fɚðə kɹˈɔsɪŋ ʌvðə mˈaʊntɪnz, ðɪ ˈɑːɹmi wʌz dᵻvˈaɪdᵻd ˌɪntʊ tˈuː mˈeɪn kˈɑːlʌmz, ðə fˈɜːst, kəmˈændᵻd baɪ kˈæptɪn dʒˈɛnɚɹəl sˌæn mˈɑːɹtɪn ænd səpˈoːɹɾᵻd baɪ bɹˌɪɡɐdˈɪɹ mˈeɪdʒɚ miːɡˈɛl ˌɛstɐnˈɪslaʊ sˈoʊlɚ ænd bɹˌɪɡɐdˈɪɹ bˈɜːnɚdˌoʊ oʊhˈɪɡɪnz, wʊd tˈeɪk ðə lˌɑːs pˈɑːɾoʊz pˈæs ænd ðə sˈɛkənd, kəmˈændᵻd baɪ kˈɜːnəl hwˈɑːn ɡɹɛɡˈoːɹɪˌoʊ də lˌɑːs hˈiəɹəz, wʊd tˈeɪk ðɪ ˌʌspɐlˈɑːɾə pˈæs, wˌɪtʃ æɾ ɪts hˈaɪɪst ɹˈiːtʃᵻz sˌʌm twˈɛlv θˈaʊzənd fˈiːt əbˌʌv sˈiː lˈɛvəl.
For the crossing of the mountains, the Army was divided into two main columns, the first, commanded by Captain General San Martín and supported by Brigadier Major Miguel Estanislao Soler and Brigadier Bernardo O'Higgins, would take the Los Patos Pass and the second, commanded by Colonel Juan Gregorio de las Heras, would take the Uspallata Pass, which at its highest reaches some twelve thousand feet above sea level.