5 Lagunas & Cerro Tronador
Bariloche
11 February 2024
The Switzerland of Argentina it is called. Why? Mountains, a big lake (Nahuel Huapi) and …. Chocolate! Tons of specialty chocolate shops in the main shopping street of this busy touristy mountain town.
I drive down from Pucon to meet with Jens, a member of my Te Araroa trail family, for a week of hiking between Argentina and Chile. Looking forward to it!
Laguna Negra
12 February 2024 | 25°C
We kick off the morning with a hearty breakfast at the hostel, featuring thick slices of “real bread”. After days of tortilla wraps and soft buns, a dark, crusty loaf feels like a luxury.
Afterward, we head to the bus stop, where a few other backpackers are already waiting. Thirty minutes pass, and still no sign of our bus to Colonia Suiza. I ask the driver of another bus, who says ours should arrive in about 20 minutes. Looks like we just missed it. Time for more food, suggests my hiker’s stomach, so we grab a few empanadas to pass the time. The Argentinian ones are tiny compared to their Chilean counterparts, where one is practically a meal.
Once we finally reach Colonia Suiza, the starting point of our hike, we’re eager to hit the trail.
It feels incredible to be back in nature, surrounded by mountains. We begin our hike through a forest, following a stream with cool, refreshing water—a nice warm-up before tackling the rocky terrain that lies ahead. I’m loving it already.
It’s hard to believe there’s a lagoon hidden somewhere up there.
Surprisingly, we come across a hut and quite a few people, but we manage to find free campsites right by the water. A refreshing swim helps wash away the day’s sweat. As the sun sets, we enjoy dinner with a beautiful view. Civilization feels like it’s miles away. Absolutely perfect.
Lagunas Lluvu & Cretton
13 February 2024 | 29°C
Data of the day:
19km
6hrs walking time
2 passes
1680m elevation gain
1730m elevation loss
Our day starts at 8am after camping right at the shore of Laguna Negra.
“It takes 5-6 hours to the next lake” an Argentinian couple sitting beside the trail tells us. “Hm, but it’s only 6km” Jens wonders. Is the terrain so difficult? It’s easier and faster with trekking poles, I think while running down the first hill. Though there’s two major passes coming up, it’s the way down that will turn out to be tricky today.
We reach the next lake after 2.5 hours and start our ascent of the first pass after an extended break and power nap at Laguna Lluvu. We tackle the pass in the midday heat, it’s a steady up but at one point we’re up. Yes! Time for the first tricky descent.
There’s huge bolders all over the place. At some point I put my poles away to have my hands free. It feels very long. Time for a break at the bottom. Looking back it seems impossible that someone could get down this rocky steep mountain at all. We stroll down to a (wild) campsite and (involuntarily) try to take a shortcut up to the next pass by following a steam. It’s getting very steep and I often hold on to branches to pull myself up until we get to a point where it gets impossible. At least with heavy packs on our backs. Not the time for experiments at this time of the day.
While backtracking, Jens asks if we should do that pass today or rather camp and leave it for tomorrow. Where are our limits?
After a short conversation we want to give it a go. The sun is not so intense, an ideal moment to tackle a climb like this I think. I wonder though how the downhill on the other side will be? Will it be as sketchy as the last one? Looking at the map it seems pretty steep at least. Reaching the pass feels awesome with first views towards Cerro Tronador.
We can see the next lagoon where we want to camp already … but the way down is not easier than the last one. Very steep and dusty with rocks and stones moving all over the place. A bigger stone starts moving and hits my ankles from behind.
Ouch! It’s already mentally challenging and this did not really help now. I become a bit more cautious and notice a little insecurity. Step by step, I tell myself.
Big relief once I am finally at the bottom where Jens is waiting. “Quick break?” he asks. “No, let’s get going.” We are both already tired but still have to tackle some bush bashing as a trail is hard to find. I fall backwards into a big puddle of mud at some point. Oh well!
