4x4 journey to the crater of the Corona del Inca Volcano | 2 days |

Andes Mountain Range La Rioja

The maximum extreme adventure in the heights of the Andes, in a fascinating and surreal setting, an incredible 4×4 adventure, where you will live a unique and unrepeatable experience: In the confines of the Andes Mountains, the Corona del Inca Crater hides an immense crater at 5,400 meters above sea level and inside it..., a spectacular lagoon with deep blue waters. 

In addition, we will have fun and learn 4x4 driving techniques on the first day of La Quebrada del Yeso, 

Where the journey is more important than the destination

· Suitable for all types of 4x4 Truck with gearbox

· You can participate as our Passenger or driving your van or rental.

· Our 4x4 journeys do not have a minimum quota of participants to be carried out, they will never be canceled for this reason.

TIMELINE:

Day 1:

vinchina

From 3:00 p.m. we are waiting for you in Vinchina, La Rioja, to formalize the balance of the cost of the crossing, handy delivery

At 9:00 p.m. we meet to go to dinner, cook and prepare to start early the next day.

Night at Hotel Corona del Inca - Vinchina

Day 2:

Gypsum Ravine

08:30 a.m. Breakfast

09:00 am We meet in the parking lot, each group in their van. There we will place the decals of the crossing and the number of each truck, which will be respected in the order of the Caravan.

09:15 hours: We leave Vinchina, heading North West to make La Quebrada del Yeso , this day will aim to acclimatize a little to the altitude and have a very technical 4x4 driving experience.

Night at Hotel Corona del Inca - Vinchina

8:00 p.m. dinner

Day 3:

Corona del Inca Crater and Laguna Brava

05 a.m. Breakfast

05:30 a.m. We get together to go out for a long day, full of adventures! 

A superb space of nature unfolds in the immensity of the Rioja mountain range, at more than 4,000 m high. Within an extremely arid mountainous environment, but with infinite shades and colors, Laguna Brava emits its sparkles framed by Andean giants, such as the Veladero and Bonete volcanoes. Created to protect its fauna from vicuñas and flamingos, the Reserve  also houses guanacos, foxes, eagles and hawks. In one of the most extreme destinations of this trip, we will ascend to 5400 meters of height to reach the crater of the Corona del Inca Volcano.

Laguna Grande

Laguna Brava Provincial Reserve located in the area of the Andes mountain range in the province of La Rioja, is one of the most spectacular sites in the country, due to the richness and multicolored beauty that is combined with the history, flora and fauna of Puno, located at 4,300 meters above sea level, in the Puna region. The 405,000 hectares of Laguna Brava were declared a Provincial Park in the early 1980s and later a Ramsar Site, a declaration given to some sites to protect the life of their ecosystems.

On its route you can enjoy not only mountains that exceed 4,000 and 5,000 meters but also volcanoes that exceed 6,000 meters, giving it that scenic beauty that will captivate you every second, in every curve, with every story and story.

In its natural environment, a series of wild animals are protected, such as guanacos, vicuñas, pumas, flamingos and other migratory birds that in search of food return each spring to procreate.

Shelters of the muleteers (Refugio el Peñon)

In an intelligent circular shape, a stone shelter stands on the path, far from any vestige of civilization. According to the introductory sign, it has been there since 1873 by order of the then president of the republic Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, who decided to build a series of shelters for the muleteers who took their cattle to or from Chile through the Camino de los Toros.

Through the circuit that these men made, these constructions were built where they could take a break and spend the night sheltered from the icy external climate. The circular shape in the best baking style is not by chance, but is specially designed so that the icy wind does not enter through the door, which, being a circular corridor, prevents it.

The Uncover

he man died of cold in the solitude of a mountain refuge and became a legend. The building could withstand icy winds in excess of sixty miles per hour and temperatures well below freezing, but the man expired just the same, inside the shelter.

They found him frozen.

If it were not for the fact that the identity of the deceased is still a mystery, the event would not have been anything extraordinary, taking into account the harshness of the winters in Laguna Brava, the Rioja nature reserve located at 4,300 meters high in the Andes mountain range.

Corona del Inca Crater

The Corona del Inca crater is a destination of striking and unique beauty. One of the favorites of the most intrepid travelers. To get there, you have to make a journey that begins before dawn in the towns of Vinchina or Alto Jagüe, the last town on the road that leads to the Cordillera.

