Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tional parks, including Nahuel Huapi and Lanín. Bariloche is the best base for exploring
the former, San Martín de los Andes the latter.
Patagonia, needless to say, has out-of-this-world hiking. South of Bariloche, El Bolsón
is an excellent base for hiking both in the forests outside of town and in nearby Parque
Nacional Lago Puelo. Parque Nacional Los Glaciares offers wonderful hiking in and
around the Fitz Roy Range; base yourself in El Chaltén and wait out the storms (in the
brewery, of course).
Head to Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, in Chile, for epic hiking. Tierra del Fuego
also has some good walks, conveniently in Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego.
Then there are the high Andean peaks west of Mendoza. Although these areas are
more popular for mountaineering, there's some great trekking here as well. The northern
Andes around Quebrada de Humahuaca are also good.
Most sizable towns in the Lake District and Patagonia have a hiking and mountaineer-
ing club called Club Andino. These are good places to get information, maps and current
conditions. Bariloche, Junín de los Andes, El Bolsón and Ushuaia all have one.
Lonely Planet's
Trekking in the Patagonian Andes
is a great resource to have if you're
planning some serious trekking.
Mountaineering
The Andes are a mountaineer's dream, especially in the San Juan and Mendoza
provinces, where some of the highest peaks in the western hemisphere are found. While
the most famous climb is Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas, there are plenty
of others in the Andes - many of them more interesting and far more technical. Near
Barreal, the Cordón de la Ramada boasts five peaks more than 6000m, including the
mammoth Cerro Mercedario, which tops out at 6770m. The region is less congested than
Aconcagua, offers more technical climbs and is preferred by many climbers. Also near
here is the majestic Cordillera de Ansilta, with seven peaks scraping the sky at between
5130m and 5885m.
The magnificent and challenging Fitz Roy Range, in southern Patagonia near El
Chaltén, is one of the world's top mountaineering destinations, while the mountains of
Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi offer fun for all levels.
