Where is Pircas Negras Pass?
Argentina, south-america
40 km
4,175 m
hard
Year-round
Alright, adventure junkies, buckle up for the Paso de Pircas Negras – the Black Stone Walls Pass! This insane mountain pass straddles the Argentina-Chile border, clocking in at a lung-busting 4,175m (13,697ft).
Where do you find this beast? Deep in the Andes, connecting the Atacama Region of Chile with Argentina's La Rioja province. Trust me, the views alone are worth the trip. People come from all over to soak in the wild scenery.
Wanna drive it? You'll be cruising along Ruta Nacional Nº 76 (in Argentina) and Carretera C359 (in Chile). Word of warning: most of it's unpaved, and gets super skinny in places. You'll need a 4x4, no question. Only about 40km around the highest point, between the border post and Laguna Brava, is actually paved.
How long is this epic journey? We're talking 427 km (265 miles) of seriously remote road. You'll be heading from Copiapó, Chile, all the way to Villa Unión, Argentina.
When can you go? Usually it's open from November 1st to April 30th, 9am to 6pm...weather permitting! Snow can shut it down fast. We're talking potentially over 2 meters of snow at the top in winter!
Road Details
- Country
- Argentina
- Continent
- south-america
- Length
- 40 km
- Max Elevation
- 4,175 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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🇵🇪 Peru
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