Road trip guide: Conquering Planchon Pass in the Andes
Chile, south-america
196 km
2,515 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventure junkies, listen up! I've got a wild one for you: Paso del Planchón, a super-high mountain pass straddling the Argentina-Chile border at a whopping 2,515m (8,251ft). Also known as Paso Internacional Vergara, this isn't your average Sunday drive.
Picture this: you're deep in the Andes, bumping along 196 km (121 miles) of totally unpaved road – Ruta Provincial 226 on the Argentina side turning into J-55 once you cross into Chile. We're talking sandy sections, the whole nine yards! This epic route connects Las Loicas in Argentina’s Mendoza Province with Curicó in Chile's Maule Region.
Now, for the real talk: this pass is usually a no-go zone. But, get this, they fix it up between November 1st and April 30th each year, opening it up to tourists and mining companies. Be prepared for crazy dry air and insane temperature swings – think warm days baking in the sun and freezing nights. We're talking potential highs of 15°C in summer and lows of -25°C in winter. But hey, the scenery is out of this world!
Where is it?
Road trip guide: Conquering Planchon Pass in the Andes is located in Chile (south-america). Coordinates: -38.1666, -68.6688
Road Details
- Country
- Chile
- Continent
- south-america
- Length
- 196 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,515 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- -38.1666, -68.6688
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