El Tronador

El Tronador is a hike that I think stands out from the rest around Bariloche, and I must admit it was one of the most rewarding hikes I have done.

View from the road

It says that the hikes take four hours, which made me a little arrogant. I paid for that! I set a high pace initially as there the route started off with little inclination. I was very thrilled and very excited to get up to the glacier!

"It´s up there!!!"

I met a group of exchange students on the way and we hiked on together.

When we got out of the forest below and could actually see the landscape around us, we had a legitimate reason to take a break (catch our breath) and just awe at the majestic panoramic view. At times we could hear what sounded just like thunder, (El Tronador in English means The Thunderer). The sound is produced by the glacier.   

Payton pondering the deep valleys and innumerable mountains

I was far more tired then the pic shows

Follow the White dot! Almost there!

The cabin was neat with a cozy atmosphere and service the essential needs. Three meals per day are served by professional cooks. Beer and vine are also purchasable for those who do not bring their own! The prices are not cheap, but considering that they need to transport all the supplies by horse and man power, ..it is alright. I cooked up some delicious pasta with tomato sauce, a classic! 

The view is one of the most spectacular I have seen, and I found myself more than a few times, zoned out by the immense infinity. More and more people arrived during the late afternoon, and we filled up the small attic on mattresses that the lodge provided. Still, I was told, the lodge has accommodated about twice as many, so never worry there is not enough space!

The glacier

The sun setting over the numerous mountain peaks

El Catedral, the peaks right next to the lodge Frey

We were told that the sunrise was pretty impressive. So in the early morning, a few brave souls crawled out of their comfortable sleeping bags to confront the chilly morning and the cold winds and get a glimpse of the sun rising beyond the peaks.

Sometimes you lie and wonder if it´s really worth going that extra step for something unknown...

El Tronador