Bariloche, Argentina
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Refugio Lopez Bariloche, Argentina |
March 8
At last! A chance finally to hike somewhere, on only the fourth day of our trip. That is why we came here, I believe. To access the trailhead, David and I must walk two miles to a bus stop, then wait nearly an hour.
Anxiously awaiting the hourly shuttle
class="cap">The flower season has pretty much passed
The bus finally arrives, then drops us just a few yards from the trailhead eight miles up the road.
I can do this!
Within minutes we lose the main trail, making the mistake of following a group of other hikers straight up beside the creek. As usual, getting back on track necessitates extra work. When we finally do so, some great views begin to appear.
This is the Argentine Lakes District, so named for obvious reasons
So far, I am easily staying ahead of David on this steep uphill, probably because I have been spending more time on the trails at home recently. Doubtless my advanced age will enable him to catch up before this trip is complete.
class="cap">Refugio Roca Negra is closed for the season, but there is fresh water flowing in the back
A switchbacking road winds up to this point and higher. A couple of motorcyclists pass by us as we fill water bottles. Beyond here the grade is even hotter, dustier, and steeper than before. It is a pity that neither of us remembered to carry any sunscreen today.
The big lake is the principal feature of Nahuel Nuapi National Park
We can see our goal perched on the mountain above. It seems tantalizingly close.
That pink building is our destination
Presently, the trail merges with the road, making the going much easier. No longer needing to concentrate on the rigors of the route, we are better able to enjoy our surroundings.
David has developed a leg cramp. It's a good thing that we haven't far to go. After another steep, rocky, but short section of trail, the refugio comes into view.
Refugio Lopez
Upon arrival, the first order of business is to doff our packs and purchase
some cold, carbonated beverages. The place even is air-conditioned!
Looking up the hill
A cliff-side swimming pool
Proceeding any higher up the mountain would involve a lot of additional mileage and effort, and doing so was not in the plan. As it is, today's walk will be plenty long enough to determine what kind of shape we are in at this juncture.
Starting down
Tunnel tree
Back where the trail cuts off from the the road, we opt to continue down the seeming path of least resistance. It turns out that this 'shortcut' costs us more than a full mile of extra walking. It does, however, afford some great views of the park, now that we are facing in the best direction.
Overlooking much of Nahuel Huapi National Park
At Roca Negra, David announces that we have 45 minutes to get back down
in order to catch the early bus. That sounds easy enough, because it
had required just 65 minutes to get up this far.
Wrong. My legs abandon me during the hot, grueling 25% grade of the descent, and nothing like that ever has happened before. Trying to meet the deadline is not fun, because my rubbery legs simply don't want to function. It is all I can do just to remain ambulatory with frequent stops.
Somehow I do manage to make it down just five minutes after David, and we reach the bus stop with just a few minutes to spare. For me, clambering into the vehicle is something of a struggle. I am feeling pretty old right now.
At the trailhead
§: The lake views were great, although there was lot of haze
(smog?) in the air. It is good that the air temperature wasn't any
higher, because the trail was difficult and mostly exposed to the sun.
This outing was a good warmup for whatever lies ahead of us. I hope that my current invalidity doesn't persist.
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| Difficulty |  |
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| Solitude | |
