Very beautiful experience in which Las Cuevas joined with Quebrada de Matienzo. We arrived by car to Las Cuevas. We recommend a night of acclimatization at the Refugio Federico Reichert in Las Cuevas (3180 masl). The following day we will be able to start this circuit by bike to the Quebrada de Matienzo. It is a very easy slope with a moderate degree of inclination, the trail is marked by animals, crossing “cones” of rockslides and stones in which it is not easy to keep pedaling but after them the path becomes friendly and pedaled. There are some trails with ravines that of course you can choose to get off the bike, but there are not many. The landscape gets more and more beautiful with each meter one climbs. Much presence of birds and some guanacos.
On the sides of the path there are some plants known as “Yaretas”, they have thorns that if the covers are not prepared with tubless it is possible that they may suffer not one but several punctures. (Carry the necessary elements for these cases). In the first stage of the crossing, we reach very comfortably the milestone of Benjamín Matienzo, which is located at 3642 masl, about 15km from Las Cuevas. The time can take two to three hours depending on the level of preparation. The summit is 35 km from Las Cuevas. Here, the height of the hills is impressive. The circuit is highly recommended and with training and proper acclimatization is a journey that anyone who walks by bike can enjoy.
A very good option is to spend the night in the tent, at the Benjamín Matienzo landmark and then the next day to follow the remaining 20 km to the top. In this case it is preferable to carry the load in a backpack and avoid the saddlebags. However you can climb with the minimum and necessary and make the crossing in a single day, being able to choose to return once reached the top.
