Bariloche

Am now in Bariloche and a bit fed up... I spent the last couple of days in a lovely new hostel in San Martin de los Andes, a four hour bus ride south from Zapala. It was a gorgeous little town, set alongside a lake and nestled among mountains, but very touristy in the same way that the Lake District towns are at home. There are a lot of excursions on offer, but it seems to be difficult to get the information and maps to just get up and go out hiking on your own, without your own transport. I spent all of yesterday pottering around, whilst waiting to hear about whether or not I could do a 2 day trip to climb to the top of nearby Volcan Lanin - I couldn´t. So this morning got a bus at 7.45 down to Bariloche, via the Ruta de Siete Lagos, a famously beautiful road that passes through a string of seven lakes. Most of it was over unpaved roads, so slow and bumpy, and I may as well have got the speedier bus instead, as I just couldn´t stay awake, so missed out on lots of the scenery. It was a grey, cloudy morning, but I think that´s just coincidence rather than because I´ve come further south, but all looked a bit dismal anyway.

So I´ve just scoffed down a massive hamburger and chips, and am working out what to do next. I´ve realised that I haven´t really got much interest in seeing small, touristy towns - my whole reason for being here is to get out into the countryside. But how to do that on my own without a car is what I need to sort out. I think if I want to see the Perito Moreno glaciar and go trekking at Fitzroy, near El Chalten, I may have to do it as part of a tour. I´ll then make my way to Puerto Natales, to go to Torres del Paine national park, where I´ve already been in touch with a hostel there which helps people organise their own trips within the park. It also turns out that the owners are friends of James, who led our mountain trip at the ranch. He´s heading down there at the beginning of April, to get a horse he has fit for an endurance ride at the beginning of May. Sounds amazing, and I´m in two minds as to whether to try to change my flight home so that I could stay and do the actual race, but even if I don´t, I will try to meet up with him for some more riding. Right, in the meantime I´m off to find out about hiking!

Yaaaaay! Have finally found the sort of think I´m after, ie. NOT a day spent in a bus looking at the lakes and mountains from the window. Went to the Club Andino Bariloche, where they have excellent information about how to get to the start of hikes, and about refugios you can stay in en route. So I´m setting off tomorrow morning, and plan to spend one night in Refugio Frey, then walk to Refugio San Martin on Sunday, and then walk back to complete the circuit on Monday. There were quite a few people asking similar questions, so I´m hoping that I´ll be able to meet up with some along the way, especially to do the bit between the two refugios. You have to register at the Club Andino, and let them know your plans, but I don´t think they do anything unless someone files a specific report that you´re missing, so have also given the hostel I´m staying in written details of where I´m off to. Have been looking on the internet today as well, and looks like you can do a similar sort of thing in El Chalten - a number of walks are possible within a day, or half a day, from El Chalten itself.

It´s quite expensive to get a bus down that far, about 80 pounds, but then it´s virtually a 30 hour journey, so I guess it´s quite reasonable really. I´m not sure whether to do it in two chunks, or just bite the bullet and get it all over in one go - think I might do that, otherwise I´ll just be arriving in yet another new place and having to work out where everything is and so on...