Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
299
A Shared Backbone: Crossing into Chile
Trans-Andean neighbors, sometime rivals, colleagues, and “cousins,” Chile and
Argentina are intricately linked as nations . They share a 5,150k m-long (3,193-
mile) border from the high deser ts of the nor th to the wilderness of Tierra del
Fuego. The busiest bor der cr ossing is her e at the P aso de L os Liber tadores;
these border posts are open 24 hours a day for most of the year. In winter, from
May 15 to September 1, it 's open from 8am to 8pm, or only when the r oad is
open. From here, it's a steep and scenic 3-hour descent to the Chilean capital
of Santiago.
HEADING TO ACONCAGUA FROM USPALLATA
Continuing along the RN 7, y ou'll drive through the wide U-shaped valley carved from
ancient glaciers and loaded with minerals such as ir on, sulfur, talc, and copper . As y ou
climb the canyon, you will see on y our left the first signs of the atr ophying Andes rail-
way —an old, narr ow track fr om 1902 that lifted an early-20th-centur y steam train up
the mountains. The railroad was abandoned in 1980, due to a political dispute betw een
Chile and Argentina, but it r eceived new vigor in 2006, when pr esidents Kirchner, of
Argentina, and B achelet, of Chile, agr eed to star t it r unning again. The $436-million
project—necessitated by increased Argentine exportation and increased Chilean demand
for imports—should be finished b y 2010. The goal is to build a w eatherproof line that
won't be snowed out, as are hundreds of cargo trucks on this road each winter. No word
yet if they will also implement a tourist service, for this is bound to be one of the world's
most beautiful train tours.
When you get 20km (12 miles) fr om Uspallata, you'll come to Puente Pichueta, a
stone bridge o ver the P ichueta River commissioned b y Fernando VII in 1770 to allo w
messengers to cross from Argentina to Chile. The road leading to the bridge forms par t
of the old Inca trail. The lone tree beside the bridge is a nice picnic spot.
10
LOS PENITENTES
165km (102 miles) W of Mendoza
Los P enitentes is a small r esort for do wnhill and cr oss-country skiing. Twenty-three
slopes accommodate skiers of all lev els, and a ski school instr ucts no vices. S kiing is
pricier but much better in P ortillo, Chile (see belo w), but if y ou decide to stay in Los
Penitentes, consider lodging at Ayelan, RN 7, Km 165 ( & 261/427-1123 ), across the
street from the ski resort, with basic rooms looking toward the mountains. Doubles cost
roughly $75 (£51), including breakfast, and the rustic dining room serves a limited selec-
tion of high-quality regional dishes. If you are in Mendoza in winter and like to ski, this
makes a good day trip.
Note: S erious skiers with mor e time to ski or sno wboard should make the trip to
Portillo (www .skiportillo.com), a much larger and better-equipped r esort acr oss the
Chilean border. Better yet, head south of Mendoza to Las Leñas (see below).
 
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