This past week was our first trip into the Andes Mountains, for examination of a geologic cross-section of the Andean Cordillera. We followed the path of San Martin through the Precordillera, traveling by bus through Villa Vicencio, which offered beautiful scenery as well as excellent geological sites. After a couple hours’ drive alongside steep vertical cliff faces and terrifying precipices, we arrived at the summit of this tiny mountain road, known locally as “the Year Long Road.” It acquired this name because of its 365 hairpin turns that had some of the students wishing for the topography of Eau Claire. Here we caught our first glimpses of the Frontal Cordillera. We were all astounded by its size as it dominated the horizon. We would later find out these were not even the tallest mountains we would see on this trip. The Andes Mountains are actually a series of five mountain ranges, including, from east to west, the Sierra Pampeanas, Precordillera, Frontal Cordillera, Principal Cordillera and Coastal Cordillera, and we examined almost all of these on our trip. When asked what the highlight of our trip was, we would have to say our stop at Laguna Del Inca was our favorite stop. We had just spent 3 hours stuck at the border of Argentina and Chile and group morale was fading fast. After finally getting free, we decided to make one stop in Chile before heading home. We parked in the lot of a ski lodge and walked around the building. We were struck by the most beautiful view some of us have ever seen. Hidden behind that ski lodge off the freeway was an amazingly blue, glacial-fed, lake. Dr. Mahoney would explain that the peculiar gleam in the water was caused by “glacial flour” (rock ground so fine that it will never settle out). It was hard to get back on the bus after seeing such a place. We would not arrive at our campground in Uspallata until very late that night and after such a long day we all slept like rocks….pun. Waking up the next day was an unforgettable experience. Surrounded by mountains on all sides, the group was stunned by the tranquility and beauty of the region. Over breakfast we would discuss the day’s events and traveling logistics. One thing we could all agree on was that this was the definition of “hands on learning.” You can read from a textbook the composition of rocks and the altitude of mountain ranges but you don’t really understand the concept until you hold it in your hands or can’t breathe due to the elevation. The classroom has its advantages but being in the Andes lets us experience firsthand what we can only read about in books back home. We would spend a few more days in the Andes honing our geology skills and creating unforgettable memories.  |
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