San Francisco Pass Explained

Paso de San Francisco
Elevation M:4726
Location:ArgentinaChile border
Range:Andes
Coordinates:-26.8764°N -68.3014°W
Map:Argentina

The San Francisco Pass is a pass over the Andes mountains which connects Argentina and Chile. The highest point of this pass is at 4726m (15,505feet) AMSL.[1]

Location

The pass is located at -26.8764°N -68.3014°W and connects the Argentine province of Catamarca with the Atacama Region in Chile. In the Argentine side, route N 60 ascends from Fiambala at 1505m (4,938feet) AMSL in a deep valley formed by 5000m (16,000feet) mountains. In the last sinuous 20km (10miles), the route climbs from about 4000m (13,000feet) in Las grutas to more than 4700m (15,400feet) at the border.

On the Chilean side the route CH-31 connects Copiapó with the ChileanArgentine border. On the way it passes next to Maricunga's salt flat on the Nevado Tres Cruces National Park and Laguna Verde. The area is surrounded by volcanoes and high peaks as the Cerro Falso Azufre (5906disp=orNaNdisp=or), the volcano San Francisco[2] (6018disp=orNaNdisp=or), the Incahuasi (6638disp=orNaNdisp=or) and highest volcano in the world, Nevado Ojos del Salado (6879disp=orNaNdisp=or), among others.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: PASO INTERNACIONAL "SAN FRANCISCO". gendarmeria.gob.ar. Gendarmeria Nacional Argentina. 26 February 2015.
  2. Web site: Explore San Francisco. New York Times. 10 August 2015.