Brief Story: (to look at the pictures select them on the left menu)

Everything started with some missing streets in a free mapping project I'm involved with in Argentina www.proyectomapear.com.ar and a few guys doing a record diving in the highest navigable lake in the world, which is located in the Argentinian Andes, more specifically in La Rioja, it is in the crater Corona Del Inca 5400m altitude (17717 ft).

I started trying to put together a trip up there, like I usually do with diving trips when I want to go somewhere, but exactly like diving, nobody ever got interested. Until one night a message popped up, a PM from the page of the Proyecto Mapear, oh, what a surprise!! a guy from another forum www.clubranger4x4.com.ar and a user of our maps inviting me to go with them to the Corona del Inca and an added bonus, a crossing through the Andes From Vinchina (La Rioja) to Fiambala (Catamarca), a pretty complex trip, not done many times, but he said we are leaving in 2 days to what I answer well........ let's GO!!.

So here I posted some of the pictures, some are mine but I have to thank Jose and Kiko also for the other pictures here, they are all mixed up so I just do a general thank to both of them.

The trip was hard, not time to acclimate to the altitude, we got about 9 flat tires in the trip, altitude never got lower than 4400 meters, we got 2 broken trucks, one in the middle of a very bad place with very deep soft sand broke the cardan and had to be disassembled at 5100m (16732ft) several got very affected by the altitude and had to be in oxygen almost until we got back down, we were planning to camp at altitude but had to abort due to the broken truck and the altitude sickness of several of the guys.

The first truck broke on the day we headed to Corona del Inca, we splitted in 2 groups of trucks, the first one made it to the crater and the second one, where unfortunately I was in, stayed to help repair and to take the broken truck out of the sand, which took several hours and had to be pulled out by 2 other trucks.

That night we discusses long time if we were or not going to attempt the crossing, at the end we gave it a go, we left the broken truck at the hotel and somebody was going to drive the guy back to the hotel after the crossing from Fiambala. 

We were rewarded for the most amazing views, the sight of the Monte Pissis (the tallest volcano in the world) and the Cerro Bonete, the second tallest mountain in the Andes, which is only about 30m/100ft lower than the Aconcagua (second tallest in the world), we passed really close to both of them, also to the Cerro Veladeros, a very pretty mountain. We found in our way big rocks, sand, mud, rivers, and many others which gave us a big variety of terrains, in some sections we transited on miners roads, but in most parts there were no road, we had to find our way following a river, and guess what, we did...:-)

Due to problems with another truck about half way, and the complex of the terrain, took us about 18hs to do the +/- 470Km/292miles though the Andes.

Enjoy the Pictures!!...

If somebody is interested in doing some adventures like this one, or want to know some of the most amazing places in Argentina don't hesitate in , I'd be more than glad of putting everything together for you with the best local guides.

Cristian Pittaro www.neptunoworld.com 2005