Potrerillos is a small mountain resort on the Mendoza River, a short climb from the city, where the vineyards of the plain give way to the dry slopes of the Andean foothills. The village sits beside a large reservoir created by a dam, and the water, a startling blue against the pale rock, is used for sailing, kayaking and rafting. The air is clear and dry, the sun is strong, and the mountains seem close enough to touch, with the sharp, bare ridges of the Precordillera on one side and the snow-covered high Andes on the other.
The ride from Mendoza, about thirty-four kilometres to the east, is an easy introduction to mountain riding. The road, Ruta 7, climbs steadily along the river, with long, graceful bends, good asphalt and views of the reservoir and the gorge. It is the main road between Argentina and Chile, so lorries are common, and they slow on the climbs, so overtaking needs patience and good judgement. The best times to ride are early morning and late afternoon, when the traffic is lighter and the sun is low. In summer, the heat in the valley can be intense, while winter brings the occasional icy patch in shaded corners.
Fuel is easy to find in Mendoza, which has nearly nine hundred thousand people in its metropolitan area and every service you might need, so fill up before leaving the city. Potrerillos itself has a few cafes, restaurants and small shops, and the lakeside terraces are a pleasant place to have a coffee or an empanada. Do not expect to find workshops or a large range of supplies, but there is enough for a break and a snack.
This is also wine country, with the vines of the Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo only a short distance away, producing the Malbec that made Mendoza famous. The whole region depends on water from the Andes, carried to the vineyards in a network of channels that dates back to the Huarpe people, who were irrigating this desert long before the Spanish arrived. Look at the green line of the river against the pale hills and you see a landscape shaped by careful management of a scarce resource. It is a gentle but lovely start to a bigger climb.