West of Fiambalá, the paved road winds its way up into some serious mountains, topping out at the Chilean border. It's a stunning drive, with no services apart from a white-elephant hotel halfway between Fiambalá and the frontier. Los Seismiles are the peaks above 6000m, and you'll see several of them, including Ojos del Salado (6879m), the world's highest volcano.
Even more awe-inspiring scenery is accessed via a lonely mining road that leads 90km to Monte Pissis (6793m), the Americas' third-highest peak. It's about five hours return (50km) to a viewpoint over this imposing mountain, with hauntingly beautiful blue, black and turquoise lakes in the foreground. Due to its isolation, this is best by tour – operators in Belén and Catamarca can arrange it.
