Excursion with Norte
Trekking in Argentinian Andes
During
August this year (2000), a friend and I went on a combined 4x4/hiking
trip to the Argentinian Andes near Salta (NW Argentina), using
the professional guidance of Federico Norte. Federico runs his
own one-man trekking outfit: "Nortetrekking". I discovered his
excellent home page with ease, using a simple search for "Salta",
and from there it was all plain sailing. We bussed to Salta
from Iguassu Falls, Federico picked us up from the bus stop
in Salta, and we started our adventure from that moment on.
Trekking with Federico combined the much sought-after raw contact
with Nature, the moutains and the desert with the security of
knowing we were in the expert hands of someone who knows the
area intimately and could show us the best views that part of
the world has to offer. This included sightings of the rare
American Condor.
Over three days and two nights, we witnessed amongst the most
magnificent scenery I have ever seen, from high mountain peaks
to desert plains and valleys to strange sandstone formations
and canyons. Included were stops to admire and photograph the
indiginous Argentine culture and people, wineries and crafts.
During all of this, Federico would provide information when
we needed it but did not overload us with unnecessary detail.
Where many guides may have driven on, Federico stopped to show
us some secret spot where we could admire the scenery and take
photographs. For our level of fitness and experience, the two
days of hiking we did on the trip showed us an amazing range
of scenery and all at a pace we were easily able to handle.
Federico cut no corners and consequentlty we had excellent value
for money. For anyone wishing to see a spectacular part of Argentina
(and South America) without competing with scores of other tourists,
I strongly recommend the treks that Federico has on offer.
