CERRO TRONADOR

This 3,478-metre peak owes its name to the noise caused by its avalanches of ice and snow. If you are in a hurry and you have to continue your way through the Lanín Park, you can eventually pass your way: the Lanín volcano offers a much more beautiful view and, this time, away from the tourist gargoyles. However, the scenery is superb, especially if you continue the classic excursion (which stops at the foot of the Cerro, at the Ventisquero Negro glacier) for a crazy hike in the area. In fact, the best thing to do is to spend one night here and leave early in the morning.

To enrich the stroll, you can make a small detour to the Los Alerces waterfall (the junction to reach the waterfall is before the bridge that crosses the Manso river), or go to the Las Nalgas waterfalls (waterfalls "of the buttocks", literally), or the Garganta del Diablo (magnificent site according to us). Or hike two days to Paso de las Nubes to Punta Frías (until km 9, the trail is in good condition, count 4 hours; towards the Frías glacier, then it's not so good, count about 3 hours; finally, to reach the lagoon, 8 km further on, the trail becomes downright bad, count 4 hours). Interesting, by the way: from Punta Frías, you can continue to Puerto Blest on foot, and then come back to Bariloche (by boat) or even... go to Chile (towards Peulla) and reach the Trans-Andean Lakes region (towards Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt!): for good hikers only. This walk is reputed to be one of the most beautiful in the region. Don't forget to register at the gendarmerie in Pampa Linda.

Another possible trail leads to the Meiling hut, about 5 hours walk away.

In Pampa Linda, you can sleep in the hostería, which is warm at lunchtime - all the travel agencies meet there - but in the evening, you are really peinard, or at the campsite.

A regional bus shuttles between Bariloche, Villa Mascardi and Puente los Rápido twice a day. More interesting, however, if you want to reach the Cerro Tronador: a daily departure from Club Andino, every day from January to mid-March, to Pampa Linda (at the foot of the Cerro, where the hostería is located and where most excursions take place over lunch). Another possibility to get there: a trail starts from the Gutiérrez Lake along the west shore, then runs along the north shore of the Mascardi Lake, then along the Brazo Tronador, up to the hotel of the same name: then you can still walk on the trail to the Pampa Linda site.