Page 218 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Argentina

216  ARGENTINA REGION B Y REGION

3 Uspallata painted ski resorts.
Set against the
Road map B2. 89 miles (140 km) NW
of Mendoza. * 3,284. @ n backdrop of the
junction of Ruta Nacional 7 and Ruta Andes mountain
Provincial 52, (0261) 413-2101. range are 26 snow-
dust tracks, ideal for
At the headwaters of Río both profes sional
Mendoza, Uspallata, the biggest and ama teur skiers.
settlement between Gran The town is also a
Mendoza and the border, base for Aconcagua-
occupies a scenic valley. Its bound hikers and
resemblance to Central Asian climbers. Modern ski-
highlands is so striking that the lifts run at week ends
location was chosen for the during selected
1997 movie Seven Years In Tibet, A Los Penitentes ski resort in summer months for visitors
starring Brad Pitt. to enjoy the fabulous valley
While Uspallata has only a closed for many years because and mountain views.
few sights to explore, several of a legal dispute. This route
rafting and kayaking com panies was the same taken by
offer trips on the sedi ment- Independence hero José de San 5 Cristo Redentor
clogged Río Mendoza (see p308). Martín’s Army of the Andes and Road map B2. Ruta Nacional 7,
Though it lacks difficult rapids, also Charles Darwin a couple near Las Cuevas. @ 8 - =
it gets big waves during the of decades later. To the north, ∑ cristoredentorchiar.galeon.com
spring runoff, which is the best along Ruta Provincial 39 toward
time for a good kayaking and Calingasta, the Comunidad After Argentina and Chile
rafting experience. Huarpe Guaytamari is an resolved one of their
indigenous outpost with countless border
Environs a llama farm and differences in 1902, the
The surrounding countryside handicrafts market. two countries, under the
along Ruta Provincial 52 and auspices of British King
other nearby roads has a cluster Edward VII, signed a pact
of interesting historic sights. 4 Los Penitentes to determine the Andean
About 1.2 miles (2 km) west of Road map B2. Ruta boundary between them.
Uspallata stand the Bóvedas Internacional 7, Km 163. As part of the pact, they
Históricas Uspallata, white- n Ski Center (0261) 425- installed a 26-ft (8-m)
washed domed kilns that date 5511. @ 0 - = ® statue of Christ, 13,779 ft
from the 17th cen tury. They ∑ penitentes.com.ar (4,200 m) above sea
were used for metallurgy even level. The statue was
in pre-Columbian times. A short From Uspallata, rugged Cristo Redentor made by Uruguayan
dis tance to the northeast, there roads to the west give statue on the sculptor Mateo
are several beautiful pre- way to spectacular Chile border Alonso using metal
Columbian petroglyphs and a scenery all the way to from cannons and
shrine to the Mapuche “saint” Los Penitentes. At 8,464 ft other weapons. The road
Ceferino Namuncurá (see p31) (2,580 m) above sea level, Los to the saddle where the
at the lava outcrop of Cerro Penitentes is the best skiing statue stands is a vertig inous
Tunduqueral. Another route to option for Mendoza-based zigzag that yields spec tacular
Mendoza continues via a zigzag visitors. Better known as Villa panoramas of the Río
road past the hot springs of Los Penitentes, the village is Mendoza Valley.
Villavicencio, which have been filled with several brightly For many years, the old route
to Cristo used to be the main
international highway. It has
since been superseded by a
tunnel, but tour buses and
private cars still transport
visitors to the statue.
However, the road is open
only between January and
March; the rest of the year it
is closed due to heavy snowfall.
When the road is open,
most tours go up to the
17,817-ft (5,430-m) Cerro
Tolosa, where climbers train
Domed kilns used to smelt metal, Bóvedas Históricas Uspallata to scale Aconcagua.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp281–2 and pp294–6

216-217_EW_Argentina.indd 216 05/08/16 10:42 am
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