Follow in the footsteps of General San Martín on his legendary 1817 campaign to liberate Chile—one of the greatest military feats in world history. This 6-day trek from Mendoza to Santiago crosses one of the original mountain passes used during the heroic expedition. Though nestled between two capitals, the route remains remote and rarely visited, offering raw nature and deep historical value.
Expect to see condors, guanacos, foxes, and wild hares in this pristine Central Andes landscape. The challenge includes crossing two 4,000m passes and several rivers, demanding teamwork and determination. The reward? A triumphant arrival in Chile’s Valle del Yeso, ending with a relaxing soak in the Termas del Plomo hot springs.
Maximo is one of the world’s most accomplished high-altitude mountaineers, with over 25 years of climbing experience and a career spanning more than 118 expeditions. Born in Argentina, raised in Brazil, and educated in the UK, Max has led professional climbs since the age of 23, guiding teams through some of the most extreme and remote mountain regions on Earth—from the Andes to the Himalayas. His deep knowledge and calm leadership have earned him a reputation for precision, safety, and unwavering dedication.
Recognized by Guinness World Records, Max holds the record for the most 6,000-meter peaks climbed, with 90 ascents in the Andes alone. He has summited over 260 peaks above 5,500 meters and participated in at least 11 expeditions to the world’s legendary 8,000-meter giants, including the formidable K2. In 2012, he launched the Andes 6K+ Project, an ambitious mission to climb all 104 Andean peaks over 6,000 meters—an effort that is now 85% complete. His solo season, during which he summited 30 of these peaks alone, remains a landmark achievement in South American mountaineering.
Beyond his climbing exploits, Max is a passionate educator and researcher. He contributes to high-altitude medicine studies, teaches specialized courses for physicians, and plays an active role in the classification and naming of Andean peaks. As the founder of Andes Specialists, he continues to share his knowledge and love for the mountains with climbers from around the world. With more than 30 countries visited, Max remains as humble as he is accomplished—always seeking the next summit with the same curiosity and respect that first drew him to the heights.
Tour highlights
Follow San Martín’s Historic Route
Trek one of the original passes used during the legendary 1817 Andes crossing—a key moment in the liberation of Chile.
Remote Wilderness and Wildlife Encounters
Explore a rarely visited stretch of the Central Andes, home to condors, guanacos, foxes, and wild hares, far from crowded trails.
Epic Adventure Ending in Natural Hot Springs
After crossing two 4000m mountain passes and remote valleys, unwind in Termas del Plomo—a perfect end to a demanding and unforgettable journey.
Route details
Day 1
Mendoza (900m)
Arrival in Mendoza for a trip briefing, equipment check, and gear rental. Time to go over all details before the big journey.
Day 2
Refugio Portinari / Scaravelli Hut (3200m)
Early drive to Portinari (2500m) for border formalities, then continue to Scaravelli Hut.
Meet our arrieros (mule drivers) and enjoy a traditional Argentine BBQ.
Day 3
Real de la Cruz (2900m)
Begin with a 3-hour ascent to Portillo Argentino (4300m), the highest point of the trek. A long descent follows into the spectacular Tunuyán Valley, reaching Real de la Cruz.
Day 4
Mesón San Juan (4000m)
Hike to a stunning ridge with views of Tupungato and other 6000m peaks. Camp in the high Andes under the stars.
Day 5
El Caletón (3100m)
A scenic day in a quiet valley near the Chilean border, surrounded by wildlife and silence.
Day 6
Termas del Plomo – Santiago (600m)
Cross the Portillo Piuquenes (4000m) into Chile. Steep descent to hot springs, then drive to Santiago for a final celebratory dinner.
Day 7
Departure
Breakfast and farewell in Santiago.
Difficulty
Challenging
Does not require specific skills, but one must be in good health
Tour provider's comments
Trekking experience;
Good health and physical prepared.
Accommodation
Comfort
Basic
Tent
2 nights
Camp Site
2 nights
Hotel
2 nights
2 nights
Tent
.
