Off to Refugio Frey
Trip Start
Mar 01, 2006
1
334
551
Trip End
Dec 01, 2007
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Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi,
Argentina
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
I was supposed to be ready at 10.30, when Toto and Aamit arrived to meet me at the hostel. I was still in bed and got up still sleeping... We had to repack our bags, leave some stuff at the hostel, buy the food, find our bus... it took ages, we were really slow. But somehow we made it to Catedral ski resort, from where we started the hike.
I was hungover. I think it is the Framboise they put in the beer
We started to walk, and I had waited for that moment to see if the good fresh air of the mountain would help with my hangover. It did not. I had a very strong headache. I took paracetamol, and half an hour later I was ok. That is, ok with the headache, but it was still a struggle to walk uphill. But I liked it, a small price to pay for thoughtlessly getting drunk on the eve of a 3 day trek.
We walked on the flank of the mountain, near lago Gutierez. The forest had been burnt on that side, only tall tree squeletons remained, and shorter vegetation was starting to claim its territory again.
The views were beautiful, the weather was great, I liked every moment of it.
At some point, in the forest, we came across a couple of woodpeckers, hitting like mad on lenga bark.
After a last part in short lenga shrub forest, we emerged near refugio Frey, on the shores of laguna Toncek. The site was beautiful, an enchantment. At the refugio there were 2 attendants (who collect the fees and maintain the refugio) and two friends of theirs who had come up with stuff for them. There were also two other hikers: Lucas was from Buenos Aires, on holiday, and Xue (pronounced Chui), a chinese born German who studied and lived in England.
We paid 25 pesos (6 euros) for the night, including kitchen use. That is similar to the price of a hostel. And it was soooo cold, I am hapy we did not stay in a tent. We cooked our food and had a nice evening discussing with the other hikers, who were headed in the same direction as us on the next day.
