Bariloche and Cerro Lopez - Making Headway into the Foothills of the Andes
By
31/01/2011 15:43:00
Font size:
Nahuel Hapi Lake
After having travelled through three different countries (England, Spain and Argentina) and over the world’s longest river (The Amazon) we reached Patagonia just a day and a half later, however there was something very homely about the gateway city of San Carlos de Bariloche.
|
Known as the “queen” of the Andean Lakes, Bariloche sits on the south shore of the magnificent Nahuel Huapi Lake reflecting its captivating image across the vast landscape of the Lake District. Despite being nestled into the foothills of the Andes and almost 13,000 miles away from Europe, the delightful alpine architecture here has a look of Swiss or Austrian log homes. The surrounding area varies from the imposing nature of the harsh mountain peaks and its rainforest to the characteristic steppe-like vegetation. |
  |
| Following the shoreline for almost 25km brings us to the start of one of many trekking excursions in the area. This one took us up to the bright pink structure of Refugio Lopez, dotted 1620m high up amongst the barren slopes at the edge of vegetation. This is also the prize at the end of a popular six day mountain hut traverse passing through the beautiful valleys and rocky ridges of the Andes. Whilst for the faint hearted, there is the 60km traditional driving tour, Circuito Chico, which passes by Cerro Campanario with commanding views of the lakes and onto the protected species of the Llao Llao peninsula. We journeyed to the base of the climb on public transport (number 10 or 11 depending on the season) from Bariloche. We then seemingly followed in the footsteps of many before us by being lured into a trap by a sign indicating Cerro Lopez to the left of the bus stop. Realising the error of our ways we quickly returned to find a map to the trek just before crossing the bridge over the Lopez stream. With the choice of a steep direct hike or a long gradual ascent, we chose to challenge ourselves on the way up to the comforting lodge. From here it is a roughly 2-3 hours of trekking making to sure to follow the faint red dots painted on the tree trunks and stones otherwise your 3.8km journey will be somewhat extended. Once our mountain feet had grown accustomed to the fact that they would be putting in a full day’s work we made steady progress through the thick bushy forests. As a gentle reminder (and reward) of our 770m ascent, every so often the trees parted providing us with a window in which to admire the beauty of the famous seven lakes below. |
   |
| Following the shoreline for almost 25km brings us to the start of one of many trekking excursions in the area. This one took us up to the bright pink structure of Refugio Lopez, dotted 1620m high up amongst the barren slopes at the edge of vegetation. This is also the prize at the end of a popular six day mountain hut traverse passing through the beautiful valleys and rocky ridges of the Andes. Whilst for the faint hearted, there is the 60km traditional driving tour, Circuito Chico, which passes by Cerro Campanario with commanding views of the lakes and onto the protected species of the Llao Llao peninsula. We journeyed to the base of the climb on public transport (number 10 or 11 depending on the season) from Bariloche. We then seemingly followed in the footsteps of many before us by being lured into a trap by a sign indicating Cerro Lopez to the left of the bus stop. Realising the error of our ways we quickly returned to find a map to the trek just before crossing the bridge over the Lopez stream. With the choice of a steep direct hike or a long gradual ascent, we chose to challenge ourselves on the way up to the comforting lodge. From here it is a roughly 2-3 hours of trekking making to sure to follow the faint red dots painted on the tree trunks and stones otherwise your 3.8km journey will be somewhat extended. Once our mountain feet had grown accustomed to the fact that they would be putting in a full day’s work we made steady progress through the thick bushy forests. As a gentle reminder (and reward) of our 770m ascent, every so often the trees parted providing us with a window in which to admire the beauty of the famous seven lakes below. After an hour of breaking branches, stone stepping and cascades of mini-waterfalls, we reached the goldmine of a black building, appearing above the treetops. Alas, the doors were firmly closed as it was out of season, so its sole purpose was to serve as a resting point. From the back of this first lodge it is possible to rejoin civilisation and walk the snaking road to Lopez (or hitchhike although I don’t fancy your chances). We persevered, paying attention o the yellow bin bag markers round the side of the refugio, hiking the endless steep slopes heading into more lush forested terrain. After passing the road twice more, eventually the forest turned to mountainous terrain and the sweet sounds of nature deserted us and in the distance we spotted the pink speck of comfort. Perched on the edge of the mountainside, Refugio Lopez is one of the largest and most comfortable in the area and was the first of its kind to be opened by the Club Andean Bariloche in April 1933. It was rebuilt 26 years later and can now host up to 100 people with its facilities including a dining room with stunning panoramic views overlooking the hills and valleys of the Nahuel Huapi National Park. To reach the top of Cerro Lopez you need to be an experienced mountain climber, so we settled for a cake and coffee before digging our heels in for a dusk descent. |
| TRAVEL TIPS: Travelling from the UK will more than likely involve a couple of changes, firstly either in Madrid, New York or Brazil, depending on the carrier you use. You should then make your way to Buenos Aires bifore flying onwards to Bariloche. It is advised to check with travel agencies before booking flights as sometimes they have offers, but the main airlines to look out for are Iberia, LAN, Aerolineas, Delta, America Airlines and TAM. Being an international tourist centre all-year round, you just need to choose your activity and then the season will choose itself. The summer trekking days are long, warm and sunny with cool nights whilst autumn is a rainer season but spectacular shades of gold, rust and brown can be seen during the fall. The winter season (from June to September) brings with it stunning snowfall and a pletora of sports from snowboarding to skiing and snow polo. Trekkers and climbers coming to Bariloche will be completely absorbed by the peaks of the Circuito Chico, whilst the endless lagoons of the lake district provide a peaceful alternative. Within the town itself the must-see sights are the Civic Centre, Cathedral Nuestra Senora del Nahuel Huapi and the historic monument of Capilla de la Inmaculada – Chapel of the Immaculate. Trips admiring the wonders of the lakes, mountains and forests of Southern Argentina are one of many offered by Say Hueque – Buenos Aires based travel company. USEFUL LINKS: www.sayhueque.com www.visitargentina.com www.iberia.com www.lan.com www.aerolineas.com |
 |
Email to a friend
Print version
Plain textImage gallery
1redbottomshoes.webs.com
5tagwatchesreplica.weebly.com
Post your comment