Four days take you on horseback into the Valley of Tears, up to the Glacier of Tears at about 3,700 metres, where the 1972 wreckage and memorial sit. Hotel pickup from Mendoza City, two nights of camp, and a hotel night in Malargue after the last descent are included.
You leave Mendoza for Paraje El Soler, meet the horses and pack mules, and ride four to six hours into the cordillera to the first camp. The middle riding day climbs to the Glacier of Tears and the memorial at about 3,700 metres, with time at the site before you return to camp for a second night. Guides talk through the ground and the history while you are there, without turning the stop into a rush.
The next day you ride back down to El Soler, say goodbye to the horsemen, and transfer to Malargue for a two-star hotel night. Breakfast and checkout the following morning close the programme. You need your own onward travel from Malargue. Some departures run the same valley on foot instead of in the saddle.
The Valley of Tears sits high in the Andes toward El Sosneado and Malargue, far south of the Potrerillos day-trip corridor. The ground is high, dry, and open: rivers, ravines, and a glacier basin at about 3,700 metres where the wreckage and memorial remain. You feel the scale as soon as you leave the first road-head at Paraje El Soler.
Mendoza City is only the start. The finish is Malargue, after the hotel night, so this is not a loop back to the same hotel. Build your next night or bus from there. The mountain days stay in the valley; the town is for a wash and a bed after the last descent.
You should be happy riding four to six hours a day on consecutive mountain days, or walking the same ground if your departure is the trek. The horses are used to this terrain, but this is still a long saddle outing at height. Everyday gym fitness is not enough on its own.
The minimum age is 14. A cold-rated sleeping bag, long trousers, and mountain boots are required. You should be happy sleeping two nights in a tent and finishing in Malargue rather than back in Mendoza.
Long mountain journeys out of Mendoza have been this team's work since 1966, and this valley is run with horsemen who know the line to the glacier. Pickup, mules, camp, and the Malargue night sit on one plan.
Guides stay with you at the memorial and on the rides, so the history is told on the ground rather than left as a name on a map. You get the valley days and a bed after the last descent, without stitching the transfers yourself.
Hotel pickup covers the designated Mendoza City area and addresses within about 1.5 km of Plaza Independencia. Further out, you will be given a nearby meeting point.
Wear long trousers and mountain boots from the start. The first transfer goes toward Paraje El Soler, where you meet the horses. The programme finishes in Malargue after a hotel night. You are not dropped back in Mendoza.
You ride into the Valley of Tears toward the Glacier of Tears, where the 1972 wreckage and memorial sit at about 3,700 metres. Hotel pickup from the designated Mendoza City area, gentle horses with saddles and saddlebags, local horsemen, and mountain guides are included.
Two nights of camping with full board, pack mules, camping kit, a first-aid kit, a satellite phone, and the valley entry permit come with the mountain days. After the last descent you transfer from Paraje El Soler to Malargue for one night in a two-star hotel.
The programme is four days: three days of riding and camp, then a hotel night in Malargue. Time in the saddle is about four to six hours on each riding day.
You finish in Malargue, not back in Mendoza. Plan onward travel from there after breakfast on the last morning.
You should be happy sitting in a saddle for four to six hours a day on consecutive mountain days. The horses are used to this ground, and horsemen stay with the group.
This is not the Lunlunta walking-pace ride. Everyday gym fitness is not the test; being able to stay in the saddle at height and sleep in a tent is. The same route can also run as a trek on some departures.
You spend two nights in mountain camp with full board, then one night in a two-star hotel in Malargue after the last descent. Camping kit is provided.
You need your own sleeping bag rated for cold mountain nights. The hotel night is there so you can wash and sleep in a bed before you leave the programme.
Bring a sleeping bag comfortable around minus ten degrees, mountain boots, a light pair of shoes for camp, and long trousers for the saddle. Layer a shell, a warm mid-layer, and thermal base layers.
Pack strong sun protection, a head torch, a water bottle, and a biodegradable wash kit. Keep your ID easy to reach for the valley permit checks.
You are collected from hotels in the designated Mendoza City area, or from a nearby meeting point if you stay further out. The first transfer goes toward Paraje El Soler, where you meet the horses.
The programme ends in Malargue after the hotel night. You are not dropped back in Mendoza. Build your onward travel from Malargue on the last morning.
The main programme is a horseback expedition with horsemen and pack mules. Some departures run the same valley as a trek, with mountain guides and mules for the loads.
Both versions camp two nights, visit the Glacier of Tears, and finish with the transfer to Malargue and a hotel night. Choose the mode that matches how you want to travel the ground.
High valleys can close or slow a group when snow or wind makes the path unsafe. If the route is not safe, the team may reschedule and will be in touch with the new plan.
Dress in layers you can add at camp. Sun and cold sit side by side at 3,700 metres. A shell and a warm night bag matter more than a single heavy coat.
The minimum age is 14. Anyone under 18 should come with a responsible adult who stays with them on the ride and at camp.
Mention ages so the horsemen can pace the group. This is a multi-day saddle outing at height, not a short countryside ride.
Yes. Full board and snacks cover the two camp nights and the riding days. The hotel night in Malargue is overnight accommodation after the descent.
Eat a proper meal before the first pickup if you want something extra on the long transfer. Camp meals are part of the mountain days, not restaurant stops in town.
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Mendoza and Aconcagua Corridor, Argentina
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About the centre
Mendoza
We run guided adventure days and multi-day expeditions from Mendoza into the Andes: rafting and kayaking on the Mendoza River, zip-lining over Potrerillos, treks to Devil's Throat and Cerro Cabras, horseback rides through Lunlunta and the foothills, and longer routes toward Aconcagua and the high passes into Chile. Pickup is arranged from hotels in Mendoza City, with a nearby meeting point if you are staying outside that area, and a bilingual guide stays with you through the day.
Days are built around safety briefings, the right kit for the river or the trail, and enough time to take in the landscape rather than rush from one stop to the next. Combo days mix river, zip-line, hot springs or rappelling; longer programmes include camping, full board, and support on the mountain. Whether you want a few hours on the water or a multi-day crossing, the same local team looks after the logistics so you can focus on the Andes.
Operated by Operadores Mendoza Viajes, a partner of adventuro.
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