We got up at a leisurely 8:30 AM this morning and had a quick breakfast. We then organized our mule loads and took a 15-minute drive to Punta de Vacas right at the edge of the Vacas river where we will begin our 31 mile trek to Plaza Argentina Base Camp. Along the way, we will be climbing from 2980 m (9,780 ft) to 4100 m (13,530 ft).
We checked in with our permits and followed the river through green desert valleys dramatically enclosed between the mountains of Andes 11 miles to our first stop for the night.
Although we didn’t get on the trail until 11 AM, we arrived at our first stop at 3:45 PM. We pitched our two tents and got settled in. Around 7 PM, we gave the meat we brought with us to the Arrieros (South American Cowboys) and they grilled it for us in traditional Argentinian way. It was absolutely delicious especially while consumed with a nice bottle of Malbec wine.
The trek was nice and easy but the trail was very rocky. It was blue skies and sunny but the wind was blowing pretty good. We’re going to bed around 9 PM and we’ll be waking up at 6:30 AM tomorrow morning for breakfast and hopefully be on the trail by 8 AM.
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