The route of the six-thousanders leads from the Argentinean village of Fiambala to the northwest to the Paso de San Francisco, which marks the border with Chile at an altitude of 4,000 meters.

If the border is closed for the passage of cars, you cannot drive directly to the pass and have to stop the journey a few kilometers before at the customs station. That was the case with me when I was there at the end of 2024. The border closure, which takes place several times a week, has probably the decisive advantage that only a few cars move on the whole route.

I walked about two kilometres from the customs station to Las Grutas. This is a hot spring where you can bathe wonderfully. If you sit in the warm river, the bizarre desert landscape around you is even more fascinating. I was lucky that I was alone there and every now and then some of the extremely shy Vicuñas dared to get very close.