Monday, March 23 and Tuesday, March 24
San Carlos, Argentina
-33.77, -69.04
After crossing into Argentina through the Libertador Pass, the expedition shifts direction. The objective remains unchanged: reach Laguna del Diamante but the route now unfolds from the Argentine side. What was once a direct ascent has become a longer, more complex approach, shaped by the mountain itself.
They drive south from the pass toward San Carlos, leaving behind the urgency of the previous days. The landscape opens up, wider, less abrupt, stretching into long distances where the Andes feel less vertical, yet still ever-present. It’s a transition, a day spent covering ground, recalibrating, and moving closer to the next access point. By nightfall, they reach San Carlos, a quiet town at the edge of the mountains, a brief pause before continuing.
At first light, they set off again, heading toward the Laguna del Diamante National Park. The road gradually leads them back into the mountains, the terrain tightens, the space narrows, and the objective comes back into sharp focus. Each kilometer brings them closer to the route they originally set out to follow.
By the end of the day, they reach the entrance of the park. This is as far as the road will take them. For now…