Mina Clavero is a small river town on the western side of the Sierras de Córdoba, in the long, dry Traslasierra valley, and it is where the Camino de las Altas Cumbres comes to rest after crossing the mountains. You arrive from the east after a climb through grassland and rock that tops out above two thousand metres, then a descent in a long run of bends that opens suddenly onto a view of the whole valley, flat and golden, with the Sierra de Comechingones low and blue beyond it.
The high part is the best part. The Pampa de Achala is a treeless granite plateau where the wind never really stops, the air is thin and cold, and the horizon is a very long way off. Patches of mist can drop over the road in minutes, even in summer, so bring a layer. Near the road is the Quebrada del Condorito, a national park built around a deep canyon where Andean condors still ride the thermals, and with some luck you will see one gliding above the edge. The surface is generally good tarmac, though rock fall, loose gravel and the occasional cow demand attention.
The town sits on the Río Mina Clavero, a clear stream that tumbles over granite and fills a series of natural pools in the middle of town, which are crowded with families in the summer holidays. It is a popular domestic holiday spot, so expect lively evenings, grills smoking on the pavements and plenty of places selling alfajores and provoletas. Just along the valley is Villa Cura Brochero, named after José Gabriel Brochero, a priest who spent decades in these hills building roads, schools and a chapel and who was canonised in 2016. Argentines know him as the gaucho priest, and his memory is everywhere.
Fuel is straightforward here, with stations in Mina Clavero and Cura Brochero, and nothing much on the high plateau, so fill up before the climb if you are coming from Villa Carlos Paz. Banks, cash machines and cafes cluster along the main street. Prices can change quickly in Argentina, so carry some spare cash.
The best seasons are autumn and spring, when the crowds have gone and the light on the hills is sharp. Summer weekends are busy, and winter can bring frost and even a dusting of snow on the passes.