Finally a campsite between trees comes into sight. This is us! Exhausted we drop our packs. I walk a bit further to where I hear water and see … a waterfall that drops into a pond! Time to take a bath and wash all the sweat off. Feels like trail magic!
Refugio Viejo (Cerro Tronador)
15 February 2024
It’s hard to spend money in Argentina! At least if you need cash! We need cash for our bus back to the trailhead at Pampa Linda after spending the night in Bariloche, mainly to buy new shoes for me.
All the ATMs we try do not have cash anymore. It’s not just us, also for locals. Picking up money in a supermarket only works with local cards. So we head over to the bus company in the morning claiming that we were not able to get cash … and suddenly what was not possible yesterday - paying by card - works today with a 10% commission fee.
3 hours later we get off the bus at the trailhead to have a quick coffee at one of the the restaurants before heading over to the Argentinan border checkpoint. In order to walk our planned route - which will lead us over to the Chilean side of the Andes again - some paperwork and stamps in our passports and paperwork is required from both countries.
Todays plan is to walk to the checkpoint of the Chilean carabinieros and climb up Cerro Tronador tomorrow. Halfway up we meet an American hiker coming down who tells us it’s just 2-3 hours up to Refugio Viejo from the carabinieros. Hm, could that be an option for today already?
My legs are still a bit tired from the previous days and I feel slow today. At 3.30pm I get to the Chilean border checkpoint where Jens is already having his “late lunch”.
“Are you walking up to the Refugio today? You need to leave at 4.30pm at the latest” one of the carabinieros says. “I first need to eat sth before making a decision” I reply, in the hope that my energy level rises after getting some calories in. In the end my answer is yes and the Carabiniero collects our passports which we will get back once we come back tomorrow. They apparently keep them to keep track of who is up there.
“See you up there” Jens says as we get going. He’s a fast walker with his long legs and would like to stop his time. 1000m of elevation gain over 5.5 kilometers is the challenge. I turn on my Spotify playlist and despite my downer in the morning, I very much enjoy the walk. The temperature in the afternoon is perfect and the views are great.
The terrain starts in the forest, then leads over some grassy area before a longer stone covered stretch and the final 500 meters over a larger snow field. I reach Refugio Viejo after 2h45 (and taking tons of fotos) while Jens was almost an hour faster.
It’s a fascinating location there below the peak of Cerro Tronador right by a giant glacier. Now and then we hear some kind of thunder when snow breaks off and apparently crashes down on the other side of the mountain.
A true wow moment. After cooking a big dinner and watching the sunset, I doze off to the sound of the wind outside while being in my cosy sleeping bag inside.
laguna ilon / Termas Vuriloce
16 February 2024 | 29°C
Lago Coyutué
18 February 2024 | 19°C
Almost 30km the previous day!
Time for a refreshing morning swim at Lago Coyutué. It’s a sunny Sunday morning and I enjoy my coffee with a view over the lake. It’s just 10am and busier than I had expected. Many people seem to come here for a short weekend trip with several colorful tents spreed between the trees.
Hikers at Termas Vuriloche told me that there will be a 10km walk on a dusty gravel road on the way to the road at Ralún and that it is best to „hacer el dedo“ (hitchhike).
Assuming that most people will head back only in the afternoon, I have no big hopes of getting a ride. However, while skiing on my coffee I see two locals walking by talking to a friend in English; looks like they ins day trip showing him around the area.
And indeed they are leaving after some time again. They walk quite slowly so that I easily catch up with them on the 30 minute walk to the parking lot. We get into a conversation during which I learn a lot about local trees and bees. And there it is my ride!
Cochamó
19 February 2024 | 23°C
Cochamo? Picture eating, sleeping, real coffee, and cake. 😅
I hadn’t planned to visit, but a kind lady who gave me a ride from Lake Coyatué suggested this charming little town as the perfect spot to rest and make plans for my next adventure.
By the lake, a strong wind blows, giving me the unmistakable feeling that I've arrived in Patagonia.
A fun fact from this morning: the hostel cat moved her newborn kittens into an empty room next door, sensing it was a safe place for her little ones. So cute!