Alferez Portinari Refuge
Refugio Alferez Portinari is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 2.520m (8,267ft) above the sea level, located in the Departamento de Tunuyán, Provincia de Mendoza, in Argentina.
The refuge is owned by the Argentinian Gendarmería Nacional.The road is gravel. It’s called Ruta Provincial 94. This is a maintained road where a high clearance 2WD vehicle is able to travel safely at low speeds on long dry straight-of-ways, without losing control due to wash boarding, ruts, or dips. Starting from Vista Flores at 966m above the sea level, the road to the refuge is 35,5km long. It’s pretty steep. The elevation gain is 1.554m and the average gradient is 4,37%. Passing the refuge, the road continues for 18,5km more. But this is only for 4x4 vehicles and ends near an abandoned hotel, called Hotel Valle de Manantiales. This is the start to the climb of Cruce de los Andes paso de los Piuquenes, at 4.346m above the sea level.