You cross the Quebrada del Peñón, the Laguna Brava Provincial Reserve -where the pink flamingos offer an inescapable postcard of the trip- and the Pampa del Veladero, a desert valley from which countless penitentes emerge, imposing mounds of ice to which not even the summer sun push back. Then the most demanding ascent is undertaken, by a track sandwiched between two rock walls that crosses the bed of the Veladero river several times. The ascent that continues along the edge of the mountain, the presence of wet sands that make it difficult to pass, the entrance to a mountain range with peaks that are around 6,500 meters above sea level are unforgettable experiences. In the distance, a snowy peak stands out from all the others: Cerro Pissis, at 6,882 meters above sea level, the second highest peak in America. At the end of the road is the magical Corona del Inca: a crater located at 5,500 meters above sea level that houses an intense blue lake inside, formed by meltwater. All around, the penitents once again show their frozen figures. Everything is immensity and wonder.

EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS: In the mountains, more specifically in the area of the Volcanoes, the cold is intense even in summer, the temperature ranges between -5 (5 degrees below zero) and +5 to +8 degrees at noon, with winds of 30 to 60 km/hour, which takes the wind chill from -15 to -20 degrees (below zero). The passenger must provide the necessary clothing to add as he climbs in onion-type layers from lowest to highest, as well as gloves, neck and head covers.

Children under 12 years old are NOT ALLOWED on this Traverse, it is NOT SUITABLE for older adults with delicate health.

The day of climbing to the crater is a long day and we climb very high up to 5,530 meters above sea level, no previous experience is necessary, just have a healthy physical condition and withstand the height.

The passenger must not be hypertensive or hypotensive and you. You should check with your doctor if you are suitable for ascents over 4,500 meters above sea level.

6:30 p.m. 

8:00 p.m. dinner

Day 4:

After breakfast we say goodbye and return each one to their locality.  

End of services

Vehicles and Terrain:

Degree of Difficulty: Medium

Type of terrain: gravel and consolidated land, river crossings, stretches over the course of the river.

Suitable for all types of 4x4, preferably without running boards

No prior experience required

Ideal to enjoy with family and friends

Required accessories:

Draft hooks (front and rear). A relief cover.

In the case of having any of these elements, bring them:

Lanyard, air compressor, deflator, recovery plates

Bio-Security Measures:

This type of proposed activity is ideal to prevent the spread of Covid-19, since at all times the

Social Distance:

Accommodation: Each room will be previously disinfected and with ventilation days.

Social bubble: All the activities will be carried out keeping the nucleus of family or friends in each truck, maintaining communication through the provided handys. Every time we arrive at a point of interest we will do so with masks on, maintaining the social distance of 2 meters and of course being outdoors minimizes the possibility of contagion.

Breakfast and Dinner: It will be done in the room or in the dining room with sanitary measures, depending on the case

Lunch: We will do the same at one of the stops of the 4x4 crossing, we can do it on top of the truck or going down and maintaining social distance, we recommend bringing a chair and maybe a small table to be more comfortable,

Menu: Both lunch and dinner will be provided, this will be a freeze-dried food menu (it is a type of food used by mountaineers, with an exquisite flavor, with a low-pressure dehydration process, which maintains all its flavors and appearance. A thermos with hot water will be provided to hydrate it. Here you can see the different menus. In the event that sanitary measures allow it, there may be a more regional menu and the place of dinner may be the room or the dining room if you comply with these measures.

Satellite Security:

In addition to redundant Satellite Navigators, we have a Satellite Telephone for any emergency or communication between participants and relatives. With the pampering you can make or receive phone calls as SMS. On the other hand, it sends a location signal with a certain frequency to mark our route to our team in the city.

Rescue and light mechanics:

In the type of roads that we travel, it is common for someone to get stuck in a sandbank, an ascent or any other terrain difficulty, which is why the guide vehicle has all the elements to get out of any situation, such as a front and rear winch, several slings, unblocking plates, anchor, Hi-Lift Jack, pulley, complete set of tools, among others

Recommendations:

It is very important that you bring sunscreen, a hat, a lounge chair for lunch, and enough shelter. Barbijo

Reports and Registration:

Ramiro Rios - Marketing

Cell/whatsapp: +54 9 351 2671133

Email: info@4x4overlandexperience.com