Is Abra Blanca paved?
Argentina, south-america
13 km
3,505 m
moderate
Year-round
Okay, buckle up for Abra Blanca, a high-altitude mountain pass soaring over
above sea level, right in the heart of
Yep, it's paved! The road to the summit is smooth sailing
, thanks to some work done back in the
, which replaced a former gravel road called
That original gravel route? Supposedly a beast, tackling a
with a seriously intense switchback of
You'll find Abra Blanca as part of
called
Ruta Nacional 51 (RN51)
taking you from
San Antonio de los Cobres
When you hit the summit, keep an eye out for a
, and maybe even a few
! The views are unreal, especially the San Antonio de Los Cobres plateau way down below. You're only about 13 kilometers from the town of San Antonio de Los Cobres, a cool spot to explore.
This isn't just any road trip, though. Back in the day, Abra Blanca used to be a record holder. When this part of the country was still under the
Government of the Andes
, Abra Blanca became the
highest drivable road
, thanks to a daring drive by
Governor Mayor Brígido Zavaleta
But times have changed and it became the
world’s highest drivable road
It may not be a record-breaker anymore, but there’s a
and – usually – a bunch of
left by fellow adventurers to mark the spot. Trust me, Abra Blanca is still worth a detour
Road Details
- Country
- Argentina
- Continent
- south-america
- Length
- 13 km
- Max Elevation
- 3,505 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
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