Another sunny, clear, perfect, beautiful day in Bariloche.
Today, I took the bus out to Nahuel Huapi National Park, to one of the mountains called Cerro Campaniaro. The views from the top are supposed to be unparalleled. There is a chairlift that goes to the top, but there’s also a hiking trail and it’s only about a half-hour hike, so I opted to walk it. Well, it may be a short hike, but it’s short n’ steep. The incline of this walk put even the steepest pitches at Torres del Paine to shame. Most of the way was straight up, with the last portion being a scramble with hands over rocks to reach the summit.
I walked it slowly, pausing a lot to take photos along the way, and made it to the top in about an hour. There’s a little cafeteria up top that was packed full of tour groups and such. Anyway, the view really was amazing. Since it was so clear, I could see for miles, with a great view of the entire area’s lakes and mountains and the towns below. Truly spectacular.
After cheating and taking the chairlift back down – no way could my knees handle that hike in reverse – I headed back to Bariloche. Lupper at a pub followed by a bit more chocolate (who could resist?) and then more wine and poker with the hostel crew. I think Bariloche is one of my favourite places in the world and I will be very sad to leave tomorrow.