A Snowy Impass

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There was a whole day to kill before we set out on our trek, and most of it was spent getting ready. I first had to go to the Aerolineas office in town to change my flight on Saturday to a later time. That took about an hour and a half, and it wasn't even busy. Still, job done, and I met with the girls to get groceries.

I also gave in and realized I needed hiking pants. Jeans weren't going to cut it if it was going to be even a little bit wet. So I picked up a pair at one of the many outdoor clothing and gear shops in town. They were not exactly inexpensive, so I'd better get some mileage on them back home after the trip.

The day of our hike, I awoke to the sight of snow outside. Yup, it was snowing in Bariolche. At least it wasn't sticking, but I could only imagine what it was going to be like up in the mountains.

Luckily, by the time the girls were up and we were ready to go, it had stopped and the sky was starting to clear up. We decided we might as well go for it and see how it went, knowing we could always turn back, so we headed down to the bus stop with our packs and rode the bus to the trail head.

The hike started off relatively easily on a wide path that ran gently uphill into the valley. It narrowed a bit as we got further along, and as we climbed we started seeing more and more snow on the trees, and then on the trail. We pressed on, and it was still very manageable.

The last hour up to the refugio was a fairly steep switchback section, and we had to take our time in the snowy conditions and watch for ice. The views kept getting better and better, adn the snow kept getting deeper. When we finally crested the ridge, we were greeted by Laguna Negra with Refugio Italia perched on its rocky shores.

We had made it, and the frosted mountains surrounding the lake were a nice welcome. The temperature was dropping, and we were slowly losing light. It was probably going to be around freezing at night, so it was a good thing we were staying in a refugio.

But really, the refugio wasn't any warmer than outside, and the wood stove was not really a roaring fire, so there wasn't much heat coming off of it. Still, I'm sure it was better than being outside, but the trips to the ice cold bathrooms in the evening were not for the faint of heart.

We enjoyed a spaghetti dinner before heading off to bed. Other than the refugio manager and ourselves, there was only one other person staying there that night, so we pretty much had our choice of beds.

The next day we got moving early, but we had our doubts. The trail looked like it hugged the rock just above the lakeshore, and it was difficult to pick out a path. There was a fair bit of snow and ice that it was going to be a challenge, and since the trail would be in the shade of the mountain all day, it wasn't likely to melt, even if the temperature ever did get more than a few degrees above zero.

Still, we had no reason not to try, but progress was very slow. We had to be careful where we walked. Nobody wanted to end up in the lake. There were several times when the actual trail wasn't the best route because of snow and ice. Crystal led us around some of the tricky bits, but we were really moving slow.

We soon realized that completing the hike was not going to happen. In good conditions, this was supposed to be a 8-10 hour day. Even making it to the next refugio would have been 6 hours, and that was looking unlikely. It took us two hours to get halfway along the tiny mountain lake, and even if we did make it around, it was unlikely that trail conditions were going to get better when we climbed up onto the ridge. There were a couple of ascents and descents between us and the next refugio, and if we couldn't pick up the pace, there was no chance we were going to make it.

So we agreed that we weren't going to get there, and we were going to have to turn back. But we really wanted to get up to the first ridge at least, if we could. The prospect of having an unobstructed 360 degree view of the mountaintops was too good to give up on at this early stage of the day. We pressed on hoping to at least get up for a view before turning back, but ultimately we hit a dead end and some steep rocky terrain that was too snowy and icy to be dealt with safely.

So we turned back with the knowledge that we were probably among the last few people to make it out that far this season, given that there was only going to be more snow as winter came.

After eating our lunch back at the refugio, we lazily made our way down the mountain after a snowball fight and slow motion dance session (I won't bother explaining). It was only a short four hour hike, so we had time to amble. We passed several people that were on their way up to Refugio Italia, and encouraged them to press on. But there was no reason for us to think that they would be able to get any further than we did. Even though it was sunny, the low temperature and shadow of the mountain were sure to keep the conditions impassable for a normal hiker. But we couldn't help but wonder, and feel a little jealous and dejected.

But by the time we got down to the trail head to wait for the bus, our spirits had lifted. We'd really enjoyed our adventure, and each others company. I was really lucky to find not just one but two awesome people to share my expedition with, and I know I wouldn't have gotten as far without them. We made a pact to return in four or five years to complete the hike and see the views from the ridge that eluded us this time, and that's a pact I sincerely hope to make good on.

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Photos

We're setting off!
Only a little snow in the trees. Nothing we can't handle

My hiking companions
Still enthused

The sun! It's out in the valley!
Now hurry up and melt this snow!

Just after sunrise
An early start