Bariloche Adventure Challenge (AR 093)

Departures: daily from November to April except Easter Holidays.
Guide: Spanish – English
Meals: according to itinerary. Air Fare: not included.

The southernmost extreme of the American continent has always seemed to be a somewhat mythical land. Nowadays, it's still an incredible immense and wide-open space, scarcely inhabited, with amazing contrasting landscapes. In this enormous extension, the common element is the greatness of a landscape composed by mountains, forests, lakes, glaciers and morraines, lush forests and barren plateaus; all inhabited by a varied autochthonous fauna that includes guanacos, condores, ñandues, swans, foxes, and pumas.

Day 1 – San Carlos de Bariloche
Reception at Bariloche airport and transfer to the hotel, where your guide will offer you an introductory lecture. Overnight at the hotel. Dinner.

Day 2 – San Carlos de Bariloche (Mascardi Lake)
Breakfast. Transfer from the city to Mascardi Lake where an exciting trek to approach the lake and up to Llum Lake will start. Lunch.Then go down a steep descention through a native wood of thick 'colihue' canes, lenga and coihue forest, towards the northern shore of Mascardi Lake where you will be met and taken by boat to your hotel. Total time: 6 hours. Level of difficulty: moderate. Overnight at Hotel Tronador. Dinner.

Day 3 – San Carlos de Bariloche (Hess Lake)
Breakfast. A full day on the water! Depending on the time of the year and the water level, you will be able to navigate the Class III or IV rapids of the Middle Manso River, the white-water section of the Challenge. Start paddling the Mascardi Lake in the morning. After 3 hours, you will have finished the lake crossing and reached Manso River where a picnic lunch will be served. In the first class IV rapids, you will have the opportunity to scout the rapids and choose to run or to portage them. If water conditions do not allow this adventure to take place, instead you will be able to go on a larger raft on the Class IV-V Lower Manso River. You will have the day to practice your rafting skills, play and enjoy the unbelievably clear water and amazing rapids. Arrival at Hess Lake Lodge by the end of the day, where you will be able to see Mt. Tronador and four of its seven glaciers reflected on the pristine water mirror. Overnight at Hess Lodge. Dinner.

Day 4 – San Carlos de Bariloche (Pampa Linda)
Breakfast. Mountain bike from Lake Hess, to Cascada Los Alerces, Lago los Moscos, Mascardi Lake, Pampa Linda along secondary roads. Overnight at Hostería Pampa Linda. Box lunch and dinner.

Day 5 – San Carlos de Bariloche (Pampa Linda)
Breakfast. Mountain bike visit to Saltillo de las Nalcas waterfall and 'Ventisquero Negro' (Black Glacier). Trek around the Ventisquero Negro, visit the “Devil’s gully” at Mt. Tronador base. Overnight at Hostería Pampa Linda. Lunch and dinner.

Day 6 – San Carlos de Bariloche (Pampa Linda)
Breakfast. Today you will enjoy a full day on horseback riding to Mount Volcanico at the southern section of Pampa Linda area. The Volcanico peak is 1800 m. high and offers an amazing view of all the area including Mt. Tronador glaciers. Box lunch and dinner. Overnight at Pampa Linda.

Day 7 – San Carlos de Bariloche (Pampa Linda)
Breakfast. Another exciting day of horseback riding, this time to Lagoon Ilon and the 'Mirada del Doctor'. The scenery in this part of Pampa Linda is unbelievable and the views from 'Mirada del Doctor' over Frey Lake are outstanding. Looking across Tristeza Fjord onto Nahuel Huapi Lake, one can appreciate many cliffs and a waterfall on a 300 meter yellow granite slab. It’s also possible to see through the Tristeza Fjord all the way to the Nahuel Huapi Lake. Box lunch and dinner. Overnight at Pampa Linda.

Day 8 – San Carlos de Bariloche (Otto Meiling Refuge)
Breakfast. Leave Pampa Linda by horse and climb the slopes of Mount Tronador, the highest point on this adventure. The trail crosses the rain forest, then up to view Castaño Overo Glacier. At this point bid the horses farewell, and continue on foot to Otto Meiling Refuge. After lunch, you will be fitted for grampons (special shoes with spikes) and harnesses to begin your adventure following the glacier leg of the course on the Castaño Overo Glacier with magnificent views of the Andes, the longest mountain range on the planet. A glass of wine and the sunset behind Mount Tronador followed by a toast, ends this wonderful and scenic day. You will spend the night in the comfortable mountain atmosphere of the Otto Meiling hut at the foot of the glacier. Dinner.

Day 9 – San Carlos de Bariloche (Mt. Tronador / Pampa Linda)
Breakfast. A morning hike on the glacier will take you to the "Filo de la Motte" Ridge. After lunch, begin the hike down to Pampa Linda, stopping at Castaño Overo waterfall. Lunch. This beautiful fall looks as though it will never reach the ground. If luck is on your side, you may also witness the thundering avalanches that give “Tronador' (Spanish for Thunder) its name, down the cliff from the Glacier. A farewell dinner brings your adventure to an end, as you spend one last evening at Pampa Linda with new and old friends.

Day 10 – San Carlos de Bariloche
Breakfast. Early transfer to Bariloche. Time at leisure for shopping in downtown Bariloche. Everyone is free to explore at leisure. Rendez vous somewhere (to be setup by the guide) depending on flight departure schedules. Then transfer to the airport.