After ten whole days on the island, it was hard to adjust back into our trip and we arrived in Bariloche fatigued, a little home sick for our island friends and grateful for the privacy of our own space. It may sound surprising that we felt completely exhausted after ten days of doing nothing but early starts, late nights and the exertion of trying to fit in had left us totally exhausted. We slept until midday on our first morning in Bariloche after a frustrating evening of trying to connect fruitlessly on to the imaginary wifi connection that was taunting us. We were desperate to catch up with our friends and family but it seems the storm was having lasting affects on the town's communication systems. We had planned to spend three nights in Bariloche. After wandering round the town on our first afternoon, which is full of German and Swiss inspired architecture and numerous chocolate shops the town is famous for, we felt it would be enough. But we had no idea as to which direction we should head to next, we were torn over whether we should visit Iguazu Falls which was north of Buenos Aires, or head directly south to Calafate and the glaciers. Our poor decision making skills were not helped by the terrible internet connection. We decided to extend our time in Bariloche, to see it properly until we had a firm plan. We were feeling inspired and uninspired at the same time, wanting to see it all but being frustrated by our limitations, both financial and time related. And two hours trying to change our flight with an entirely unhelpful Areolineas agent did not improve our moods. Our bed seemed more attractive than the beautiful mountains that surrounded us. But we needed to snap out of it and get our act together pronto! To clear our heads we decided to take the good advice of our island friend Maria, make the most of the good weather and do the short hike to the top of Cerro Llao Llao, as well as some of the surrounding area. Despite it taking an hour to get there on a bus, it was what we needed. The views were spectacular and we finished the day feeling more energised and ready to commit to a plan.
Heading south to Calafate was not practical. It was a painful decision to cut out that part of Argentina and Torres Del Paine, the national park in Chile just across the border, that had been so concrete in our original plan. But with no direct flights and only extortionate prices via Buenos Aires, and uncertain feedback as to the conditions of the trails there after the bad weather, we couldn't take that risk. With that ruled out, we decided Iguazu was a must. But being so close to the Chilean border, we decided that would be our next direction. Strong winds the following day in the national park closed the trails and shut down our plans to do a day trek. So we declared it a day of planning. We swore often at the internet but made solid plans and booked a bus to cross the border to Puerto Varas in Chile. And then we found out there was a national strike the day we booked our bus so it wouldn't be running. Back to square one. Where's the wine? Refugio Frey is a seven hour hike from Bariloche. There are several hikes to choose from but Frey was recommended by Maria, our island friend. The refugios are cabins in the middle of nowhere, essentially basic accommodation for multiple day trekkers to take shelter/overnight in. Most overnight stays have to be reserved in advance, some are free, some you pay for. We'd love to have stayed in one, but logistically it wasn't going to work out as we had accommodation already booked in Bariloche. Plus, I'd never have made it up with the size of my backpack. But anyway, I'm running ahead of myself. You need to register yourself with the park office before departing on any day treks as well as telling your hostel where you are going in case you don't return. They also give you the all clear with regards to weather conditions. Frey's peak is Cerro Cathedral, named so after its, unsurprisingly, cathedral like craggy peaks. It was a tough climb. Our usual hiking conversations took place around an hour from the peak; "how much further?" "Not far Charlotte." "How do you know when you haven't been before?" "Ok Charlotte." Frustratingly, it was pretty cloudy by the time we got up there so we didn't have the best of views but it was enough to get the gist of it. A packed lunch has never tasted so good! Comments are closed.
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AuthorsRob & Charlie's travelling adventures on their long journey back to London after living in Hong Kong. Four continents, twelve countries, lots of experiences. Archives
July 2017
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Robert Ware & Charlotte Nunn |