This stretch lies in the high valleys of Salta province, in the dry north-west of Argentina, and it belongs to the great Inca road system the Incas called Qhapaq Ñan. UNESCO listed the network in 2014, a web of tracks and stone-built stairways, bridges and storehouses reaching from Ecuador to central Chile, built to link a mountain empire with no wheeled carts. Messengers on foot, the chasqui, ran in relays along these routes, and llama caravans carried loads on the long climbs. Some stretches are still walkable, and sections survive near modern roads.
Do not expect a clearly marked spot here. This is a segment of road and country rather than a single monument, and the best way to understand it is to ride the valley around it. The terrain is high, dry and open, with cactus and thorny scrub on the slopes, bare ridges striped in red and ochre, and snow-capped peaks showing in the west on clear mornings. The Nevado de Cachi, over six thousand metres, dominates the skyline of this part of the Calchaquí region. Tracks and old roads wander through quebradas, narrow dry valleys that turn into raging streams after storms.
The riding is a mix. Main roads such as Ruta 40 in this area are partly paved and partly gravel, often slow and exposed to cross-winds, with surface that turns to washboard and loose stone. Side tracks need patience, good tyres and a sense of humour. Altitude matters, since you are riding at two to three thousand metres, where engines lose power and riders get headaches and shortness of breath. Drink water, take it slowly, and respect the weather, because afternoon storms can arrive out of a blue sky in summer.
Fuel is the main practical problem. Cachí, about thirty-four kilometres away, is a tiny place of two thousand people and may not have fuel when you need it, so fill the tank in a larger town such as Salta or Cafayate and carry extra if you can. Shops are sparse, and food is simple: empanadas, locro stew, goat cheese and maize. Nights are cold even in summer, and winter brings frost. The best seasons are autumn and spring, with clear light and steady weather.