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El Portezuelo Slope, province of Catamarca
The Portezuelo Slope is a long and winding road, bordered on one side by the mountain and on the other by an important precipice.
The road seems to climb the hillside of the Ancasti mountain range, part or the Pampean mountain range in the province of Catamarca.
7 Km. away from the base and at 1,074 metres above sea level, is the first sightseeing stop, from where the valley of Catamarca and the Ambato mountain range can be seen, with so many different shades of green crossed by smaller hills that it is not possible to distinguish them all. The small village of El Portezuelo, on the side of the road, can also be seen from this point.
A sculpture remembering Rodolfo “Polo” Jimenez, creator, in 1950, of the lyrics of the zamba “Catamarca Landscape”, with music by Atuto Mercau Soria, is also found on the sightseeing point.
If you keep on ascending during 17 Km. more through a narrow road of sharp curves, you’ll reach the summit. This high plateau has altitude pastures, from where there is an impressive panoramic view, completely different from the one seen while ascending. The temperature is lower than in the valley, since it is located at 1,680 metres above sea level.
Catamarca’s Landscape – Polo Jimenez and Atuto Mercau Soria (non-official translation)
From the Portezuelo slope
looking down, it seems like a dream;
a village here, another one there,
and a long road that goes down and gets lost.
…
Catamarca’s landscape
with a thousand shades of green;
a village here, another one there,
and a long road that goes down and gets lost.
Until 1940, in order to reach Ancasti it was necessary to go through trails such as the Sancas Slope, or Simbol, the Pampa and the Cerrillo Slopes, since there where no roads.
The road of the Portezuelo slope was inaugurated in 1940 going through the Ancasti village, Icaño and ending in National Route 157 in San Antonio de La Paz. This road would begin to be paved only as from 1990.
About this article...
Author of the article: Grondona Olmi, Verónica
Sources employed:
- "El País que no Miramos" ("The Country we have not Seen"), a series of documentaries for television produced by Ivan Grondona. Archivo General de la Nación ("Argentina's National Archive").
- Cristina Capilla, Department of Supply Development – Secretariat of Tourism, Catamarca. Using information provided by the Roads Department in Catamarca. June 2010.
Translated by: Veronica Grondona
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