Cerro Tronador and Hospitality in Bariloche

The time has come to leave San Carlos de Bariloche. Granted, we spent much more time here than originally planned, but that is what happens when you fly by the seat of your pants. Looking back at our time here, I credit the past few incredible days to God. I just don't believe in coincidences like this. It all started when we first arrived at Refugio Frey and met our friends I spoke about in my last blog. Dylan and Brooks were both from the states and are amazing guys. Dylan moved to Argentina with his family just a few months prior and Brooks was visiting. After an awesome couple days of climbing, I mentioned that Mike and I were planning to seek out a way to climb Cerro Tronador, a 3500m glaciated peak on the border of Chile and Argentina. "Brooks and I are going there this weekend!" Dylan told us, "I have three seats open in my car."

The evening before we left for Tronador we went over to Dylan's house for dinner. We barbecued chorizo for choripan and enjoyed the hospitality of an actual family. Dylan and Cheri (Dylan's wife) have three adorable children, which is good because they are a handful. Although there was not a quite moment that night (at least before the kids went to bed), I was more than happy to play with the kids and throw them around. They live in a beautiful little house a stones throw from the lake and they have a stunning view of the sunrise each morning. Despite all the noise and chaos, there is a comforting feeling about having a home to stay in while you travel. Cheri and Dylan were beyond hospitable and I felt very peaceful sleeping that night.

That morning Regev was feeling ill so we postponed our expedition hoping he might feel better in the morning. Because it was a nice day, we made the short drive to Piedras Blancas and spent the afternoon top roping some beautiful routes above Lago Nahuel Huapi. After climbing, I made some spaghetti which was very good (if I don't say so myself) and gave Cheri a break from making dinner. The following morning Regev was feeling much better and we set off on the two hour drive to the base of the mountain.


The first 3 hours of the hike wind through a beautiful forest which was in the peak of fall color. The higher we climbed, the more brilliant the colors became. It was partly cloudy and the drizzle was on and off, creating incredible rainbows that added to the color. Almost all of Tronador was hidden in the clouds and we did not see the Refugio until we were right near it. Refugio Otto is a ramshackle little building placed between two enormous glaciers. A couple of solar panels and a wind generator supply the batteries with a trickle charge of electricity. Inside, we find a cozy main room with a stove and tables.

After a short nap, we gear up to go down to the glacier. There is still a wintry mix falling from the sky, and the wind stings any exposed skin. We go now because we are not sure if the weather will be even worse tomorrow. Once outside and on the glacier we strap on our crampons and set off with our ice axes in hand. We don't travel far before we find ourselves in a labyrinth of icy crevasses. Paths no more than a foot wide were common, with 30+ foot drops into a blue abyss on either side. The ice axe was very useful for balance and climbing. We would use the spike to probe the snow in front of us, testing for solid ice. The trip was fun and fairly uneventful, even though Brooks went swimming in some surface runoff. After about an hour of exploring, we found our way back to the solid ground and made our way back to the Refugio. That evening we warmed up near the stove and ate our meals, wondering what tomorrow would bring.

The bright blue sky and wispy clouds the next morning were a pleasant surprise. The summit of Tronador was easily visible through the large front window of the refugio. We hiked 20 minutes up an icy spur of volcanic rock to the beginning of the glacier under the summit. This section of glacier was much less dangerous and we made good time towards the summit of the mountain. Although the summit was not the goal (that is a 14 hour day with vertical ice climbing) we walked on, trying to find a good vantage point of the surrounding area. The clouds moved in and out as we climbed, revealing parts of the mountain bit by bit. Every new view that we had was incredible in its own right and the lack of wind and relative warmth made the excursion quite enjoyable. We found some crevasses to jump and some ice walls to climb. Brooks took some epic pictures and we headed down to pack and for the 3 hour hike back.

Back in Bariloche, Cheri had made some delicious, hot soup with fresh baked bread. We ate hungrily and enjoyed the rest of the time with the family. The next morning we were surprised with pancakes, homemade whipped cream and homemade blackberry jam. We said our goodbyes and Cheri dropped Mike and I off in town. Thinking back on everything now, the time we shared was perfect. Mike and I finally got to do some awesome climbing and get some more use out of those heavy ice axes and crampons, and I got too meet an amazing family and some amazing guys who I got to talk about our faith with. It was truly a blessing and I am once again reassured that leaving the planning up to God is the best way to have an amazing time.

Tomorrow, Mike and I will try to hitch across the border, back into Chile and make our way north to Santiago. I have a flight that leaves on the 12th of May and my time here is drawing to an end. We are planning on some high altitude adventures in the near future, but as always, who knows what will happen?!