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Discover the Andes
Cuesta Las Raices
by Martin Mergili
On the way from Curacautín to the border between Chile and Argentina, the road crosses below the mountain pass of the Cuesta Las Raices in a 4.5 km long tunnel. This tunnel was completed in 1939 and remained the longest tunnel of South America for several decades. It was also used as a railway tunnel in former times, and has only one lane.
The longer and more difficult, curved way across the Cuesta Las Raices is recommended to those who are on their way with a small car and during good weather conditions. The gravel road leads up to the treeline. The trees of Nothofagus pumilio, large at the beginning, become smaller and smaller with increasing elevation, and present themselves in bright yellow, orange, and red colours during autumn. Also monkey puzzle trees are common here, and the strtovolcano Lonquimay forms the background of the scene.
The Cuesta Las Raices: views and outlooks
Cross the Cuesta Las Raices by clicking on the arrows or into the image.
The 2832 m high volcano Lonquimay, which last erupted in 1988, forms the background of this photo, which was taken directly from the road crossing the Cuesta Las Raices. Three beautiful individuals of the monkey puzzle tree Araucaria araucana can be seen in the foreground. You can learn more about this extraordinary tree species in the contribution on the Conguillío National Park.
