
A steep unpaved road to Cerro La Hoya
Argentina, south-america
14 km
1,650 m
moderate
Year-round
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Tucked away in the Patagonian wilds of Argentina's Chubut Province is Cerro La Hoya, a seriously stunning peak clocking in at 1,650 meters (5,413 feet).
You'll find it snuggled in the foothills of the Andes, and getting there is half the fun. The "Camino a la Hoya" is all unpaved road, but don't worry, it's generally in great shape! Apparently, it was once a 4x4 and mountain bike-only kind of track. This road, built in the 50s, leads to the La Hoya ski resort.
Starting from Esquel, a cool little town nearby, it's a 14-kilometer (8.69 miles) climb to the top. Get ready for a serious workout for your car – you'll gain 1,041 meters in elevation, with an average gradient of 7.43% and some pitches hitting a maximum of 16%! Heads up - a service road north of the resort can take you even higher, up to 1,890 meters (6,200 feet).
Where is it?
A steep unpaved road to Cerro La Hoya is located in Argentina (south-america). Coordinates: -38.2743, -61.2057
Road Details
- Country
- Argentina
- Continent
- south-america
- Length
- 14 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,650 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- -38.2743, -61.2057
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