2 nights
Hut Real de La Cruz
2 nights
Hotel
1st night in Mendoza and last one in Santiago
Tickets to group meeting place
Group meeting place
Mendoza Airport
Calculate tour price with tickets from your city
Partnered with
Weather during the tour
Weather conditions along the route
You will get a weather forecast for this tour’s route based on
the forecasts for this season
the statistics from previous years’ trips
Tour conditions
Included
EPGAMT mountain guide or any of our mountain guides;
1 or 2 assistant mountain guides (EPGAMT/AAGM certification) depending upon number or clients;
Help on purchasing and equipment rental in Mendoza;
Transport from Termas del Plomo to hotel in Santiago;
Transport from Mendoza to Scaravelli Hut (3000m);
Mules for personal equipment (up to 15 kg per person);
VHF Radio;
2 night in basic mountain hut Real de La Cruz;
Transport/assembly of tents, pots, gas, food, water in all camps ;
Use of mountain tents and first aid kit in all camps;
Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner, treated water in the whole trek.
Extras
Hotel nights or meals in Mendoza or Santiago;
Flights from/to Mendoza;
Bus or flight from Santiago to Mendoza;
Personal equipment (check equipment tab);
Any costs due to excess weight (over 15kg);
Money return in case you abandon the trip;
Rescue expenses (if needed);
International travel insurance;
Reimbursement for loss or damage of your personal equipment.
Group size
From 2 to 10 tourists
Duration
7 days
6 nights
It's important to know
Personal equipment you need for the tour
Having good mountaineering equipment is one of the key points to have a safe and enjoyable trek. Please note all your personal equipment will be checked by one of our guides in the hotel.
Head
Bandana Buff or similar
Hat Woollen hat or similar for cold day
Sunglasses (cat 3 or 4)
With side protection to fit your face
Sunscreen and lip balm
30 FPS or more
Batteries
AA or AAA batteries depending on your headtorch. Can be purchased in local store.
Headtorch
Working headtorch and spare batteries
Torso
Summit Down Jacket Heavy hooded down jacket for cold conditions
Light down jacket
Snowproof jacket A good snow, rain and windproof jacket
T-shirt Synthetic fibre long or short sleeve t-shirt
Fleece jacket Used alone or as part of a layer system for better performance
Legs
Trekking pants Light trekking pants
Base layer pants For very cold days and summit push
Snowproof pants Goretex or similar pants will be used for high wind or during snow conditions
Gloves Fleece or polartec gloves for every day use
Feet
Sandals or crocs Sandals or crocs for river crossing or hanging around camp
Trekking boots Waterproof trekking boots, try wearing them before the expedition
Trekking socks Good thick trekking socks
Other Equipment
Water purifying tables/drops A reliable way to treat water
Carbo gels These gels help out on recovery
Snacks Salty snacks, sweets, etc. Any sort of tasty ready food as complement. On high altitude mountains we don’t normally worry about vitamins and proteins as these kinds of food are too hard to digest. You can buy all these in a local market.
Stuff sacks or bin bags Helps to keep your stuff dry and organised
Sleeping Bag A good down sleeping
Rucksack A decent rucksack with hip belt and rain cover
Altitude medicine Our guides already have pretty much any drugs you might need during any trip. However, it would be great if you could have a spare tab of the most used drugs:
Ibuprofen (Advil)– This is an anti-inflammatory and works great for high altitude head aches Loperamide (Imodium) – controls diarrea (not to be used in case of digestive infections. Ask our guides)
Personal Hygiene kit Soap, tooth brus, come, etc
Sleeping mattress We prefer taking 2 foam sleeping mattress because of sharp rocks. If you have an inflatable mattress you should also bring a foam mattress to protect the inflatable one against sharp rocks. Don’t forget bringing a repair kit if you have an inflatable mattress.
Water bottle Nalgene 1 litre bottles or similar are great for expeditions! We prefer to not use camelbacks as its hose pipe might freeze
Duffel Bag Used to transport or store your equipment. In many cases, we transport your personal gear on animals and we don’t want your equipment to get wet or have mule smell…
Padlock To lock your duffel during transportation
Trekking poles Gives you more stability during walk and summit push.
What if the pass is closed?
This is unusual but if it happens we have several alternatives like trekking at Cerro Vallecitos and other wonderful treks.
How much equipment will I have to carry? Can I make it?
Your backpack will never weigh more than 7 kg. The rest of it will be carried by mules.
Do I actually need a passport?
Yes, on the 2nd day we have to go through Argentine customs and stamp our passports to officially leave Argentina. Your situation in Argentina has to be legal. If you don’t have an stamp in your passport, you won’t be able to leave the country and your trek is finished. So make sure your situation is legal in Argentina. Make sure your passport is at least 3 or 4 months before the due date.
Is there communication on the mountain?
The only communication we have is a VHF radio that allows us to speak with the police of both countries.
Would you guys call my family and tell them I’m alright?
