Spectacular Mountain Pass

Today the four of us boarded a bus to Santiago via a pass through the Andes - the Paso Internacional Los Libertadores, also called Cristo Redentor. The road passed very close to Aconcagua, the highest peak in the western hemisphere. The border is actually in the middle of a 3,080 meter long tunnel.

The views along the way were breathtaking. We saw majestic peaks, green valleys, and sparkling rivers. Atop the pass we saw the Cristo Redentor statue, a symbol of peace between Chile and Argentina. It sits at 3,832 meters (12,572 ft) at the pass of La Cumbre, the old road that links the two countries. The statue is four tons and was placed there in 1904. There were also some interesting cemeteries near the peak on both the Argentina and Chile sides.

As an interesting side note, after cross the pass, we came into Santiago on the Autopista Los Libertadores, for which Craig led the financing for the lenders when he was at Debevoise.

This is definitely one of the most spectacular roads I have seen! The mountains seem to thrust through the clouds as they both race towards the sky. The diversity of rock formations and patterns from centuries of erosion is just incredible. I definitely want to return and explore this area!Read more