Northern Chile, Andean impressions. (page 3 of 10)

Alright, we’ll keep going almost to the border since it’s pretty close. Then we’ll turn back to the junction... This delay adds a few dozen kilometers to our itinerary and, more importantly, an extra hour at over 4,200 meters above sea level. That’ll take a toll after a long day in the mountains. Oh! Here we are again at the viewpoint over the Pacana Caldera, a giant caldera 60 kilometers by 32—we should see a track branching off to the left soon!

On the way back, doesn’t the track to Salar de Tara branch off to the right?

Hello Agnès, I'm jumping in late, but with a lot of interest! Your favorite aperitif seems to be the Pisco Sour. What's it made from? It's for a friend, because personally, I'm avoiding alcohol to steer clear of MAM...😛

Hi Guillaume, I’ll pick up where Attila left off—she’s not a morning person 😉: The Pisco Sour is made with Pisco (no kidding!), Peru’s national spirit, distilled from grape must. And MAM isn’t related to alcohol at all—you either get it or you don’t.

Hello Agnès

I’m also jumping in a bit late (lucky the virtual 4x4 is roomy!)

A NOA project starting from Salta + Iguaçu is still on my list... but your travel journal and its beautiful photos make me just as excited (though I still worry about altitude sickness, but if we don’t try...)

And MAM isn’t related to alcohol at all—you either have it or you don’t.

Even if it’s not related, it doesn’t exactly help things. Alcohol, just like sleeping pills or other sedatives, is strongly discouraged at high altitudes. Plus, MAM is sneaky—you might feel great and push yourself too hard, and that’s when it hits. For safety’s sake, especially when you’re young, it’s best to always hold back a little and stay below your limits.

The Sour pool is made with Pisco (sic), the national alcohol of Peru, produced by distilling grape must.

To avoid any issues, in Chile, Pisco is Chilean, and in Peru, Pisco is Peruvian!

Both countries argue over the origin of this alcohol and each has valid points to support their claim.

Note that Bolivians also have a very similar (if not identical) distilled spirit, but they’ve given it a different name: Singani.

Cheers!

Hey Guillaume,

Your favorite aperitif seems to be the Pisco Sour. What’s it made from?

I’ll add to Bruno’s explanation: egg white, lemon juice, and cane sugar syrup. 😛 It’s a common drink in Chile and Peru. Otherwise, SPA isn’t very high up—especially compared to the rest of the trip. Kind of like Val Thorens... So, a beer, some Chilean wine, or a Pisco Sour shouldn’t be a problem.

I’d already noted that alternative route to get back to SPA via Laguna Aguas Calientes and Laguna Leija. Thanks for testing it out for us—we’ll avoid repeating your adventures!

On top of that, part of the road is under construction with traffic stopped... I think this indigenous community wants its share of the pie and is improving their tour offerings to attract more people.

Going higher than Piedras Rojas is still worth it. Maybe just the very start of the track to get that great view of the lagoon. There’s almost no one in that area.

And thanks for the booking link for the Miniques and Miscanti lagoons—I hadn’t read anything about that. The site doesn’t seem to work great, given how long the calendar takes to update. And it’s impossible to check beyond January 2025. Would you recommend 8:30 or 10:30, and in what order (if there’s a preference)? Thanks!

Yeah, the site isn’t great... 🤪 I wonder if reservations are only unlocked month by month.

We booked in SPA two days before. June–July isn’t peak season. It’s winter, and nights are cold/freezing. In winter, the schedules change to adapt to a later sunrise—0900 and 1100. We took 1100. You need to be in Socaire by around 1000, so leave by 0830 to have time to wander. That means getting up around 0730. At night... 0900 would mean 0530. Pitch black, cold—*very* cold in Socaire! Plus, I get the impression tours all leave around 0600 for the first entries.

I don’t regret booking at 11. We were among the first at the Socaire ticket office, almost alone at the first two lagoons. There were people at Piedras Rojas, but since it’s the most “Instagrammable” spot, I think it’s always busy...

The slightly tense moment is at the red rocks spot with the lagoon. People take photos from every angle and take their time. Worse, if you don’t step forward when it’s your turn, they assume you’re not taking photos. A photo without people in it seems unimaginable to them... Still, it’s pretty reasonable overall. But it’s jarring compared to other completely deserted places...

If you start at Piedras Rojas, you’ll have to go to the two lagoons before heading higher, so you’ll take the same road multiple times. It makes more sense to go in order.

I’ll take this chance to emphasize the cold. In Uyuni, water bottles left in the car were completely frozen by morning. It was 7°C in the room. At El Tatio 20 years ago, it was -18°C before sunrise. During the day, it’s spring-like unless it’s windy.

