Susques is a small high-altitude town on the road to Chile, perched on the Argentine puna at about 3,600 metres, where the air is thin, the sky is deep blue and the horizon is made of bare rust-coloured hills. The Ruta 52 climbs here from Jujuy through the Quebrada de Purmamarca, over the Cuesta de Lipán, one of the highest and most dramatic mountain roads in Argentina, then crosses the great white Salinas Grandes, the salt flats, before arriving in Susques. The town marks the beginning of the real altiplano.
The riding is wild and wonderful, with wide, open bends, empty straights and long views over the plateau. Traffic is light, mainly trucks heading for the Paso de Jama and the Chilean border, and the main dangers are altitude, wind, cold nights and long distances between services. Take it slow on the high passes, drink plenty of water and be ready for headaches or breathlessness. The sun is fierce at this height, but temperatures drop sharply at night.
The little adobe church in Susques is one of its best sights. Built in colonial times, it has thick white walls and a roof made from the wood of the cardón cactus, a material that has stood up to the high Andes for centuries. The town is inhabited largely by Kolla and Atacama indigenous communities, who herd llamas and sheep, and weave wool in bright patterns. Vicuñas, wild relatives of the llama, graze the dry plains nearby, and you may see them in the early morning.
There is basic accommodation and food in Susques, simple but welcome, and a petrol station, though you should treat fuel as something to plan ahead rather than hope for. Carry a reserve and top up whenever you can, because the next services are far away. The Paso de Jama, at over four thousand metres, leads on to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, and the border formalities are strict, so check opening hours and paperwork before you go.