On Friday, October 13th, 1972, a Uruguayan plane carrying 45 passengers (plus 5 crew members) to Chile, many of whom were students and players on a rugby team (19 of them), crashed in the heart of the Andes mountain range. Since then, humanity's collection of unforgettable stories has never been the same.
Of the 45 people aboard, thirteen (13) died as a result of the impact and of being thrown from the aircraft. Four (4) more died during the first night. Seventeen (17) days after the accident, an avalanche that struck the fuselage killed eight (8) more people. And four (4) more died in the following weeks. The 16 survivors endured extreme hardships, such as frostbite, thirst and hunger, which led them to resort to eating the bodies of the deceased.
Finally, worn down by the extremely low temperatures, the threatening avalanches, and anguished by the continuous deaths of their companions and the long, uncertain wait for rescue, two of them decided to cross the immense mountains to reach Chile (even though it was later found that heading out via the same valley that descended to the east would have been significantly shorter, since a mining road already existed along the Río Atuel, about 25 km in a straight line from where the fuselage lay). 
On December 22nd of that same year, after having remained cut off from the world for 72 days, the world learned that sixteen (16) people had beaten death. These events led to the book, and later the film, “Alive,” and today to the film "Society of the Snow."
Today you can visit this mystical and wonderful place, either on foot or on horseback, on fully organized, all-inclusive adventures lasting between 3 and 4 days, departing from El Sosneado, Mendoza.
At the accident's sanctuary and memorial, at 3600 meters of altitude, where an indescribable atmosphere and energy still linger, you can still read immortal phrases such as: "We invite everyone who believes in life, of every religion, to consider that a Higher Being guides our paths, even when at times it's so hard to understand" or "There is no greater love than to give your life for your friends."
Classic Trekking Program / Trekking Program with overnight stay in Valle de las Lágrimas / 3-day Horseback Riding Program