Absolutely! Even better — we update our Facebook page daily with messages and photos from the expedition.
Do I Have to Share Tents?
Yes. All tents are shared by every 2 persons and this is previously agreed.
What if I abandon or quit the trek?
If you quit the expedition 1 week before departure, it is possible to recover part of your investment. Contact us and find out more.
If you quit the expedition in Mendoza, you can continue enjoying the services we provide you such as transportation and hotel. However we can not pay back the money you invested because logistics will already be hired.
If you quit the expedition after we left Mendoza, you will have to cover individual transportation and accommodation costs. Everyone who leaves the expedition for personal or health reasons, should pay these costs.
If you give during the trek, we will arrange all your transport to go back to Mendoza. Have in mind these costs will be yours regardless they might be due to health reasons.
What’s your philosophy?
We accept women and men of any age, experience or ambition. We ask our members to be patient, respect the leader’s decisions and never go up or down alone.
Remember that you don’t pay us to take you to your destiny, you pay mountaineering professionals with several years experience to assist you through the trek in the safest possible way. Still, you are the one who has to walk!
Our itinerary may seem slower than other companies, this is due to a longer acclimatisation plan based on safety. More days will actually improve the chance of reaching your goals.
How much money should I take?
You might have to spend money on dinner and lunch in Mendoza and Santiago, equipment rentals, telephone bills, tips, etc. You might also have extra expenses in case you decide to abandon the mountain. We recommend you to bring a total of $500 in US currency and 1000 argentine peso for the whole trip. Please check the expenditure list:
Dinner and lunch in Mendoza: U$25 per meal Equipment rentals (average): U$150 Cost of abandoning trip: U$350
Can I use credit cards in Argentina?
We do not recommend you using credit cards in Argentina. In addition to the up to 25% tax, it is quite possible that your credit card might not work due to poor communication system. Only major hotels and supermarkets might accept foreign credit cards. The financial situation in Argentina is very unstable so we highly recommend you to bring US dollars.
Chile is very different and most shops or big stores accept credit or debit cards.
What sort of training do I need for this trek?
For this trek we recommend you to start training at least one months before the trip, depending on your physical condition. Aerobic exercises like running and cycling are very useful. A very effective exercise is to go hiking with a rucksack on any trails. BEWARE of injuries! We have had some cases of clients who have trained too much and ended up hurting themselves.
What experience do I need for this trip?
We recommend you to have experience in multiple-day hikes.
How’s the weather up there?
Even though we’ll be going on summer, remember that we are in the middle of the Andes and the weather is unpredictable. On average the days are mild/hot, about 15ºC to 30ºC and nights can be fairly cold +5ºC to -5ºC. Occasionally we have snowstorms.
What if I have a special diet?
Please tell us in advance about any food issues you might have and also please remind our guides about it too. Unless you bring your own food, we cannot help you if you are macro-biotic, vegan or celiac due to extreme logistical difficulties. Contact us and let us know about your food restriction.
What’s the temperature my sleeping bag should stand?
We recommend you to bring good down sleeping bags with comfort temperature of -10 up to -15. Please note there are 2 types of temperatures shown in most of sleeping bags. We’re focusing on the “comfort temperature”.
What if I want to rent equipment?
It is very easy to rent equipment in Mendoza. Check out the list of equipment needed before buying anything. Rentals can be paid in dollars or pesos.
Where will I sleep during the trek?
In the first 2 nights we sleep in beds in mountain huts. On the 3rd and 4th night we sleep in tents.
There is drinking water in the approach?
There is plenty of drinking water on the way. However we recommend you to treat it before drinking.
In which hotels do we stay in Mendoza?
In Mendoza we will use the 3-star hotel called Condor Suites which is located in the city center close to restaurants, supermarkets and shops. In Santiago we will use the Hotel Libertador also 3 star. It’s on Avenida Libertador O’Higgins, in the city center. Note that rooms aren’t included in our package but we can organise that for you if you wish to use the same hotels.
What if I need to be rescued?
Our guides are trained rescuers and also trained on WFR protocol. Additionally, the Argentine army will be very close to us most of time and can easily help us.
Cancellation of booking
In case of booking cancellation the next policy applies. Tourists will receive a full amount they paid for the reservation in case they cancel more than 35 days in advance of the tour start date. In the event of cancellation within the period of 34 to 16 days before the tour start date - they are entitled to receive 50% of the booking amount. Cancelations made within 15 days before the tour starts will not be entitled to a refund.
