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MountaineeringArgentina is a favored destination for serious mountain climbers, most intent on conquering one of the highest peaks in the world, Aconcagua, west of Mendoza. Other challenging climbs in the country are the Fitzroy Range in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares in Santa Cruz province, and the Sierra de la Fentana. Official climbing season is between 15 November and 15 March. Aconcagua can be climbed safely only by well-equipped teams who are in excellent physical shape, experienced, and led by expert guides. The various routes up the mountain offer all kinds of technical climbing
challenges on rock, ice and snow.
TrekkingArgentina, with its infinite variety of landscapes and geographic zones, provides plenty of opportunities for those who like to take on nature up close and on foot. Northern Argentina offers unique desert landscapes, lush subtropical rainforest and of course the thunderous Iguazu Falls, on the border with Brazil. To the south trekkers are greeted with the awe-inspiring scenery of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego. Treks are often combined with cruises through colorful port towns, verdant fjords, and rugged, glacier-topped mountains. The natural beauty of Argentina offers some of the best trekking in the world and numerous tour operators organize expeditions throughout the country.
SkiingThe eastern slopes of the Andes are becoming increasingly popular with those seeking exhilarating skiing. Ski season in Argentina runs from June to September, with July and August bringing the most crowds to the resorts along with almost certain fresh snowfalls. Snow conditions vary from year to year, but there is usually excellent powder snow. Most prestigious of the resorts for downhill skiing is Las Lenas, which once hosted the World Cup. The oldest resort, Bariloche, offers good après ski and beautiful views of the Nahuel Huapi region. Ushuaia offers fantastic cross-country skiing.
RaftingArgentina offers some wonderful white-water rafting opportunities, ranging from grade 2 through to 4, offering exciting rides through magnificent scenery. One of the most popular routes is on the turbulent Rio Mendoza, cutting through mountain gorges, and on the Rio Manso through the southern part of the Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi. The town of Esquel is also used as a base for rafters wishing to tackle Chile's renowned Rio Futaleufu, with its Grade 5 rapids. Numerous operators offer day trips.
TangoTango emerged from a set of social conditions in Buenos Aires in the 1800s. In those early days it spoke of the hardship, pain and loneliness of the European immigrants who'd left their families and loved ones behind in search of a better life. This seemed elusive for the majority of the male immigrant population who lived mainly on the shores of the Riachuelo and in the impoverished neighborhoods of southern Buenos Aires. Tango lyrics arose from the mournful love songs and melancholic moments of these times, and with it a dance that expressed much of these sentiments. Men danced with men, and then prostitutes gradually provided the female quota, and so the dance evolved. The Argentine upper classes distanced themselves from the dance because of its associations and it was only after World War II that things changed. Its transformation in the eyes of the elite came about with its celebration on the dance floors of the Parisian ballrooms. Buenos Aires thus gave birth to a dance that has captured the popular imagination of fellow tango dancers around the world. It is the penultimate experience for any tango lover to watch the passion, lust, beauty and melancholy of the dance being performed on the streets and in the tango halls of its inception.
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