Come and discover with us a wild and remote area of the Andes, the Vergara Pass and the Río Grande Valley, only known by a few.
This amazing bike tour takes place in breathtaking glacial valleys, where you will encounter active volcanoes, natural hot springs, and original settlers.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
- Get to know the life of the muleteers and old mule paths in the vastness of the Andes.
- Enjoy 4 nights camping under clear and starry skies in a dry environment.
- Discover great valleys under the watchful eye of the Azufre and Panchón volcanoes.
- Relax in natural hot springs.
- Cycle to the Chilean border
ITINERARY
Day 1
Meeting in Malargüe.
Briefing with the guide regarding the itinerary, weather forecast, and safety measures during the tour. Setting up the bikes.
Day 2
We begin our journey with an ascent to Carqueque Pass, which we will cross in two days until we reach the Grande River.
On this first day, we will slowly gain altitude while enjoying the beautiful landscape of Castillos de Pincheiras.
At about 2400 meters, at a high and flat spot, we will set up our first camp.
Breathtaking sunset guaranteed.
Day 3
From our high altitude camp, we will enjoy some descents, but we still have to cross a narrow pass before cycling down more than 15 km to Grande River.
Once at the bottom of the valley we will cross the bridge and ride the last 5 km to today’s destination, a settler’s post where we will set up camp.
Day 4
On our first day in the valley, already recovered and with fewer differences in altitude, we will follow the river upstream to its confluence with the Valenzuela River. Here we will turn to the west through a narrower valley with impressive mountains above us.
Once we leave the gorge and we return to the open valley we will finally see today’s destination.
We will spend the night in domes at a new ski center. On the horizon, we will find two volcanoes and breathtaking mountains.
Day 5
This will be a relaxed morning since we won’t have to break camp.
After breakfast, we will make our way to the Chilean border in the Vergara Pass, a pass with very little traffic and closed 8 months a year due to the accumulation of snow.
This relaxed path has very small differences in altitude, which allows us to enjoy the spectacular Andean landscape with glaciers and green pastures in the valleys.
On our way back we will make one last stop to relax in natural hot springs. What a great day.
Day 6
On our last day, we will face a 90-km long mountain challenge.
After breaking camp, we will leave the domes and head east until we reach the Grande River once more, which we will follow downstream this time.
Today is a long day, but the 1400 meters of negative altitude difference will allow us to cycle while appreciating the amazing landscape with volcanic ashes, muleteers with their animals, green meadows, and the increasingly torrential waters of the river.
The bike tour ends in Las Loicas, where a transfer will be waiting to drive us back to our hotel in Malargüe. The drive back to Malargüe takes about one and a half hours.
trip summary
| Distance | Slope | Pavement | Gravel | Lodging | |
| Previous Day | Group Welcome | ||||
| Day 1 | 47 km | 1200 mts | 0 km | 47 km | Camp |
| Day 2 | 52 km | 1100 mts | 0 km | 52 km | Camp |
| Day 3 | 45 km | 900 mts | 0 km | 45 km | Camp |
| Day 4 | 48 km | 500 mts | 0 km | 48 km | Camp |
| Day 5 | 90 km | 630 mts | 0 km | 90 km | Hotel |
