El Torreón Expedition

First day, getting to Cuesta del Obispo

Departing Salta towards the South, we will cross little villages such as Cerrillos and El Carril before turning west towards Chicoana. This is where the yungas (high altitude rainforests) start to be dominant as we climb and reach the Escoipe gorge, where giant cacti, carob trees, red and rocky landscapes and multicolor crops are found. Before finishing climbing the Cuesta del Obispo, we will cross the Valle Encantado (Enchanted Valley) and delight ourselves with some of the best views in the tour. Once we leave it behind, we will get off the vehicle and prepare the gear before walking to the shelter (la Sala).

First activity: Hiking to the Condor viewpoint

Our walk through old Inca roads allows us to get a real feel of the immensity of the area as we gain altitude and is a perfect place for enjoying the views of the Calchaquí Valley and the pre Andes. After a couple of hours, a small snack with tea or coffee is served next to some wonderfully preserved Inca ruins. This is a perfect spot to see enormous rock formations from above.

As we continue walking, we arrive at the Condor viewpoint, a 3000 meters above sea level plain covered with meadows and seasonal flowers, a beautiful view during summer days. This is an important place for the condor and, if we are lucky, we may even see some flying above our heads. We will enjoy a picnic here before starting our descent.

As we walk down in the middle of the mountains, we will visit some cave paintings of huge archaeological value. After around an hour, we will arrive in the shelter again where a typical Argentinian asado will be waiting for us; the perfect banquet under the stars in an old colonial house in the mountains.

Day two: Climbing the Torreón Mountain

Our second morning begins with a typical ‘criollo’ breakfast before we start climbing the Torreón hill in between clouds and condors, where we can enjoy the view of the Cuesta del Obispo like nowhere else as we move up. After a small snack to recover strength, we will head for the top at 3600 meters above sea level. Once we reach this point, we will feel the air in our faces, the peace of standing above the clouds and embracing the immensity with our senses.

After our time at the top, we will descend to the shelter for the final lunch before returning to Salta.

IMPORTANT

The mountain shelter referred as ‘La Sala’ is an old house which was practically abandoned and is in the process of being restored. It does not have running water and the rooms, toilet and living room are precarious. The idea of using this house is to experience the locals way of living.