Day 1:
Your mountain guide will drive you from Bariloche, Argentina on a scenic road through the Nahuel Huapi National Park, to a little settlement, Pampa Linda, at the foot of Mount Tronador.

From Pampa Linda, we start the day on horseback and ride at a mellow pace through the forest for about 4 hours gaining a lot of elevation.  The horses will leave you and your mountain guide in a high alpine meadow, Mallin Chileno, near the Chilean/Argentine border.  Here we get our passports stamped in a very remote location.  Just a little hut in the middle of the Andes serves as the customs office!

With your mountain guide, you will hike from the border of Argentina and Chile on the south face of Mount Tronador.  There are lots of waterfalls and volcanic formations along the 3 hour hike to Refugio Tronador, aka Refugio Viejo.  This little mountain hut is at 2200 meters and very close to Tronador’s largest glacier, Glacier Manso.  Your mountain guide will set up the tents, or we can sleep in the vivac hut.

Night in tents or vivac hut Refugio Tronador.

Approx. 5-6 km with 450 meters elevation change in 4 hours of hiking.
Day 2:
Alpine start, gear up and head out across the glaciers to Pico Argentino (3200 m). We will hike over that invisible border line and cross from Chile back to Argentina. Your mountain guide will take you on a route hiking on a moderate slope across the glaciers.  The last last 300 meters or so of the climb is steeper, about a 40 degree slope on the snow, and only the last pitch is 50 degrees and requires some ice climbing. Your mountain guide will secure the team with an anchor here.

After summit of Pico Argentino, your mountain guide will take the team hiking back down across the glacier to another mountain hut, Refugio Otto Meiling.  This mountain hut, is fully staffed and offers excellent homemade meals and a nice wine selection if you’d like a bottle to celebrate!  Make sure to keep an eye out for the huge Andean Condors, the largest birds of flight in the world, who love to come play in the winds around Mount Tronador!

Night in Otto Meiling Mountain Hut.

*Optional attempt Pico International (3554 m) for very fit and skilled mountaineers.

Approx. 7 km with 900 meters elevation change in 6 hours of climbing.
Day 3:
After a nice breakfast in Refugio Otto Meilling, your mountain guide will take you back down to Pampa Linda. The first part of the descent is above tree line, and there may be snow or snow patches covering the rock in spring. Then, most of the hike is through a forest of lenga, coihue, and bamboo.

In Pampa Linda we can put down our packs and have lunch or a drink at the family-owned hosteria.  Then, your mountain guide will drive the team back through the Nahuel Huapi National Park to Bariloche.

Approx. 10 km with 900 meters elevation loss in 3-4 hours of hiking.

This gear list is designed for  Climbing Mountains in Summer time with glaciated terrain in the Alps or Patagonia, as Mont Blanc, Monte Tronador, Volcan Lanin

• Backpack 40-45 liters if you need sleeping bag bring the bigger
• Sleeping bag ideal 600/700 grams of down fill
• Sleeping pad as Therm-a-rest or similar
• 2 pairs of  sintethic socks (like Columbia or similar)
• Quick dry pants with Schoeller material (North face, Mammut or similar)
• Merino wool long underwear
• Water proof Goretex pants
• T shirt- Capilene or Merino wool ideal
• Thin fleece, like Patagonia R1 or similar with a hood ideal
• Mid fleece layer or synthetic Jacket with some insulation
• Down jacket or warm puffy
• Water proof Goretex jacket
• Thin Fleece gloves for skinning or waiting in belays
• Thick ski gloves
• Warm hat
• Sun hat
• Sunglasses with UV filter + Goggles
• Sun screen and lipstick
• Iphone/ Ipod music player- optional
• Earplugs… very recommended (for Mt huts, windy days in tents)
• Tooth brush and paste
• Headlamp (Petzl Tikka plus, Black diamond or similar)
• Pocket knife
• Waterbottle Nalgene or similar
• Thermos 0.5 liters ideal for warm drinks
• Crocs

Technical Gear:

• Helmet
• Mountaineering boots as Scarpa Phantom Guide, Sportiva Trango or Trango Evo- Crampon compatible
• Gaiters
• Boot Crampons and ice axe (Most of cases we provide them, so just ask us)
• Hiking poles
• Harness and 2 Locking binners (Most of cases we provide them, so just ask us)