Prices for Argentina: US$ 1515 By motor-coach both ways (from Buenos Aires)

US$ 1715 One way by motor-coach, return by plane to Buenos Aires

US$ 1879 Includes round trip by plane (from Buenos Aires)  

General Information about the Andes Challenge

This is adventure tourism where you’ll need at least minimum sport level fitness. You’ll be the engine although you don’t need to be a mountain bike racer, you have to be fit to enjoy the trip. To join this tour you should be able to pedal 50 km a day in flat ground.

The stages will be shorter but you have to think that you’re going to find very different conditions from those in the place you are coming from, like strong head winds, long uphills and stone paths.

It’s necessary to bring at least an 18-speed bike (everyone knows how nice it is traveling with your own bike).  The bike must be in good mechanical condition. If you don’t want to bring yours ask us for our bikes (we can rent).

Helmet and gloves are mandatory for safety reasons.  

There are 232 km broken into 5 stages. The first ones are very hard because of the uphill but after that, prepare yourself for one of the most incredible downhills in the Andes. Water is not a problem because there are many rivers formed by the remaining snow from winter.

The maximum height is 2600 meters above sea level.

During the day the temperature may reach to 30° but fall to almost 0° during the night.

Normally we travel with limited sized groups (13/14 people though this year may be is larger) males and females with an average age of 28 years.

You will have a bilingual guide (Spanish/ English) during the tour.

Is important for us to know if anybody has or had health problems and special diet requirements

so we need you to complete an application form. You know that traveling through natural and remote areas entail certain risks of loss, delay, damage, accident, illness or death and that medical attention may be impossible to obtain with the speed that the situation requires.

You have to fill out the reservation form at least 31 days before departure and send it by fax or by mail with your deposit and we will send you back the complete itinerary, date and place of departure and arrival, the whole equipment list and any information you’ll need.

It is important to read and understand the Andes Challenge requirements and to bring the  recommended equipment.

It is not necessary bringing mechanical equipment, because the organization staff provides it.

The bikes coming from outside Argentina must be registered at the Argentinean border (The organization staff needs in writing the brand, model, color and serial number you can find taped below the bike).

The food chosen is rich in proteins, calories and carbohydrates for helping the cyclist’s performance. During the day cold and quick lunches are prepared and in the night we will have warm and nice dinners.

Bike rental: 50 US$ (weekend trip), 90 US$ (week trip), helmet rental. Helmet $10 per trip.