Explore a corner of the Andes the tour buses never reach, on a full-day hike with a licensed trekking guide.

We leave Mendoza early and drive a little over an hour into the range, through Cacheuta and Potrerillos, following the river. From there we walk into an area the local agencies don't use: wide valleys, rough ground, and hours where the only sounds are the wind and your own footsteps.

The hike. Between 8 and 12 km depending on the group, around 600 m of ascent, between 2,000 and 3,000 m above sea level. There are several trails in this area and I choose the day's route based on your experience and what you're after; the usual one is an 8 km loop. We walk at your pace, stopping whenever there's something to look at. This is not a challenge or a race.

Wildlife and plants. This is guanaco and condor country. Grey fox, eagles, mountain viscachas and small birds live here too, along with semi-wild horses and cattle, and now and then we come across puma tracks. Nothing is guaranteed with wild animals, but the quiet of the area gives you a real chance. As we walk I'll point out the native plants, how they survive up here, and which ones we'll gather for the mate later on.

Homemade lunch. We stop in the middle of the mountains for generous homemade sandwiches, made that morning with fresh ingredients, plus fruit and snacks. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free on request when you book.

Mate tasting. We brew several yerbas and compare them, together with the mountain herbs we picked along the trail. I'll tell you where mate comes from, why the Guaraní drank it, how it became the social ritual it is across Argentina, and why the gourd and the straw look the way they do.

Your guide. I'm Damián, a professional trekking guide, licence 261, with twenty years in the Andes and eight Aconcagua summits by three different routes. Small groups only, so the day adapts to you and not the other way round.