El Catedral: Ascending the Mountain and Staying in the Refugio

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We started our trek towards the mountain and the Refugio (the place high up on the peak where hikers can stay and cook and have a warm place to sleep) around 11am. We wanted to get going a little earlier than that however as usual we were kind of tired and sluggish and didn’t do too much towards getting going. We waited for the bus for about a half hour until I asked where we should go to catch the bus and we were told that it was four blocks away from where we had been sitting like idiots for the last half hour! So we made our way down there and waited another forty minutes or so for the bus which finally came to take us to Villa Catedral, which is the jump off point for the trek we were doing and is a small little village that in the winter months is a haven for skiers and trekkers. We embarked on the trail and it was pretty gradual at first, surrounded by some scrub and some taller trees as well as many bushes and plenty of rocks, I mean we were on a mountain after all. The hike was pretty flat for the first hour or so and then we entered a very serene forest after crossing a dodgy, rickety, bridge that could only handle one person at a time. There were some rocks and some branches that we had to hop over or under to get through but as we walked we noticed that a stream lined the path we were taking. We hadn’t eaten since breakfast and so we found a clearing in the woods that was very near to the stream and we stopped and had some sandwiches. We bought salami and chees as well as some granola crackers and some fruit. After we ate we headed on but this time the trail was going upwards and it was considerably more difficult. We met two English travellers along the path that were also staying at the Refugio, it was called Refugio Frey and was established in 1957 we later found out. The forest was great, it reminded me a lot of Michigan because it is fall here and the colors were really impressive. The colors were especially impressive since the backdrop for them were a bunch of huge snowy mountains, the likes of which I haven’t ever seen. Granted we weren’t as high as we were when were in the Peruvian Andes, the elevation didn’t bother us here, it was just more of a wonderful view that takes one’s breath away. I felt pretty out of shape hiking up the big hill that was the last hour or so of our hike but Brett and Joey were also struggling so I didn’t feel so bad. The views we saw as we ascended the final hill were amazing and I could only imagine at that point what the view would be like from the top of the mountain at the Refugio. We got to the top and had to cross a rushing stream that was coming down off the mountain and just past that was the Refugio. I can only describe this place as a log cabin in the woods, but on a mountain. Inside was a wood burning stove as well as a full kitchen. Adjacent to the main building was an outside kitchen that we used to heat our water and cook our food. The bathrooms were away from the main building and it was probably the worst bathroom I have ever seen or been in. it was literally two garbage cans with bags in them one for pissing and one for shitting. It was gross as all hell and I just went outside the entire time. You can tell by the picture though how nasty it was. Upstairs in the main building was the dorm where everyone who was staying there slept. There were sleeping mats stacked up in the corners and you got to lay your mat out and put your sleeping bag and pillow on it, of course you had bring your own pillow which thanks to my mom’s Christmas present I have and did bring! It’s probably one of the best things I have had and made use of on this trip. We got our beds set up and ordered a beer from the Refugio, there were a lot of different people there and it was interesting to talk to them while drinking our beers. We also bought some cigars before we left Bariloche and there was a huge flat rock near the shore of this medium size lake that the Refugio was set on and we stepped on some other stones to get out there and Brett, Joey, and I sat out there and smoked our cigars and drank our beers. The wind was fierce up there but it was really an amazing time with some breathtaking views as you can see by the photos. The quiet was surreal. After we smoked our cigars we got Brett’s camping stove out as well as the food we brought, and cooked ourselves some pasta with peppers and onions. The two Brits that we met said they had some “sausages” that they weren’t going to eat so they gave them to us and they were not sausages at all but hot dogs. We cut them up and added them to the pasta with our tomato sauce and although it looked like Chef Boyardee it was pretty good for what it was and filled our bellies. After dinner we had a few more beers and sat inside the warm lodge and talked with some Israelis and some other Argentinians. I turned in early around 9pm, took a Xanax and listened to my iPod and passed out. I had to pee at like two am and had to go down the stairs and outside into the windswept Patagonian night but I didn’t even need my flashlight because the moon lit the entire night sky and the surrounding mountains. I was actually really happy I did it because I got to see a view of the mountains in the moonlight that no one else did. We woke up around 8.30am after sleeping about ten hours which was a pretty nice little coma. We had some breakfast, Joey and Brett ate fruit and bread and I made myself a tomato and avocado sandwich. We decided that since we were up there we would ascend the mountain that was adjacent to the Refugio, apparently there was a lake up there that was pretty cool to see and the ascent itself would be great we were told. There was snow all over the mountain and the trail was nearly nonexistent. It was raining lightly when were going up and as we got to the top it was cold and windy. The views were amazing though as you can see again by the photos. It started to snow on the top and we decided to head down as these storms can turn bad quickly and we didn’t want to be stuck on the top without any gear or water. We managed to come down in about a half hour or forty minutes and then got our stuff from the Refugio and began our larger, longer descent down the same trail we came back to the Villa Catedral. It only took us 2 hours to get back to the Village and on the way there it took us 3.5 hours so you could say we were hauling ass. I was pretty exhausted when we got to the end of the trail as were the other guys. We had a beer a little bar while we waited for our bus and then got on the bus just as we finished and headed back to Bariloche. We got back to the hostel, I had my laundry done and we got back into our room and showered and chilled for a little while. We had lunch at a place near the city center and then afterwards I came back to the hostel and slept for a few hours and Brett went to try to find us a ticket down south to El Calefate; however everything is pretty expensive so we have to figure out what we’re doing with our lives. We’re also running into a problem because Easter is a huge holiday down here and all the hostels and hotels get booked up quickly and we need to figure out where we are going to be in order to make some arrangements to stay somewhere. We’re having beers in the hostel right now getting ready to head out to have some food and some drinks. There’s nothing on the agenda for tomorrow so I’ll update when I can. Take care all.

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