Piuquenes Pass (Andes Crossing)

Following the historic path used by the Army of the Andes in 1817, this 6-day trans-Andean expedition traverses the central cordillera from Mendoza, Argentina, to the Cajón del Maipo in Chile. The route crosses two significant high-altitude barriers—Portillo Argentino (4,330m) and Paso Piuquenes (4,030m). Hikers move through a high desert landscape of volcanic rock, vast glacial valleys, and the powerful Tunuyán River. The terrain consists primarily of rocky mountain paths, loose scree on the steeper pass approaches, and high-altitude plateaus where exposure to wind and sun is constant.

Standing at an imposing 14,309 feet (4,361m), Uncompahgre Peak is the highest summit in the spectacular San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado and the 6th highest 'Fourteener' in the state. Despite its towering mass, it is widely considered one of the gentler, most aesthetically beautiful, and accessible 14ers for intermediate hikers—provided you have a hardcore off-road vehicle to reach the high trailhead. The peak is wildly distinct from the typical conical mountains; it looks like a massive, slanted rectangular block or the bow of a sinking ship, complete with sheer, 1,000-foot vertical cliffs on three sides. The surprisingly manageable hiking trail weaves up the one gentle southern slope, through lush tundra basins full of marmots, culminating in a fun, brief, and non-exposed rock scramble to a vast, flat summit plateau the size of a football field.