Tips to prepare yourself for a great adventure through the Andes, expedition where INEMA goes to participate. It will be a great adventure for June, 2005, in the hard winter, at a little explored region!

Our plan is to go down until Perito Moreno and there, to cross the Mountain range of Argentina for Chile, and arrive at a little city of O'Higgins. For this, we will pass many difficulties and we'll have to camp in the Andes Mountains, with much snow. Later going up until Puerto Montt, and arriving in Osorno Volcano, we'll try to scale it. We will come back toward Argentina and we will ski for one days, at Chapelco.

Some important points:

In the expedition Andes 2000, at an encampment on the mountain range, at the Bariloche's latitude we faced -15º. Now we're going to near 1500Km to the south, then, it's undoubtedly that we can face -25º(don't forget that the wind diminishes a lot, the thermal sensation in these cases.)

It is not a problem, since that we are well equipped: Gloves, Boots - preferential Goretex and Vibram sole, it's expensive, although, warm feet is the difference and lasts years. Coat, pants, stockings, bag to sleep and headdress. Not everything is delivery.

In the customs of the mountain range, certain time, just let us to pass without chains because "we were well paved". Good tires - who doesn't have - or chains? It is necessary to use brake fluid DOT4 and to change to the antifreeze - relation 50%/ 50%.

See in the car, where it could to be towed-away, in the front or in the back of the car. Test before travelling, for not to be in a bad situation because you can't tow your car. Also, if you can have a Tow-car, it's very important.

Some times we go camping. Already provide a good tent, thermal insulator, etc. A good tip, is to use these tents, to place in top of the Car. When you are sleeping on the snow, to be 20 of the floor makes a big difference. The tents are very well firmed in the car.

http://www.campingsworld.com.br/geral

Radio is a very secure equipment, therefore, we must have PX or VHF. VHF is the best.

http://www.radiohaus.com.br

Passport is good, but is not the key, using a car, you diminishes the bureaucracy a lot. For the car, is recommendable: insurance and the green card.

To be in form, or more or less, it's important, therefore our first destination is to a 4mil km from here. Not to spend time with the road, we intend to do in 4 days, not more. Thus we can enjoy what really interests us.

Exchange at Argentine, you can do more that you really need, 'cause it has in almost all the places. And sometimes, it's impossible to exchange at Chile's Customs and Excise with Argentine. It's also important, before arriving to Chile, to exchange for pesos chilenos, because if you hope for exchange money at the cities over there, maybe at those cities can't exist exchange houses.

Looks at maps, try for to read about the region, at the internet.

About other stuff, like: digital camera and other equipment, you can use invertors that transform 12 into 110 volts.

Translation Ananda Garcia