International border crossings

[tonylondon]

i think it might be war between spain and england and the winner is going to be england as allways

[MrAkumana]

Originally Posted by Road_UK

I did, thank you. How long do these trucks normally have to wait before they open the tunnel? Probably a long time, judging by the amount...

The problem with the Cristo Redentor pass (official name being Paso Internacional Los Libertadores) between Argentina (Route 7) and Chile (route 60) is that, since it's a very high altitude pass (almost at 3200 mts), it becomes easily affected by snow. In case of heavy winter storms it has been closed from 3 days to up to 15 days in a row...! When trucks get stuck there they don't really know how long can be the waiting time...

Since it's anyway the shortest road between Mendoza and Buenos Aires to Santiago it is a huge problem and there are always talks about building a new one with more tunnels at a a lower altitude.

Meanwhile since the road "opening times" can be so unpredictable in winter time, there are many trucks that prefer to routinely make VERY long detours to the south where the roads through the Andes go at a lower altitude and never get closed more that a couple of days every year.
(Most common detour it's to either Paso Cardenal Samoré a.k.a. Puyehue (at 1300 mts, argentina road 231 and chile road 215) or Paso de Pino Hachado (at 1800 mts, argentina road 242 and chile road 89). It's a long detour but there aren't any other paved passes closer...

(Note: Paso Samore doesn't appear on Google Maps on the argentinean side, but the the paved road is easily seen on the Google Maps satelite image)

Some photos of these 2 border crossings:

Paso Puyehue:


Paso Pino Hachado:

[Escher]

My pic inside Cristo Redentor tunnel!

[Attus]

Originally Posted by Chun123

Ok, let´s talk about the "Cristo Redentor Pass"
Hope you enjoyed it.

I really did, thank you!

[alserrod]

I think I posted the Somport tunnel pictures between France and Spain (nevertheless, it appears on google SV).

It is hardly forbidden to stop there in the tunnel.

I remember once that a motorbike entered before me and his friend after me. We had to continue like that for more than eight km. I didn't worry but they wanted to make together. The second motorbike was to close to me (you have to respect the 100m distance between vehicles) and the first one was going really slow, expecting I will overpass him (never, never in the middle of a long tunnel). Once he stopped totally. I stopped too and put the flash emergency lights...

I had to continue very slow until the end of the tunnel. I said... great!, the experience between two motorbikes ends... and it was there the police for stopping the two motorbikes because they had broken several security mesures inside the tunnel.

[Attus]

Is it usually strictly forbidden to stop in such tunnels, unless in case of emergency, of course. South American police may not be so strict so that people can and dare stop in the middle of the tunnel and make photos...

[Escher]

Well, you know...nobody was coming, so I didn't resist!!
But it's still well wrong...

[Chun123]

Originally Posted by Road_UK

I did, thank you. How long do these trucks normally have to wait before they open the tunnel? Probably a long time, judging by the amount...

As MrAkumana said, they could stay there up to 15 days, or even more. They really don't know. It depends on weather. It goes really crazy during those days. Just a lot of people, in a small valley, waiting...

[Chun123]

Originally Posted by keokiracer

Very nice

is it here? (Gmaps)

Thats right, keokiracer. Could you post that foto? I don't know how to do it with GoogleEarth images.

[Chun123]

Originally Posted by alserrod

Is it popular at America to go there on mountain trekking or similar?. I say it because inside Europe I do not remember anyone going there but too many people going Himalaya. It is almost 7000m and, after Everest and surroundin mountains (which takes several countries), we can be sure it is the second highest border in the world

Alserrod, thanks for asking. The Cerro Aconcagua is the world's highest mountain outside Himalaya. It is very common to climb this mountain. Actually this foto was taken from the Plaza de mulas (4300 mt a.s.l), the place were all expeditions begin.
First man in reaching the summit was Mathias Zurbriggen, on january 14 of 1897. Actually, more than 6000 people a year climb this mountain.

Here it is a map of the north route, the easiest one:

[keokiracer]

Originally Posted by Chun123

Thats right, keokiracer. Could you post that foto? I don't know how to do it with GoogleEarth images.

Sure, no problem. I always PrintScreen, cut in Paint and use Imageshack to upload


Again, location GMaps

[Chun123]

[QUOTE=MrAkumana;91815086]
Since it's anyway the shortest road between Mendoza and Buenos Aires to Santiago it is a huge problem and there are always talks about building a new one with more tunnels at a a lower altitude.

MrAkumana, there is a thread in SSC about this low altitude tunnel, but I can´t find it right now. If somebody does, please post the link. I'll keep on triyng .

[Chun123]

Thanks keokiracer, will try it next time. There it is the border crossing, in the middle of a beautifull landscape.

[Chun123]

Here it is another one. A relly small one. It's called Paso Hua Hum and it links San Martín de los Andes, Neuquen, Argentina, with Panguipulli, X Región, Chile. The road is not paved, but it is in a very good condition. In Chile, the road is cut off by the Pirehueico Lake, so you have to take the ferry, and sail lfor about 2 hours through the lake, from Puerto Pirehueico to Puerto Fuy.

Customs in summer:


The road in Argentina:


The road in Chile:


The Ferryboat being loaded at Pirehueico:


Tourist office in Argentina:


In winter:

[alserrod]

Are they too many controls on borders? only passport? do they check all baggage?

[Escher]

They check passports (or ID's for Mercosul citizens), car papers and random customs checks, sometimes with dogs. Procedures entering Chile are far more strict than other way round, entering Argentina. They are specially worried about agriculture products, food and drugs.

[Escher]

Some pictures going towards Cristo Redentor pass from Chile to Argentina. If I'm not wrong, it was on May. Despite the clean sky, next morning when I was leaving the hotel in Mendoza, I was informed that the border was closed due a heavy snow storm. Weather is very unstable by there.







This is the joint border facilities on Argentinian side but operated by both countries. It's a big covered building, because the severity of the weather on winter. I could't take more pics because an officer asked me to stop.

[alserrod]

Is the "Gracias por su visita" signal on the Argentinan side?

[Escher]

No, Chilean side, just before the tunnel.

[Road_UK]

A major confrontation between the Gibraltar police and the Spanish Guarda Civil in Gibraltar waters yesterday...

For pictures:

http://www.demotix.com/news/1241770/...braltar-waters