Traveled by Mendoza 's southern confine, where the mighty Big river, the mountain range and the volcanos of The Payunia believe landscapes of unsuspected beauty.

It is a solitary and paved route. They are 214 km until the frontier with the county of Neuquén and 207 km until Ravines, where you will find combustible in Chos Malal, with all the services, is in the km 344 and Zapala center distributor toward the lakes of the south, in the km 539.

Leave Malargüe (km 0) for the RN 40 toward the south, until White Thatched tops (Trip explain in Walk From Malargüe to Chile for step Pehuenche).

From White Thatched tops (km 67) toward the south, the RN 40 run parallel to the Big river, the mightiest of Whose, with an average of 120 m3/seg that it can increase to 1.500 m3/seg in thaw times.

This abundance of water has not still given origin to a cultivation oasis, like in the other valleys of older colonization. The river is wild, solitary and the imposing nature travels.

The first part of the road (about 50 kms) it lapses next to the wide channel of the river and in an immense almost uninhabited space, with dispersed groves of poplars, sallows and arabios, where the cattle positions are. Their inhabitants, mestizos, conserve alive the aboriginal traditions, as the fabric in loom of Araucanian influence, excellent in quality and originality.

In this itinerary you will find the following alternatives of interest:

To visit him, after 2 km a tranquera that indicates the beginning of a private property will open up.

Then, walk a little for the hills to discover the semiburied trunks of gigantic araucarias, of 1,5 m of diameter and almost 100 m of long that makes 120 million years they conformed a formidable forest on a swamp. For lack of resistance of the floor the trees went falling to the mud, where they began the long petrification process.

By the RN 40 the road continues next to the mountain of Palauco , with an oil location in exploitation whose wells of pumping, lit chimneys of gases and storage tanks are visible from the route.

In the km 98, to the right, an on the way to 3 km takes to The Manzano, picturesque village next to a stream, skirted by cortaderas and green grasses; it is ideal to camp.

In the km 111, to the east of the river the Chacras of the Big river are, with a beautiful grove and small cultivations, especially of potatoes.

Later on, when arriving to Buta Trillion, the landscape changes notably, there will see fields of hardened lava. grizzly escoriales and covered hills for basaltic rocks.

The atmosphere shows the dramatic show of the nature after a cycle of Dantesque vulcanismo happened in the quaternary era.

To the east of the road, in The Payunia the mountain of the Volcanos rises and, behind, the solitary Payún Matrú ( 3.680 meters ), today a fabulous one reserves faunistica of gumps.

In the km 123 The Gangplank are, then, the route crosses the river. We recommend to stop in this place to observe the rugiente river that runs tight and deep among black volcanic walls while, to the west. some granitic masses, as the hill Narrow lace edging of Huincan, dazzle with beautiful golden, greenish and reddish tonalities.

In the km 147, in the Zampal, the route crosses the river again and leaves it, going into more in the low reliefs and erosionados of the mountain where the coirón and the jarilla prevail. You will see beautiful panoramas like the lagoon Coipo-Lauquén (km 166) in whose crystalline waters meet flocks of swans black neck.

In the km 193, in Ranquil North, you will find a center of services with school, a position of health, a municipal delegation, the police and a warehouse. The houses group in a small valley to the left of the road.

In the km 214 will cross a bridge on the river Ravines, limit between Mendoza and Neuquén, with police control. From there are 3 km until Ravines, where you will find a station of service and modest comforts to eat and to lodge.

From Buta Ranquil (km 258) they are 87 more km until Chos Malal, with all the services. Continuing for the RN 40, in 185 km will arrive to you Undermine her, city with all the services and center distributor to the lakes of the south.