Driving north and Laguna Brava

The Aconcagua at 6,962 metres during my brief visit to Chile.

I'm taking a great leap forward in time! The last article recounted my adventures with the two Thierry in Bolivia in November 2022, and now I'm presenting you with photos of Argentina in April 2024.

In November 2022, I left my two French companions and returned to Palmira in Argentina. After a bit of maintenance on the bike, I start descending towards Patagonia along the Andes mountain range on the Argentinian side. I covered almost 2,800 km zigzagging southwards and took lots of photos of the magnificent scenery. After a month of travelling, I finally arrived at the beginning of the Patagonian region. Note that these photos are not on my site, because I forgot to transfer them and as I'm now travelling, I no longer have access to my hard drives.

The year 2023 has just begun and I learn that my mother is very ill. So I put an end to my trip to go and look after her. On 11 January 2023, I was back in Quebec, where I would spend the whole of 2023, apart from a quick return trip to Argentina to renew the motorbike import permit in August.

In fact, when I return in August 2023, my intention is to take 1-2 months to get around Argentina a bit. My mother seemed to be doing well and was in good hands. But after only 10 days, my mother wasn't well and I returned to Quebec in a hurry. Unfortunately, my mother died and I spent the rest of the year and the beginning of 2024 in Quebec.

The view at dawn from a wild campsite.

It wasn't until 31 March 2024 that I got back on the plane to return to Argentina. It's my birthday present to myself.

As I'm in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are reversed, and autumn is starting. So it's not a time to start heading down to Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. The trip begins with a brief diversion to Chile to get a new temporary import permit for the bike, then I start exploring northern Argentina again before heading for Paraguay.

Heading north

For the first few days, I covered a few hundred kilometres to get to the point where I wanted to resume my exploration of northern Argentina.

I've been to the region before, but I still make little detours to see new landscapes.

El Sillón del gigante, the giant's chair.

Reserva provincial Laguna Brava

Laguna Brava is part of the reserve of the same name and lies at an altitude of 4,210 metres. It is surrounded by some of the highest volcanoes in the world, including Monte Pissis (6,792 m) and Cerro Bonete Chico (6,759 m).

Between the laguna and the lowlands, several mountain refuges were built between 1864 and 1873. They were used by the herdsmen who drove the cattle between Chile and Argentina.

The photo shows an aircraft wing. In 1964, a plane bound for Buenos Aires from Lima in Peru suffered an engine problem and made a forced landing in the lagoon. All six crew members on board escaped unhurt. Of the cargo of 10 racehorses, only 2 died.

One of the thirteen refuges built between 1864 and 1873. Here you can see the skeleton of a Chilean who died of hunger and cold in the 1960s. He is known as El Destapadito or the unknown stranger.

People sometimes leave a small offering. You can see cigarettes and money.

Geysers are a source of hot water in this extreme climate.

Route 76 down to Jagué and Vinchina.