Hotel Tronador











Hotel Tronador has been our home for 4 days now. It is about 70km from Bariloche that you get to down a timed one-way road. It sits on a emerald green lake with mountains in the background, and the 3400m Mt Tronador at the end of the valley. It is called Tronador because of the thunderous sound of ice breaking away from the glacier and floating in the lake - not OUR lake, which is a little warmer.
We have spent each day walking for about 5 hours on the mountain paths to lookouts (usually very steep), over rivers and swing bridges, to other lakes, to glaciers, waterfalls and just generally in the forest. When we were at Mirador del Valle we saw two condors just above us.
The forest is interesting, as it has some flowers, but lots of native bamboo that gives it a tunnel effect in places. The days have been warm (25 degrees) and very sunny. In the afternoons the sun is VERY hot and we swim in the cool lake.
Everyone is very friendly, most people speak english, but some don´t and it has been fun and functional using the little spanish that I know.
I will try to upload more photos soon, but it is 11:30pm and this internet access closes half an hour ago!
Tomorrow we are planning an adventure - walking 18km to a refugio that is high on Mt Tronador, around the snowline. The track is flat for its first third, then climbs 1100m. We will sleep there overnight, and I´ll let you know how it went next posting (along with some photos hopefully).
We have met some Israeli people from Buenos Aires and we will contact them when we are there and they will show us around a little. We are both well, having a great time on the long days (sunrise 7:30am, sunset 10pm) with lots of walking and sleeping.
Hasta luego!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Sounds like you guys are thoroughly enjoying yourselves and the pictures you have posted look fantastic. I think the skull makes an improvement on your looks Les - I would of thought for Eva's blisters you would have found a local cure something made out of weird and wonderful ingredients!! Found any Argentinian Donuts??
2:18 PM
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