Ride to the Dollar Plane

Proposal

An incredible story - an amazing landscape

A trip to the heart of the Andes Mountains in the south of the Mendoza province, where a singular plane crash occurred, on one of the slopes of Cerro El Sosneado, the southernmost hill of more than 5000 meters in America.

There, a Transamerican company plane headed for Central America crashed in May 1960 with 9 occupants, counting passengers and crew.

After several years, it was discovered that this flight was carrying a large sum of money and jewels that were not registered at customs and that some stallholders made off with that booty. It was popularly called “the plane of the dollars”. In this adventure we will take you to the exact place where the accident occurred. Some parts of the plane are still preserved.

ITINERARY

Previous note: it is advisable to spend the night the night before in San Rafael, El Sosneado or Malargue, since it starts early, the next day. If you travel by car, you should leave it at the Parador de El Sosneado, where it is under care.

Day 1: Presentation of guides and general equipment check plus a brief talk. Transfer by route 40 towards the abandoned thermal Hotel of El Sosneado. Along the way, next to a stream, the adventure begins on horseback. We ascend through a closed valley, to enter the eastern slopes of Cerro El Sosneado. We arrive at an area where we prepare our base camp. First night in the mountains.

Day 2: This day we will ascend above 4000 meters, to reach the place where the remains of the dollar plane are found. It is a very high and exposed place, so we stayed a little, took photos and descended back to the camp. last night on the mountain.

Day 3: Last section on horseback, to return to the base where the vehicle awaits us that will take us back to the town of El Sosneado. End of the trip, approx 5:00 p.m.

Included Services

Full board in the mountains (from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on Day 3)
2 Nights of accommodation in a wild camp in the middle of the mountain range.
Guides, coordinators and baqueanos.
Horses equipped and properly prepared for this type of expeditions in the mountains.
tents.
General mountain equipment: complete first aid kit, VHF
General camp logistics (pots, heaters, security elements, orientation, etc.)
personal accident insurance
Previous advice with photos, maps and necessary material
Permanent assistance.

Services NOT included

Round trip to San Rafael.
Personal equipment rental.
Expenses caused by leaving the program.

Note

Clarifications:

Note 1: All horses are properly trained and prepared to ride in mountainous areas and our baqueanos have the best conditions and knowledge of the place. It is not necessary to have previous riding experience.

Note 2: Active program with a degree of medium-high demand and suitable for people over 13 and under 60 years of age (cases outside these age ranges will be evaluated)

Note 3: Program subject to climatic, geographic or political conditions. Modifications of the same can occur on the fly depending on circumstances and various factors. The decisions will be made exclusively by the guides, baqueanos and coordinators.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do we ride a lot every day?

On the first day we ride between 3 to 4 hours. On the second day, 6 hours. On the last day , another 3 -4 hours.

Do I have to know how to ride a horse and / or have previous experience in the activity?

Definitely not. Horses are prepared to receive people who have never ridden and the learning process is significantly fast. The modality is "on the way", one horse behind the other.

What if I have previous experience riding horses?

Those who have experience will also have the possibility of riding horses according to her/his experience.

Where do we spend the night?

Being a tour that goes through unspoilt nature and whith no existence of vehicular road , overnights are in comfortable igloo-style tents for 2/3 or 4 people. Those who want to sleep outdoors (bivouac) with his/her sleeping bag and insulated sleeping pad, under an unforgettable starry sky , are able to do it in this campsite.

What happens if someone needs to be evacuated for any reason?

Almost all the camps have escape routes to be able to be in a few hours in the vehicular road. Our baqueanos and guides are trained to solve first aid and / or evacuation issues, which are very infrequent.

Is there signal for my cellphone?

No. Cell phones in this area end up becoming useless elements.

What kind of backpack or luggage should I take?

Everyone must carry their personal possessions in a bag or a large backpack up to El Sosneado. All these belongings will be carried in a bag by the mules (according to the list required). You will also have saddlebags where you can place those things you need during the day.

What is the menu during the trip?

Our mountain menus are varied. From pastas with tasty sauces to stews or grilled meats (chivito argentino). Antipastos, salads and fast digestion meals are common at noon. It is necessary to complete the personal / medical file to clarify if someone has a special diet (celiac, vegetarian ,among others).

Difficulty Graduation System

Click on each indicator to see details

60%

Horse Riding (C)

Horse: Duration of the Day.

Clic para detalles

60%

Physical (F)

Physical demand

Clic para detalles

40%

Technical (T)

Technician: Difficulty in the Field / Equipment.

Clic para detalles

40%

Psycho (P)

Psychological Strength

Clic para detalles

40%

Height (A)

Height Exposure

Clic para detalles

How to interpret these values?

Each aspect is evaluated from 20% to 100%, where:

20-40%: Basic or beginner level
60%: Intermediate level
80-100%: Advanced or expert level

Recommended for intermediate level

Previous experience and good physical condition required.

Required equipment

Required equipment

MANDATORY REQUIRED EQUIPMENT *** (If this equipment is not taken, the guides reserve the right to define your participation)

Warm sleeping bag (minimum -10 degrees comfort) ***
Parka jacket (waterproof and windbreaker) ***
Sun Glasses (recommended with UV protection, with protective strips). ***
Warm Gloves. (ski or mountain type) ***
National ID or Passport (as applicable) ***

CLOTHES

BASE LAYER

2 pairs of high socks
1 long sleeves shirt
1 buff / multifunctional headwear
1 pair of thermal leggings (it can be made of lycra).
2 short sleeve t-shirts

MIDDLE LAYER

1 long pair of trousers, if possible, fast dry (trekking trousers without zippers and long thermal trousers or trousers - NO JEAN, NO CORDEROY)
2 sweaters or sweatshirts (recommended 1 thin fleece+ 1 thick fleece) ***
1 fleece or wool cap ***
1 pair of fleece gloves

OUTER LAYER

Parka jacket / Gore-tex Jacket ***
Warm Gloves. (ski or mountain type) ***

Others

1 swimsuit
1 pair of footwear to rest your feet. (crocks, flip flops, alapargatas)
1 pair of high-top trekking shoes or riding boots, in case you do not have boots get leather spats ***
Front flashlight or small flashlight w / spare batteries ***
Sun Glasses (recommended with UV protection, with protective strips) *** ***
Bottle or container for water up to 1 liter, to drink.

Hygiene elements and personal care