The Girlz Take a Peak!

Our numbers were short today: Sarah was under the weather and Mark had a business call so four of us took off for our hike in the Andes. Fernando, our driver, brought a guide, Yael, to hike with us and explain the sights along the way. The drive from Mendoza City to the Parque Aconcagua with stops took about three and a half hours. It was a long drive, but worth every minute.

We stopped to walk around the Potrerillos Dam that was built in 2002 as a reservoir to provide water and electric power for northern Mendoza. Windsailing is allowed but no motorboats can use the lake. Nearby is a river for whitewater rafting.

We got coffee and snacks in Uspullada, a small town about an hour from the park.  At Puente del Inca there used to be a hotel and hot springs built into the hills. An avalanche in 1965 wiped out the operation and now people stop to see the natural limestone bridge and colors caused by minerals in the hot spring.

We arrived at Cerra Aconcagua at about 1:00. The drive seemed to go fast. The breaks helped, but mostly it was Yael telling us about the area and the scenery that kept us occupied. We bought tickets for the first part of the hike called the Lagoon Trail. There are three other ticket categories-three days, seven days and twenty days for those who want to try to get to the top. Seven thousand people attempt the summit each year and about 40% make it. We hiked two miles into the mountains and back. We saw donkeys bringing trash down from the high mountain camps, nuns dressed in bright blue, and only a few other hikers until we started back when the flood gates opened somewhere. It was a gorgeous day with bold blue skies and a brisk wind.

 

The trick to hiking the Andes appears to be that old travel standard, layers. The weather in the mountains can be different from that in town and conditions change quickly in the Andes. It helps to be prepared with jackets and raingear.

We stopped for a very late, very delicious lunch at Restaurant Estancia de Elias. Because we haven't had enough beef, we tried the Churrasco de Lomo, which was moist and tender. The hour and fifteen minute ride back was perfect for napping. It's been a great day with exercise, good food and time to rest.

We caught up with Sarah and Mark in the early evening for dinner at the iconic Francis Mallman 1884, a must for every visitor to Mendoza. The restaurant, housed in La Bodega Escorihuela, a farmhouse built in 1884, is a lovely setting. We had drinks in the garden and watched the bakers working with the clay oven. Service was sketchy, but the food was some of the best we've had this trip and we've had some good food. We drank a Ruca Malen Malbec and a couple of bottles of Cabernet by