Train to the Clouds: from Salta in northern Argentina to high Andes
If you ever make it down to Salta, a wonderful town in the foothills of the Andes in Northern Argentina, makes sure you take an unforgettable train ride to the apex of the Andes, to where borders of Argentina and Chile meet at 14,000 feet above sea level. This is a region where Inca roads passed through but now a train allows for a stunning visit.
Train to the Clouds, in Spanish Tren de las Nubes, is one of the highest railway lines in the world, traversing the altiplano of the Andes amidst dramatic landscapes between Salta, where it departs from an elevation of below 4,000 feet, and its final destination, the La Polvorilla Viaduct, at nearly 13000 feet.
On account of the incredible elevation rise, the train ride is slow, traveling at speeds of only 20 to 25 miles per hour. A round trip takes some sixteen hours, with two stops along the way up and at final destination for sightseeing and at least partial acclimatization to the altitude. Medical assistance is available on board as is oxygen for those that may experience slight nausea due to the oxygen-thin air.
The rail line, which construction started in 1932 and was completed in 1948, refurbished in 2008, is 217 km long and passes over 29 bridges, 13 viaducts and through 21 tunnels. As in places the altitude gain is rather steep, the train negotiates track spirals as well as zigzags, indeed marvels of railroad engineering.
At present the train leaves Salta every Saturday at 7 AM and returns just before midnight. It has a capacity of nearly 500 passengers, and the tickets cost $120 per person, $20 more during Easter and winter holidays, July 18 to August 2nd.
