So where were we.... actually thats a question we asked ourselves often on the way to Bariloche. We had opted to take the notorious Ruta 40 bus trip from El Chalten to Bariloche a 33 hour bumpy, dusty, smelly, unispiring trip that sits right up there for worst things to do with your time right after water torture and just below pulling out your finger nails. Lets just say we didnt enjoy it....
But like the israelites coming out of the desert after wandering for 40 years to the land of milk and honey so we arrived in Bariloche and our favorite city of the trip so far! Bariloche is the kind of city we could move to, life would include eating lots of boutique chocolates from Del Turista (a 2 storey chocolate factory and ice cream palor), skiing on some of the best snow in the world, ice climbing hanging Glaciers and sipping cáfe´s while starring out at the enourmous lake that Bariloche faces onto.
Bariloches setting is world class! The town faces the lake which is big enough to look like an ocean with large Andean peaks in the background.
Our introduction was slow to the city, after 33 hours on a bus we just wanted to chill. Our hostel was awesome and we met plenty of brilliant people, played poker and drank the famous argentine wine (avoid the 3 peso bottles unless making catembas). We also enjoyed the local Chorripane vendor (argentine version of a boerie roll) and fell in love with Dolce del Leche (they put this caramel condensed milk heaven on everything here, from morning toast to ice cream to yogurt to milk to chocolate to bannanas to....).
After recharging our batteries and soaking in the sun for a few days we decided to go do some trekking (thats what they call hiking out here).
We met up with El Chalten / English Joe and caught an early bus out to Mount Tronador and the national park. A mere 4 hours later of sustained 60 degree hiking and almost 1000 meters up from where we started we reached Otto Meiling refugio. This little oasis set literally in the middle of two huge hanging glaciers and just below the peaks of Tronador helped us warm up again and really start to enjoy the scenery, there is something about being at the top of the world with ice and mountains all around that makes you just want to sit and stare...
The next day Vix spotted our first Condor from the shadow its 2 meter wing span cast on the ground we trod, this was to be the first sighting of many and everytime they seemed to float closer, never flapping their wings always flaoting or racing around with ease.
After doing some Glacier hugging we decided to book an actual Glacier hike and climb for the afternoon and stay one more night at Otto Meiling refugio.
Later that afternoon we got kitted out with heavy duty boots, crampons and big ass ice axes and set out on our 3 hour trek and climb adventure! Walking through the glacier field was brilliant, nothing but whites and blues everywhere with the sound of the rushing melting glacial river below us and Tronador cracking all around us. After some fun jumps over Crevasses that must go down some 20 meters we waited for our guide to go find a suitable crevasse to climb. The glacier is melting so quickly this year that he struggles to use the same area from week to week, the landscape is changing so quickly, he would often lament that it wasnt always this way but every year the glacier gets smaller and winter gets warmer...
We then got lowered into one of the crevasses and were expected to climb our way out using ice axes and crampons, a tiring system that involves kicking your shoes into the glacier wall and stabbing the ice with your axe...arrrgg. The Mavrix were naturals of course! By the way being surrounded by turquise blue ice over 100 000 years old is crazy good!
On the hike back we got blessed with a combination sunset / full moon rising. Believe me the pictures dont do it justice.
The next day we trekked down the mountain through bamboo forests and along glacier blue rivers before camping out in the forest. The day after was Easter and the Mavrix completed lent and got to eat chocolate for the first time in 40 days - Nutella flavoured cake & Nutella flavoured jungle oats is a great way to start the day.
The next few days involved walking round Bariloche and eating loads of chocolate with the odd bike ride around Bariloches lakes and mountains.
Next Mendoza....
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment