Services included:

• Transfers in private vehicle Mendoza / Estancia "Valle de Uco" place where start the horseback riding trip.
• Transfer from the end point of the horse expedition to Mendoza.
• Fees for entrance to the protect area "Laguna del Diamante".
• 01 night accommodation in a mountain ranch "Estancia Valle de Uco", with dinner (shared room).
• 04 nights in the mountain with 4 riding days. Accommodation in tents (Igloo shape, for 2 or 3 people).
• All meals and drinks included during the riding expedition.
• Complete camping equipment.
• Professional mountain guides and muleteers. English speaking guide.
• Mountain horses, tame, with confortables saddles: "apero criollo"
• Equipment transported on mules. Up to 10 Kg. per person.
• Saddle bags.
• First Aid equipment.
• Satellite telephone in case of emergency only.

Services not included:

• Sleeping bag.
• Personal gear
• Food not stipulated in the program
• Personal expenses (phone calls, tips, laundry, etc.)
• Rescue expenses
• Medical Assistance nor Insurance

Itinerary:

Day 1: Mendoza – Estancia “Valle de Uco”
Reception at Airport, transfer to the city of Mendoza. Equipment check and then transfer by private car to the farm "Valle de Uco" located at the foot of the Andes, along the creek "The Gateado" (estimated travel time: 2 hours). Once installed in the guest house, enjoy a day in the country touring the farm. Everything will be ready to start our journey on horseback the next day.

Day 2: First day by horse
The ride trip start in the morning. We go into the mysteries of the Andes Mountain Range, riding through places of great beauty and enjoy magnificent landscapes. Huge masses of Andean peaks covered in snow will be the stars. Pass by streams and small waterfalls, with the possibility of found in the way native animals. We will arrive in the afternoon to the mountain hut "The Toscal" where we spend the night.

Day 3: El Toscal - Portezuelo del Viento - Real de la Corona
We ride up for the mountains to the "Portezuelo del Viento" (Col Wind) over 3950 meters. From there we can see the huge mountains and an immense glacier formed by the hill "San Jose", "Marmolejo" and "Colinas".
We also can observe guanacos, condors and eagles.
In the afternoon, arrival at camp "Real de la Corona".
No doubt this will be a day of contemplation. Dinner and rest.

Day 4: Real de la Corona - Papal stream
In the morning, we will start our third day by horse. Our objetive: admiring and enjoying every day the Cordillera de Los Andes.

Day 5: Papal stream- Laguna del Diamante
The route continues and the magical world of the Andes opens its doors to the step called "Piedras Numeradas" (numbered stones) where we can observe the end of this shocking horseback trip: Laguna del Diamante, place of indisputable beauty nestled amid the colossal mountains.

We will meet our ready camp. Our staff will be waiting for us with something warm to drink and regain energy and of course a delicious sparkling wine to offer!

This night is spent on the shores of the Laguna del Diamante.

Day 6: Laguna del Diamante - Mendoza
In the morning there will be a guided tour around the lagoon. A bit of trekking and for those who dare may go fishing in the headwaters of the Rio Diamante or at the Laguna.

At noon we will return to Mendoza, in 4x4 vehicles. Approximate drive time 4 hrs.

General Information
Laguna del Diamante

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Natural Reserve Laguna del Diamante
The Andes Mountain Range, Mendoza Province, Republic Argentina

Laguna del Diamante
Location	Mendoza Province
Coordinates	4°09′S 69°41′W/34.15°S 69.683°W / -34.15; -69.683 Coordinates: 34°09′S 69°41′W / 34.15°S 69.683°W / -34.15; -69.683
Basin countries	Argentina
Surface area	14.1 km²

Laguna del Diamante

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Laguna del Diamante is a lake located in the province of Mendoza, Argentina, in the San Carlos Department, some 198 km from Mendoza. It covers a surface area of about 14.1 km² and is one of the largest freshwater resources in the Province. Nearby is Maipo volcano. The volcano and its reflection in the lake forms diamond-shape image, which gives the lake its name. It is known for its stunning beauty. However, few get the chance to see it because it is passable only in February and only via an off-road vehicle.The lake was described by Antoine de Saint Exupéry in his book Wind, Sand and Stars as quoted, "...he [Guillaumet] caught sight of a dark horizontal blot which he recognized as a lake Laguna Diamante".

Maipo (volcano)

Maipo
Elevation	5,264 metres (17,270 ft)
Location
Location	Argentina-Chile
Range	Andes
Coordinates	34°09′39.6″S 69°49′58.8″W / 34.161°S 69.833°W / -34.161; -69.833 Coordinates: 34°09′39.6″S 69°49′58.8″W / 34.161°S 69.833°W / -34.161; -69.833
Geology
Type	Stratovolcano
Last eruption	1908
Climbing
First ascent	1883 by Paul Güssfeldt
Easiest route	snow/ice climb

Maipo is a stratovolcano in the Andes, lying on the border between Argentina and Chile. It is located 90 km (55 miles) south of Tupungato and about 100 km (60 miles) southeast of Santiago.

Maipo retains a symmetrical, conical volcanic shape, unlike many of the other nearby peaks, making it the best known peak in the region, though it is not the highest. (Nearby Castillo is 5,485 m high.) Maipo is also almost the southernmost 5,000 metre peak in the Andes. (That honor goes to Sosneado, about 50 km to the south).

Maipo is located within the Diamante Caldera, a feature of about 15 km by 20 km size that is about one-half million years old. It rises about 1,900 m (6,230 ft) above the floor of the caldera. Immediately to the east of the peak, on the eastern side of the caldera floor, is Laguna del Diamante, a picturesque lake that formed when lava flows blocked drainage channels from the caldera in 1826.

The region's climate is transitional between the drier Mediterranean climate of the peaks to the north and the cold, moist climate of Chilean Patagonia. Hence, while less glaciated than Patagonia, it has more permanent snow (on the wet, Chilean side) than peaks of similar elevation to the north.