Have You Heard From Laura?

Paddling with Diego
Brazo de la Tristeza, Bariloche

Still in Bariloche, Argentina. Today I`m taking a day off from my self imposed ´Andes Boot Camp`. The past week was a full one: three days treking around Cerro Catedral followed by a 2 day kayak trip in Braza de las Tristeza. All fantastic, but now I need a rest. I`m considering staying around here to do a two week Spanish course while living with a family in town. Problem is that I can´t begin a course until next Monday. However, there is heaps to do here – more trekking, horseback riding, even scuba diving in the lake- as well as plenty of good restaurants and bakeries with fabulous chocolates and cookies to keep me busy. Don´t even get me started on the wine. I really love Argentina. It`s damn cheap and also safe and well established so I can live like a princess in between quality time in the out of doors, which as you know, is exactly how I like to live.

Nanuel Huapi Park

Cerro Catedral was a great three day hike in Nahuel Huapi National Park outside of Bariloche. My treking partner was Stuart who I have been bumbing into from time to time since Buenos Aires. Day 1 was an easy hike to Laguna Tochek and Refugio Frey. Can´t report much about that place because we played peek-a-boo with low clouds the entire time. The refugio was full of rock climbers (a.k.a. really handsome scruffy argentinian men) which leads me believe that there must be some great peaks nearby. Day 2 was still cloudy but we did get glimpses of some amaizing rock towers that are Cerro Catedral, though we were kept very busy trying to get up and down the route to the next refugio which took us over two really steep scree passes. The steep trails were certainly worth the views from the second refugio. Wow, what a place! Refugio Jakob is a rustic little cabin warmed by a cast iron stove and set next to Laguna Jakob, a beautiful mountain lake surrounded by 2000 meter peaks and of couse the occasional glacier and waterfall. The sun was out, there were very few people around we sat on a huge warm slab of granite and watched the sun set while the mountains proudly reflected in the lake. Truely truely great.

Laguna Jakob

We could have continued more days on the Nahuel Huapi traverse but I had to get back to Bariloche for a kayak trip. The two day trip was a paddle on Brazo de la Tristeza, an arm of Lago Nahuel Huapi. I went with the only kayak outfitter in town, Puravida Argentina. Along for the paddle were a Canadian couple, a couple from Australia and our guide, Diego. I had such a great time. The lake is so clean and beautiful and we were blessed with great weather – really sunny with no wind. Paddling along the water was every shade of teal and turquoise. We could see right into the lake maybe 10-15 meters down. Trout were jumping and the occasional condor sailed high in the sky. Diego is a great guide and chef and the other guests all good fun as well. Such a nice trip. If you are ever near Bariloche you must do a paddle trip with Diego, he is the best (info@puravidapatagonia.com.ar).

Diego

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