Cerro Ventana is a pre-range, or pre-cordillera, mountain that lays between the Andes and the Patagonian Steppe. It gets its name from “The Big Window” formed by a big boulder and some basaltic spires. The window is so large you can see it from town! Cerro Ventana guided hike takes around 3 hours to the summit. Once you are at the top, the terrain offers an easy walk over the ridge that invites you to combine few summits in a day.

There are beautiful views of the huge Lake Gutierrez and the granite spires of Cerro Catedral, that look like medieval castles on the top of the ridge. Good option for a unstable weather day!

We strongly recommend hiring a Professional IFMGA UIAGM or AAGM Mountain Guides.

Cerro Challhuaco lays in the Nahuel Huapi National Park, and is a beautiful, mellow summit in the pre-cordillera range between the Argentine Andes and the Patagonian Steppe. Even the 4×4 drive to approach to the trailhead through the National Park is amazing with interesting rock formations and lots of crystal clear streams! The hike begins by a charming little mountain hut, and our hiking guide will take you along a gently-climbing trail through the forest.

Many wildflowers color the forest floor, and you may be able to see some local fauna like the large pileated woodpeckers. The trail takes you by a little mountain lake which is home to a species of frog found no where else in the world! Once you’ve reached the end of vegetation, the tree line, your hiking guide will take you up a mellow scree slope for about 2 more hours of hiking to arrive at the summit of Challhuaco. Enjoy views of the dramatic Patagonian Steppe and the Andes Mountains. This is a nice day of exercise, hiking around 4-5 hours total on a good forest trekking trail and some mellow alpine scree terrain.

We strongly recommend hiring a Professional IFMGA UIAGM or AAGM Mountain Guides.

When the first pioneers came to Northern Patagonia, they fell in love with the aesthetic Cerro Lopez.  After WWII, many Europeans relocated to the Bariloche area, and mountaineers from the Alps, such as Otto Meilling, used this peak to do some of the first mountain guiding in Bariloche.  Our guides still love to share the allure of Cerro Lopez that generations of mountain-lovers have always appreciated:  amazing basalt spires, such as Aguja Lürs, a big open bowl that attracts backcountry skiers when it is filled with snow in the winter, and the exposure to the west of the untouched Nahuel Huapi National Park.

Even the drive from Bariloche to the trailhead is spectacularly scenic!  Cerro Lopez sits on the corner of two arms of the Nahuel Huapi Lake beside the beautiful Cerro Capilla.  The trail begins in the Llao Llao area, and your hiking guide will lead you on a gradual climb through the forest.  As soon as you gain a little altitude you can enjoy the incredible views of the Patagonian Lakes District and the Andes Mountains make a dramatic backdrop. The flora along the trail changes with the elevation as well, from bamboo, ancient coihue trees, cypress, and lenga forests.

In about 2-3 hours of hiking, your guide will bring you to a little mountain hut at 1,700 meters.  We can enjoy our lunches here with the incredible views of the pristine  protected lands all the way to Chile.  This can be the point where we turn around and head back down.                              

If you have endurance for a long day of hiking, your guide can take you to the summit of Cerro Lopez (2200 meters). From the hut to the summit is another 2-3 hours of hiking on alpine terrain.   With the help of your mountain guide, you will climb through little alpine meadows, along a little lake, on rocky domes, and along the ridge on compacted scree. In the spring, there are still little snow patches on the dome.

Views of the Andes from Cerro Lopez are amazing. From the summit, you will appreciate the incredible Mount Tronador (3354m ), Volcano Osorno, Volcano Lanín, and Nahuel Huapi Lake.

We strongly recommend hiring a Professional IFMGA UIAGM or AAGM Mountain Guide.

Frey mountain hut along the cerro Catedral ridge trek is a classic of the classics for day hikes around Bariloche. Refugio Frey attracts mountain sport enthusiasts from all over the world to backcountry ski, rock climb, and hike. It is a quaint mountain hut in a breath-taking location in the Nahuel Huapi National Park.

With our hiking guide, you will start at the Cerro Catedral Ski Resort and take the chairlift or gondola to the ridge. This way, we gain a lot of elevation quickly, and from the top of the lift, the terrain is mostly a good, solid alpine trail formed on scree.

While hiking along the ridge of Cerro Catedral, you will have excellent views of the Argentinian Andes Range, the mountains of Northern Patagonia, waterfalls cascading down in the valley, and many of the huge lakes of the Patagonian Lakes District. After about two hours hiking along the ridge, your mountain guide will take you down into Toncek Valley which has high meadows, golden granite boulders, and Refugio Frey sitting beside a bright blue alpine lake at the base of a cirque of huge granite spires.

Rest at Frey Hut, having some lunch, and even a splash in the lake if you’re up to it! You may get to see some rock climbers that look like little ants on the golden granite spires. The hike down from Refugio Frey is approximately two hours on a good forest trail crossing several pretty creeks. There are good views of Lago Gutierrez, and if we are lucky we may see some pileated woodpeckers. Back to Cerro Catedral Ski Resort parking lot. Drive to hotel in Bariloche.

We strongly recommend hiring a Professional IFMGA UIAGM or AAGM Mountain Guides.

This gear list is designed for Day Hikes in the Mountains, with warm clothing and all the basic you need to travel safe and light in the mountains

• Backpack 25-30
• Trekking, Running or approach shoes for hiking comfortable in the mountains
• Thin Quick dry pants with Schoeller material (North face, Mammut or similar)
• T shirt- Capilene or Merino wool base layer is 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
• Warm hat
• Sun hat
• Sunglasses with UV filter
• Sun screen and lipstick
• Pocket knife
• Waterbottle Nalgene or similar
• Hiking poles
• 0.5 liters termo for hot drink (optional)
• Iphone/ Ipod music player/camara- optional

This trip is in the Heart of Nahuel Huapi National Park, takes 80 km drive to get there. The drive is stunning and beautiful where you will see the Majestic Queen of the Park, Mount Tronador our highest peak in the area with 3554 mts and beautiful hanging glaciers and glaciated peaks. We have two hikes here according to your level. The first one is only to the waterfalls of Castaño Overa glacier, shorter hike of 2 hours to see the impressive mountain from closer. The other option is to hike to 1500 mts altitude  gaining 400/ 500  meters elevation gain and do a longer trek to see the glaciers from closer with  higher views. Both trips are pretty and you will enjoy the dense forest as well.  Check the slider for reference