March 31, 2005
Cuesta de Lipan
Cuesta de Lipan
At Salinas Grandes the road comes to the newly paved Ruta 52. To the west is the Paso de Jama into Chile and San Pedro de Atacama, to the east the Cuesta de Lipan pass leading to Purmamarca and Ruta 9 up to Bolivia. We bid farewell to Ruta 40, which we've followed exclusively since striking into Argentina way back at San Juan de Jáchal. Happy to be on pavement, we headed west over the Cuesta.
Salinas Grandes, a vast sea of salt
Vicuña crossing
The west side of Cuesta de Lipan...another shot for George
Elevation post at Cuesta de Lipan -- a low one by local standards
East face of Cuesta de Lipan -- a 2000 metre drop into Purmamarca
Preparing for the pudding -- smooth switchbacks on sealed road!
Brice screaming down the east side of Cuesta de Lipan
Descending beneath the clouds into Purmamarca