Alferez Portinari Refuge

Okay, picture this: you're in Argentina, Mendoza province to be exact, heading towards a mountain refuge called Refugio Alferez Portinari. It's perched way up at 2,520m (that's over 8,000 feet!). The refuge itself is run by the Argentinian Gendarmería Nacional.

You'll be cruising along Ruta Provincial 94, a gravel road that's generally well-maintained. A 2WD with decent clearance should be fine if you take it slow and steady. Watch out for washboarding and the usual gravel road bumps!

Starting in Vista Flores at a mere 966m, you've got a 35.5km climb ahead of you. It's a pretty steady uphill trek, gaining 1,554m in elevation. That's an average gradient of 4.37%, so expect some work!

Now, here's where it gets interesting: the road continues past the refuge for another 18.5km, but *only* if you've got a 4x4. This leg eventually ends near an abandoned hotel, Hotel Valle de Manantiales. From there, it's the starting point for the seriously high Cruce de los Andes paso de los Piuquenes, which is a whopping 4,346m above sea level! Views for days, I'm sure!