Uspallata is a dusty oasis in a high valley, about 1,900 metres up, and it feels like a place on the way to somewhere else, which it is. A line of poplars marks the irrigated strip, the mountains stand bare and coloured on every side, and a handful of small shops, cafes and fuel stations serve the trucks and travellers heading to or from Chile. If you have not filled the tank since Mendoza, here is the place, because the road ahead climbs high and there is nothing to speak of until the border area.
The valley has an odd cinematic past. Some of the dry hills and old stone buildings around here were used as the setting for films about Tibet in the 1990s, since the landscape resembles the Himalayan plateau. Older still is the story of General San Martin's army, which gathered and trained in the area before the 1817 crossing, hauling cannon over passes that look impossible even now. A small monument and some ruins of colonial smelting works are close to the road.
Riding into Uspallata, the road rolls through wide, open country with big views and light traffic by the standards of Route 7. The surface is generally good, and the corners are gentle until the mountains pinch in again. It can be windy here, with dust devils across the dry plain in the afternoon, and the temperature drops fast at night. A warm layer is a good idea even in summer.
The colours deserve a word. The range to the north shows a famous banded hillside, the Siete Colores, where minerals stain the rock in stripes of red, green, yellow and violet, visible on a clear day. In the evening the whole valley glows. For overnight stays, small hotels and hostels are available, and the clear skies are superb for stargazing, since there is almost no light pollution. Leave early the next day if you plan to cross the border, because queues and weather can slow things down higher up.