MTB Tours

A self-launched version of MTB Tours' 9-day guided Andes crossing, riding high gravel passes from Malargüe (Mendoza, Argentina) over the Andes into Curicó (Chile) under your own steam. You'll replicate the operator's core route — Portezuelo del Carqueque, the Castillos de Pincheira, the 2,800m high pass, the Peteroa Volcano plateaus and the Río Teno descent — but book your own bike, campsites, hostels and border-crossing transport instead of paying for a guided group with support vans. The appeal is the same: big scenery, low technical difficulty but punchy climbs, and an authentic Argentine asado in a mountain hamlet. The main trade-off is that you need solid self-navigation and self-sufficiency skills (and you must follow current border rules, since the Paso Vergara/Paso Pehuenche conditions can close — check with Argentine and Chilean immigration before you commit). Costs are estimated per person in GBP and are approximate. Practical notes: - Best season: December–March (Austral summer). The high passes are only open a few months a year. - Bikes: the route is rough mountain gravel, not maintained gravel road, so a decent MTB with wide tyres and low gearing is far more comfortable than a gravel bike. You can hire MTBs in Malargüe or San Rafael; sea freight/air freight of your own bike is possible but costly. - Navigation: download offline maps (Komoot/RideWithGPS/Wikiloc) and carry a paper map and a charged GPS device. Mobile signal disappears fast above the valley. - Border: you must formally exit Argentina and enter Chile at the official border control on the route. Do not attempt to cross outside an open control point. Confirm the Paso status with Argentine gendarmerie/immigration and Chilean authorities a few days before departure — winter rain and spring snow regularly close high passes. - Water and food: carry several litres, a filter/treatment, and full supplies for the mountain days. The high country has very few shops. - Fitness: this is an advanced route — around 50km/day with roughly 1,000m of climbing, plus altitude and wind. Plan to ride regularly in the months before. - Insurance that covers high-altitude mountain biking and evacuation is strongly recommended. - Wild camping is possible on some sections but use established campsites and local landowner permission where required. Leave no trace. - The loop route can also be reversed or trimmed; the 9-day structure below mirrors the original itinerary's pacing.