02-04.01.11 Bariloche

So why Bariloche?  Well, pretty much all of our visits for the next few weeks are about outdoor activities in the Andes and this was no exception. We stayed in a Hostel called 'Penthouse 1004' which was previously an apartment on the top floor of a 10 storey block. The place had been recommended by two of our fellow travellers as 'the best views in Bariloche' and it did not dissapoint.  The views below from the hostel balcony speak for themselves.

View from 1004 Hostel, Bariloche

 

Shortly after arriving at our hostel we survived our first earthquake. Measuring 7.1 on the richter scale it's epicentre was 500 miles away in Chile. Not a great time to be staying on the 10th floor! We could feel the whole place sway from side to side. Imagine my surprise - I had gone for a 10 minute sit down in the bathroom! I thought I had made myself dizzy but was relieved when Rach said it was only an earthquake...

For our first day the weather in the mountains was forecast for light rain and snow showers with poor visablity so we opted for a 'low altitude' day.  Firstly we headed to the tiny Cerro Campanario, a small hill overlooking lake Nahuel Huapi with tremendous 360 deg panoranic views of the Nahuel Huapi National Park.  Being tight-fisted outdoorsy types, we opted for a 30 minute steep climb over the relatively expensive 5min chairlift ride to the top. From the top we could see the ski resort of Villa Catedral and the snow capped  peaks of Mount Cerro Cateral (2,388m) and Cerro Tronador (3,491m) on the Chilean Border in the distance. A taster for what we were about to tackle next!

View from Cerro Campanario of Nahuel Huapi National Park

We'd heard about a 65km 'Circuito Chico' bike ride from Bariloche which followed the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi to a number of dramatic view points before crossing over to Lake Perito Moreno. We soon realised the first and last 20km was on a very busy main road so we opted for the marginally less life threatening 25km ride through the forests of the national park.  That said, even here the first 7km was on a main road with frequent buses rattling past with little room to spare. It wasn't for the feint heated and we had a couple of  'moments'. Once past the Llao Llao Peninsula the roads narrowed and the traffic disappeared allowing us to enjoy the awe-inspiring scenery to the full. On the return leg we found a small artesanal brewery, or Fabrica de Cervesa, on the shores of the lake called Gilbert. They served cloudy blonde ale in pint pots. A nice reminder of home.

Rach conquering the final climb of the circuit. Imagine listening to the Rocky theme tune for maximum effect!

 

Ryan failing miserably to look cool

The following day we caught a bus to the ski resort of Villa Catedral where we picked up a trail to Refugio Frey. Refugios are small serviced mountain huts with basic facilities for overnight stays making it possible to stay in the hills for days linking different refugios. The trail winds its way around Cerro Catedral before ascending up the Van Titter Valley through the forest past the Piedritas shelter. Once out of the forest the granite peaks of Cerro Catedral came into view. We could see Andean Condors circling overhead high up above the peaks.

Passing through the forest befor the climb to Refugio Frey

 Just out of the tree zone with Cerro Catedral in the back ground. Around 4 hours before we got there.

A 700m climb up the valley brought us to Frey and lake Toncek, we had a quick stop for lunch before climbing a further 300m up very technical scramble to lake Schmoll on the north face of Cerro Cathedral well into the snow zone. Conscious of available daylight we pressed on through the snow to the summit knowing the south side of the mountain was snow free. A further 200m scramble took us over the ridge into sunshine. We still had a 2hr trek to the summit along the southern ridge before arriving at the top of the Catedral ski lifts. As we stood to have a rest a condor soared past no more than 30 mtrs from us and at eye level. Everything was completely silent. It was unforgettable and truly amazing.

Rach in the snow zone before the final 200m scramble. Lake Schmoll in the background

Near the summit of Cerro Catedral

Not wanting to be defeatist we declined the offer of a chairlift ride down the mountain and decided to walk. We didn't lose the path - There was no path! To be safe we followed a montain road which snaked it's way back down to the resort taking longer to get off the mountain than we had anticipated. We caught the bus back to Bariloche 9hrs after setting off. We thought it would take 6hrs!

Our final day in Bariloche was spent resting and trying to figure our how to get to the remote El Calafate in the Torres Del Paine National Park in Southern Patagonia. Our only option was a 30 hour bus journey - Ouch!!