The Río Tupungato is a mountain river originating in the high Andes of Mendoza Province, Argentina, fed by snowmelt and glacial runoff from the slopes surrounding the Tupungato volcano. It is one of the primary source rivers that, together with the Río de las Vacas, forms the Río Mendoza at their confluence. As a freestone river born of snowmelt, its character is shaped by the dramatic Andean landscape — flowing through rugged terrain with a steep initial gradient before descending toward the valleys below. The river is narrow at its headwaters and widens as it moves through lower elevations, offering a variety of water types including pocket water, riffles, and pools carved from the rocky substrate typical of Andean drainages.