Bariloche again

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After our mini break down south we returned to Bariloche. This time to stay in a really great cabana, two bedrooms, lake views and a mini garden included, all about 4.6km along Av Pioneros, so also away from the hustle and tourist bustle of the town. We ended up spending most evenings in the house, reading, cooking and watching the sun set and the moon rise. Our landlords were great, drank mate with them one afternoon and freshly baked donuts delivered by them the next morning.

When we weren´t just chilling out we did some walking: allegedly there is a path, from the road near the house, that leads to the top of Cerro Otto. We spent an hour or so getting scratched and dusty in the woods before giving up and taking the cable car up instead and having a walk along the top to the Lago Gutierrez mirador. As you can see the sun shone, as it did everyday in Bariloche.

Our other bigger walk was on Friday when we picked up our next hire car and headed over to Villa Catedral. We then took the ski lift up to the ridge at Refugio Lynch, way above the tree line. Our guide book and the map indicated a walk along the Cerro Catedral ridge for a way and then a drop down to Refugio Frey before walking back to the carpark. The ridge walk turned into a narrow slippery path across a steep scree slope followed by a two hour rock and boulder scramble before regaining the ridge. Great views in amazing rock scenery but the way was a lot tougher than we expected. From the ridge was a very steep walk down past two small lagunas to reach Refugio Frey, and some shade, after four and a half hours. Then only another hot and very dusty 10km back to Villa Catedral. Arrived back at the car looking like Snoopy´s mate PigPen and cream crackered. Distance matched El Chalten but this had been a lot harder. Only cure was drinking several litres of water, long showers, parilla and red wine followed by a lot of sleep.

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Photos

from Lago Gutierrez Mirador
near top of Cerro Otto

View from Cerro Otto
over Lago Nahuel Huapi

Moon over Lago Nahuel Huapi
from our cabana

from Refugio Frey
looking back to where we had climbed down from