Oops! You're absolutely right!

Let me correct that. 😊

We brought a cocktail specialist along in the 4x4! 😛 😉

Hey Muriel,

It seems like we don’t spend much time at high altitudes in northern Argentina unless we really go off the beaten path.

As for Iguazu, for me it’s number one in the top three. (So in order: Iguazu, Victoria Falls, and way behind, Niagara.)

For altitude, the best thing is to sleep below 3,000m and do day trips to over 4,000m, without spending too many hours above 4,200–4,500m.

For now, the highest I’ve been was in Ecuador. 5,100m. During the day! We’d slept a few nights at 4,000m. It wasn’t restful at all... Not a good sleep, and always a bit of a headache.

High altitude is fascinating. But so dangerous.🤪

Hey Guillaume

Your favorite drink seems to be the Pisco Sour. What's it made from?

I’ll add to Bruno’s explanation: egg white, lemon juice, and cane sugar syrup. 😛

Which makes it a really great cocktail! I’m gonna look like a total alcoholic on this forum …

Otherwise, SPA isn’t very high. Especially compared to the rest of the trip. A bit like Val Thorens...

To defend our Savoyard friends, Val Thorens still peaks at 3,200m at the top of the Cime Caron 😉 It’s not Mont Blanc, but it’s still a climb!

True, it's best not to ruffle any feathers! ;)

Hi Muriel,

It seems to me that you don’t stay at high altitudes for as long in northern Argentina unless you really go off the beaten path.

As for Iguazu, for me it’s number one in the top three. (So in order: Iguazu, Victoria Falls, and way behind, Niagara Falls)

I totally agree with that top three, in the same order!

I was shocked to realize that Niagara Falls is right in the middle of a city—I always imagined it in the middle of nature!!

Val Thorens sleep zone at 2300m. 😉

Otherwise, the highest ski slope in France is at Les Deux Alpes: 3600m. But honestly, I didn’t really click with that resort...

If Guillaume wants to mix things up during his trip, he can ski near Santiago.

I’m really going to come off as an alcoholic on this forum...

Oh no, you won’t...😉

( You’re stealing my spot...)

I’ll add to Bruno’s explanations: egg white, lemon juice, and cane sugar syrup.

Recipes vary from one country to another and from one bartender to another.

In Chile, it’s generally made with Pisco, yellow lemon, a bit of egg white, powdered sugar, and a few drops of a Spanish bitters, Angostura, which slightly adjusts the flavor.

The few drops of bitters aren’t added to the shaker but poured directly into the filled glass at the end of the process, just before drinking.

You can also add a few ice cubes to the shaker.

Generally, one part lemon juice is used for 2.5 parts Pisco. Be careful with the alcohol content of the Pisco: the lightest ones start at 35°, but some go up to 46°.

As a variation, you can use lime. In Chile, there are two types: the small, spherical one, called *de Pica*, named after the oasis that traditionally produces it. The larger one, about the size of a yellow lemon, is the *sútil* variety.

You can also replace powdered sugar with sugar syrup, called *goma*, but in Chile, it’s not cane syrup—it’s just simple sugar syrup or liquid glucose.

Cheers! !

Here’s a great cocktail idea for New Year’s Eve! 😛

Cheers!

Thanks Thierry, I feel reassured about my reputation—apparently there’s someone even sharper out there! 😏

Thanks Thierry, I feel reassured about my reputation—apparently, there’s someone even sharper out there ;)

In Chile, there’s a lovely saying: "The devil knows more because he’s old than because he’s the devil."

Over 30 years in Chile, averaging one pisco sour a month, that still adds up to nearly 400...

I’ve had plenty of time to ask for the recipe and perfect it!

Salud!

For altitude, the best is to sleep below 3,000m and do day trips above 4,000m without spending too many hours above 4,200-4,500m.

When possible, yes, but that’s not always the case. In Ladakh, you arrive at 3,500m, and if you do treks, you inevitably sleep higher. Same in Bolivia, where we stayed several days above 4,000m.

So far, the highest I’ve been was in Ecuador. 5,100m. During the day !

For us, it was 6,000m, but also during the day. At night, we were around 4,500m, and it wasn’t a problem at all.

We’d slept a few nights at 4,000m. It wasn’t restful... Not great sleep and always a bit of a headache.

We’ve always slept well—I hope it’ll be the same in Peru.

You're lucky to handle altitude so well! How high do you live? I think that can make a difference. But not always...🤪

you arrive at 3,500 m

Yeah. I think because of that, we won’t be going to Ladakh. If base camp is already that high, it won’t work for my partner.