Out of this world - Laguna Brava


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South America » Argentina » La Rioja
December 12th 2007
Published: December 14th 2007
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Just a breeze?Just a breeze?Just a breeze?

hot sun, cold wind at 4,200m
After a really good drive from Chilecito over the Cuesta Miranda, unmade Ruta 40 with hundreds of bends and some big drops, but fabulous views we arrived in the small town of Villa Union. Our reason for coming this far off the beaten track was to get to Laguna Brava park, about another 200km north west. It´s not in Lonely Planet for some reason.

We managed to find a man who knew a man who has a 4WD and also does this trip regularly. So we met up with Gardi, his advice to us was to have a decent dinner, some breakfast and forget about eating much on the trip - as we would be going from about 1,000m above sea level to nearly 4,500 and down again.

We did as we were told, even Susan, and the following morning Gardi picked us up bright and early. The first part of the trip was uneventful tarmac road until Vinchina. We picked up one of Gardi´s mates, Walter, who knows the area well. Then the fun started as the road deteriorated to a rough track in places and it entered a quebrada. If you come this way in a couple
Diaguita Star MosaicDiaguita Star MosaicDiaguita Star Mosaic

just north of Vinchina
of years it will all be tarmac as the road bulders were out in force paving the road to Chile. The road making is exposing some dinosaur remains and tracks.

As the road climbed higher the scenery just got better and we saw vicunas and guanacos happily grazing. Sadly photos cannot do the vistas any sort of justice.

We passed refugios built in the 19th C to shelter wranglers taking cattle to/from Chile across the Andes. We eventually reached the Laguna Brava and also went onto Laguna Mulas Muertas. Amazing saline lakes with pink flamingos. We visited the refugio at Laguna Brava and Gardi took the time to show me the skeleton of someone who had died of the cold up here. Nice. The views up here and on the way down were fantastic and will stay in our heads for a long time.

We took a slightly different route back down, involving the descent of some steep slopes on faint tracks. Arrived back at Villa Union after about nine hours out, covered in red dust, tired, hungry but having had a really really good day - and we soon revived with a short sleep, a shower and a good dinner!




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Wind blown snow/iceWind blown snow/ice
Wind blown snow/ice

at 4,000m near Laguna Mulas Muertas
near Mulas Muertasnear Mulas Muertas
near Mulas Muertas

a good advert for Mitsubishi 4Wd
Refugio Laguna BravaRefugio Laguna Brava
Refugio Laguna Brava

the cadaver is not in the photo!
across Laguna Bravaacross Laguna Brava
across Laguna Brava

I think the volcano in the distance is over 6,000m


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