mendoza rests at the foothills of the andes, so it is popular not just for it's wine, but for it's outdoor activities. tony and i took a day to ourselves to go and explore the mountains with a guided hike. a local travel company recommended this company to us:
http://laquebradadelcondor.com
i highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see the beauty of the andes up close!! it was a spectacular day. our guide picked us up from the hotel and drove us about two hours to the "second andes" range. past the foothills but before the snow caps. we started our day with a taste of mate, a traditional hot beverage that many argetinians drink in place of coffee. it's very bitter and herbal. not terrible, but i'll stick to my espresso thank you!
as we get closer to the mountains we see some gorgeous snow capped peaks! they had just had their first mountain snow of the season a few days before we arrived. lucky for us, it makes for perfect pictures!
driving into tupungato we get a better idea of the terrain we are going to be hiking through.
la quebrada del condor is actually a functioning cattle ranch. known for it's beautiful views and local wildlife. it's name comes from the prevalence of large andean condors that circle overhead. they have also spotted the occasional puma and guanaco (more on those to come).
goofball me, ready to start the trek!!
our hike wasn't excruciating, but it wasn't "easy" either. wending our way up some very steep hills and over some very loose ground. but the air was crisp and the day was sunny! we couldn't have asked for better weather! and the clouds help off long enough for us to get some amazing views.
every turn we took showed us more and more beautiful vistas.
our hike followed a stream that the ranch keeps stocked with trout to attract the occasional sports fisherman.
we hopped over this little stream a handful of times. each time i was convinced i was going to land smack dab in the middle! but we passed on without incident or injury.
a glimpse of tony and our guide.... she was maybe 90 lbs soaking wet. and i'm pretty sure part mountain goat. she scurried up the mountain like it was nothing!
most of the ranch animals are free range, so while on the hike we came across a pack of horses. just hanging out, chomping some grass. being all pretty and snow white. in the andes. like ya do. this is my "post card" image of the day!
ok, so they're really hard to see, but in this picture there are little red specks all up and down the mountain. it took a moment to realize what they were.....we had found GUANACOS!!!!!!
since i couldn't get close to the herd on our hike (they were a wild herd and would've spooked), i've found a close up image from on line. this is a guanaco. a smallish red llama. isn't he adorable?? and they are LOUD. as soon as they saw us, the valley echoed with their cries. which was like a bird mixed with a sheep. kinda hard to explain. but i was so happy to see them!!! even if from a distance!!!!
this is at one of the highest points we reached that day. about 9,000 ft above sea level (which is rough on these wimpy east coast lungs!). it was a stunning vantage point. and quiet. so quiet. all you could hear were the caws of the condors far overhead. i don't know if i've ever been anywhere so void of ambient sound. it was wonderful!!!
ok, i did have one regret that day. not wearing jeans. the hills we hiked through had a million sticker bushes. and apparently my pants were a magnet for them! i came down from those mountains covered in burrs. in an amazingly rustic fashion, the gaucho that worked the ranch handed my his knife and showed me how to "shave" the burrs off my pants. it was amusing! they really do have an element of the "old west" out here. i love it!
the day ended with the most appropriate of hospitality. we were treated to another asado!!! it was the perfect way to end a perfect day. fresh grilled steak and vegetables with empanadas and a bottle of malbec. i was in heaven!
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