High Altitude Motorcycle Riding in the Andes Mountains
Update 11 (mid January 2023)
General Avear to Uspallata and Cristo Redentor de los Andes
After Neuquen, my next stay was a quiet two nights in General Avear. I did have interaction number 3 with the police. I had just stopped off for a coffee and was now leaving town.
They followed me for a little while and then gave me a toot to pull over. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but it turned out that they did not want me to go in the area I was heading. It was a dangerous neighbourhood.
It was actually the neighbourhood I had spent the last two nights. I wasn’t really surprised. I wasn’t getting a very good vibe in the place. Mainly about my bike disappearing overnight.
So, it was all very friendly and they gave me an escort out to the edge of town.
The ride towards Mendoza was pretty routine, passing vineyards and other agriculture. I decided not to go into Mendoza but instead head towards Uspallata. Uspallata is at about 2,000 metres above sea level and I thought a couple of days there might get me a little acclimatised to the higher levels to come.
Embalse Potrerillos dam after passing Mendoza area.
There were a few groups rafting Rio Mendoza.
There was also an abandoned railway line following the road and Rio Mendoza, with this very cool stop.
I was organised this time and had booked a cabin in Uspallata for two days. When I arrived in the pouring rain the cabin was a shocker. I am not fussy these days, you just have to take what you can get, but there was no way I was staying in this one. So after a bit of discussion, I left amicably, in the rain. Luckily I did find another one, near town which was somewhat better. I did cut it back to one night though.
The next day I packed up and rode out to see Cristo Redentor de los Andes (Christ the Redeemer of the Andes). It is a monument completed in 1904, after a border dispute between Argentina and Chile. The attraction for me was that it is at 3,832 metres.
I had a chuckle to myself when I came across this view. The fury grass like plant is actually quite large. It looks like it is a Pampas Grass and reminded me of my childhood, back when you used to burn your combustible rubbish in a backyard incinerator, before they were banned. We used to have a Pampas Grass right next to the incinerator and when they were nice and dry they made an excellent flaming torch for young kids to wave around. Obviously my parents did not understand what they were getting into when they planted it.
Cristo Redentor de los Andes is on the border and was the original crossing. Today there is a tunnel connecting the two countries.
I didn’t really have a plan when I left Uspallata. I’d had a quick look but I was confused about where the border crossing offices actually were and whether I’d need to cross into Chile, which I didn’t really want to.
I fumbled along, missed the turn off on the Argentina side and went through the first tunnel to realise I was now at the bottom of the track to Cristo Redentor on the Chile side, but still in Argentina, according to my papers at least. So I headed up the track, after chatting to some Brazilians that were also wanting to do the same thing.
The red dot is the exit of the first tunnel, from the start of my climb to Cristo Redentor. The colours are striking.
Starting the climb.
The road is okay so far but deteriorated higher up.
It was a strange experience reaching the top. The unsealed road I took getting up was fairly steep with a lot of large loose rocks. I’d read that someone sold hot chocolate at the top, but that didn’t seem right after the route I took.
When I arrived there were mobs of people everywhere. There were two stores selling hot chocolate and souvenirs. It was a full on tourist gathering. The Brazilians were there beckoning me to join a multi country photo with an Austrian cyclist they had also befriended. It turns out all the tourists and their small buses come up the better road from the Argentine side. About 8 degrees celcius at the top, not too bad. And the 3,832 metres elevation was fine. I did notice a little shortness of breath as jumped of and on the motorbike to take photos but it was no big deal.
So, the good thing was that I was still in Argentina. I rode the 90km back to Uspallata and this time found somewhere nice to stay.
Cristo Redentor de los Andes.
The road down on the Argentina side.
Gran Hotel Uspallata. It was built in the tradition of a mountain resort hotel. Although aging a little it was a nice stay and very popular. Full of families taking mountain walks, playing board games and having a hit of tennis.
Gaiman to Neuquen, Argentina
Update 10 (early January 2023)
Uspallata to Paso Agua Negra and Chile
Update 12 (mid January 2023)