BACKCOUNTRY SKI TOURING HUT TO HUT TRAVERSE IN PATAGONIA
The best Ski Touring Traverse from Frey Mountain Hut to Jakob Hut
BACKCOUNTRY SKI TOURING HUT TO HUT TRAVERSE IN PATAGONIA
The best Ski Touring Traverse from Frey Mountain Hut to Jakob Hut
TRIP DETAILS
Since Bariloche has a big European influence, the pioneers of the area built a logistic of Mountain huts, that allow skiers and trekkers to move across the ridges of Nahuel Huapi National Park.
This is an adventure for skiers who want to backcountry ski (ski touring) from hut to hut in Lake /District of Northern Patagonia, spending few days in each hut skiing the goods of each valley searching for chutes, powder bowls and steeps with skilled professional local ski guides.
A perfect option for fanatic ski tourers who want to avoid the crowds of the resorts.
The Frey to Jakob hut to hut ski touring traverse is a classic summer trek that has some challenge when we do it skiing in the winter. We’ll be ski touring through the Nahuel Huapi National Park in Bariloche with excellent terrain for intermediate and advanced backcountry skiers exploring the beautiful Andes of Argentina.
Frey hut trip is described in another itinerary as “Skiing Chutes in between Golden Granite”.
The terrain offers great peaks and summit goals, and of course there is nice steeps and chutes option to ski the best of Argentina!
The Southern Andes offers gentle domes, tree skiing, the option of glacier skiing, steep and medium chutes surrounded by frozen lakes and granite spires. Many times we have deep powder for days and days in the south faces. This guided ski trip to Patagonia, Argentina offers the option to use a hut as a base to run different chutes in the same valley or we can travel from hut to hut enjoying the different valleys and views.
For this ski trip we strongly recommend hiring a UIAGM-IFMGA Mountain Guide.
INTINERARY
Day 1:
Day ski trip to test gear
We will take you to the ski resort with our professional Mountain Guides (UIAGM) and they will ski with you and show you the highlights and hidden places of Cerro Catedral Ski resort. Having nice short hikes to the ridges, enjoying the view of the Andes, Cerro Tronador and the closer lakes. In the afternoon, we’ll drive you to the hotel again and pack our gear to go for ski touring on next day.
Does not include lunch, we have lunch at the ski resort.
Night in Bariloche town
Day 2:
Ski to Frey Hut- Couloirs and Nice views
From the Cerro Catedral Ski Resort we will take the Alta Patagonia Lifts to get above tree line quickly. Skis on, and we skin up for less than an hour to the ridge and the border of the Nahuel Huapi National Park.
We’ll have excellent views of the Patagonian Lakes District before we drop into the Van Titter Valley, choosing the best aspect according to conditions and snow quality.
Once in the valley, we’ll skin up to Frey Hut, drop our gear, drink some water, and get a snack. Then we can head out to enjoy the area with a mellow run in the forest, an easy tour to explore, or a nice 40 degree couloir.
Homemade pizza, fresh pasta, micro-brewed beer and/or fondue.
Night in Frey Hut
Day 3:
Skiing in Frey Hut area
Ski touring across the nearby valleys of Frey area, picking the route according to the level of participants, Skin up, ski down, lunch and repeat, looking for the best terrain and snow we can find.
You get to a feeling of loneliness and remote Patagonia with the comfort of having the mountain huts to stay in. This ski traverse has some of the best ski terrain to play, from steep couloirs and chutes at all aspects to mellow open powder fields, nice summits and pure powder valleys of around 400 meters runs. Night in Frey hut
Day 4:
Ski touring traverse to Jakob Hut
Enjoy an early morning in the mountains with pink light of sunrise reflecting on the snow and Frey’s granite spires while we eat our breakfast. Pack our gear, skins ready, and start touring with your guide! We need to gain 400 meters elevation before dropping into a nice west face ski descent. Then some traversing an open valley that slowly gains altitude to the ridge above our destination with views of south face of Tres Reyes. Amazing view of the Patagonian Andes with no signs of civilization other than the cozy Jakob Mountain Hut at the end of the journey.
A lovely west face descent of about 30 degrees into the valley. Arrival to the hut, unpack, and make yourself at home.
The whole day of ski touring takes around 6-7 hours, so once we are settled in at the hut, you can relax for the rest of the evening.
Night in the Jakob/ San Martin Hut.
Day 5:
Skiing Jakob Hut surroundings- Cuernos del Diablo – Cerro Sella
San Martin Hut is a remote and beautiful experience. Your mountain guide will show you all of the Alpine ski touring options the area has to offer. According to participants’ ski level we will choose a suitable objective. There is thee beautiful summit of Cerro Sella and Constructores with an amazing ski line, or we can tour around the valley to explore this remote part of Fresco Valley in the remote Patagonia.
According to weather and snow conditions, we could ski Cuernos del Diablo (Devil´s Horn), which is the highlight of the area. Perfect mountain to ski. Jakob offer chutes and mellow terrain.
Night in the Jakob mountain hut.
Something for each level of every backcountry skier!
Night in the Jakob/San Martin Hut.
Day 6
Ski out to Civilization
Long day to ski out of the hut and back to civilization. It takes approximately 5 hours to tour back to the Cerro Catedral ski area. If weather or snow conditions do not cooperate to the return to the ski resort, your ski guide will take you out of Jakob on the trail summer hikers use. This 15km trail is in the middle of one of the most beautiful and scenic valleys of the Bariloche area.
Your ski guide will drop you off at your lodging in Bariloche.
End of guiding services.
GEAR LIST
This gear list is designed for Haute Route in the Alps, Hut to Hut trips in Patagonia, Frey Hut Skiing or any Multiday Mountain Ski Trip
- Backpack 35-40 lts
- Sleeping bag ideal 600/700 grams of down fill
- 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
For Ski Trips:
- Helmet
- Telemark, Split board or ski touring skis and bindings
- Ski, Snowboard or Telemark boots
- Skins
- Telemark, Snowboard or ski touring boots
- Shovel, Beacon and probe
- Boot Crampons and ice axe
- Ski crampons mandatory specially in the spring
- Ski poles
- Harness
- 2 Locking binners
INCLUDES
- All transportation
- IFMGA UIAGM Mountain guide Argentina & Chile
- All meals during the ski trip
- Accommodation in Mountain huts full board
- Emergency kit- VHF- Emergency stove
Not included:
- One ski ticket in the ski resort per person.
- One ski ticket access to Frey hut
- Meals in town
- Accommodation in town
- Ski touring gear (ski boots, skis, skins)
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