Bariloche - Chocolate Box Beauty

As the cold winds blow in from the south, the year continues it's cycle in the southern lands at latitude 41 degrees it's autumn.

Bariloche is a chocolate box beauty and the gateway to Patagonia, famed for it's skiing and hiking, it's hills, mountains and lakes.

Visiting a ski resort inspired my lust for snow, I've missed the mountains and skiing for too many years now. But - walking past so many closed ski outfits, bursting with the latest blades and boards and goggles - I remember it's autumn, pull my inadequate bargain basement fleece a little tighter and see if it's possible to buy a wind-proof jacket for anything approaching a reasonable price - living on the road it isn't possible to carry clothing for all seasons - so I've developed a habit of picking up what I need when I need it and being prepared to ditch it when other climates. It's wasteful and annoying - but I know that I've donated many things to many worthy causes.

Three days hiking, three very different hikes, three perfect photo opportunities.

Cerro Otto - accessible by teleferico (cable car) from along the lakeside road, with a stunning walk back 7km to the town along the ridge.

Cerro Catederal - an hour bus ride from Bariloche is the ski-resort of Catederal - it must be something truly wonderful in the snowy season. A ride up the ski lifts to near the top of the 2400m summit - and then a hike along and around a ridge - signs halfway declaring - "proceeding any further is at your own risk" - I'm not sure who's risk the previous stretch of the walk was at.

Llao Llao, forests and lakes - mirror lakes. Wonderful 3hr hike through the peat smelling temperate forests.


Blog entries in progress - Memories from Rio, Brazil the South (Floripa and Curitiba), Uruguay and Smokey Buenos Aires. But I thought it was about time I posted something about where I am now...

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