Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cerro Otto
Cerro Otto (1405m) is an 8km hike on a gravel road west from Bariloche. There's
enough traffic to make hitchhiking feasible, and it's also a steep and tiring but rewarding
bicycle route. The
Teleférico Cerro Otto
( 0294-444-1035; Av de Los Pioneros, Km5;
adult/child AR$120/80)
carries passengers to the summit; a free bus leaves Bariloche from
the corner of Av Bartolomé Mitre and Villegas or Perito Moreno and Independencia to
the mountain base.
There's a trail from the small Piedras Blancas ski resort to Club Andino's
Refugio
Berghof
(dm AR$60)
, at an elevation of 1240m. At the time of research this refugio was
only operating as a day shelter - check with the club for the latest. The
refugio
also con-
tains the
Museo de Montaña Otto Meiling
(guided visit AR$15)
, named for a pioneering
climber.
Cerro Catedral
Bariloche, is the area's most important snow-sports center, open from mid-June to mid-
October. Several chairlifts and the
Aerosilla Cerro Bellavista
( 0294-440-9000;
AR$150)
carry passengers up to 2000m, where there's a restaurant-
confitería
offering ex-
cellent panoramas.
Several
trekking
trails begin here: one relatively easy four-hour walk goes to Club
Andino's
Refugio Emilio Frey
(dm AR$130)
, where 40 beds and simple meals (AR$130)
are available, as are kitchen facilities (AR$40). This
refugio
itself is exposed, but there
are sheltered tent sites in what is also Argentina's prime
rock-climbing
area. For more
on rock climbing in the area, including guided trips and equipment hire, contact Club
Andino in Bariloche.
Hostería Knapp
( 0294-460062;
www.legendaryskihotel.com
; r per person from AR$630;
)
is at the base of the lifts. Alternatively you can stay in Bariloche; public transport
from there is excellent, consisting of hourly buses from downtown with Ómnibus 3 de
Mayo.
Monte Tronador & Pampa Linda
Traveling via Lago Mascardi, it's a full-day trip up a dusty, single-lane dirt road to
Pampa Linda to visit the
Ventisquero Negro
(Black Glacier) and the base of Tronador
