Potrerillos – Vallecitos (Cordon del Plata)
A steep climb up to the ski resort of Vallecitos near Mendoza, the starting point for treks and climbs in the Cordon del Plata. As this range is so accessible, it is popular in summer when Cerro Plata is used by many as an acclimatization peak before attempting Aconcagua. Supplies can be bought in Potrerillos, there are small kiosks on the road up to Vallecitos and expensive restaurants at some of the refugios there.
| Details | |
| Distance – 25kms | Turn R off busy RN7, the main highway from Mendoza to Santiago, at Potrerillos and descend all the way to the reservoir (1,300m). In doing this you’re heading away from Vallecitos and feels like you’re going the wrong way, but it is the only way to get to Vallecitos. Here take the paved road that heads southwest through La Chacrita. 9kms from Potrerillos turn R at a signposted junction to Vallecitos and climb up this road for 16kms to the refugios (2,790m) just before the ski resort. The ripio begins 12kms before the refugios and is in reasonably good condition the whole way. The gradients aren’t steep on the tarmac section, but the ripio road is often >10%. |
| Time taken and amount climbed | 4 hours: Potrerillos to Refugios (1,500m climb). |
| Traffic | Virtually nothing in low season on the ripio section. |
| When we cycled | Late April 2010. |
| Difficulty | 2 |
| How much we had to push on this route | Not at all |
No updates yet.