Chile and Argentina, October-December 2014

Hi Jordan -- yeah, it would be great to hook up to climb. Do you know when you'll be arriving in Bariloche? I think I will spend the last half of October around Pucon, Chile, and then head to Bariloche right around the beginning of November, depending on weather and route conditions.

I'll be flying into bariloche October 14th. It will probably be a little cold and snowy in the mountains but I'll be there for a while. What's in pucon, chile?

I'll be in baliroche from probably the 17th October Jordan! I believe there's some lower elevation sport in the area which I'd be keen to check out if it's still too cold and snowy to climb in the alpine!

I'll contact you when I'm in baliroche. My email is shane.lonergan@gmail.com if you wanna contact me in the mean time! Where are you going to stay? I don't have any accommodation plans as yet so if you find a nice spot let me know!

Please post some info on conditions once you have a chance to see what's up around Bariloche.

Pucon has a bunch of peak bagging options and trad/sport cragging around town, as well as some really good (from what I've heard) multipitch trad routes at Las Peinetas, near the Argentine border. I've been told that October is a really good month there -- the snow melts off sooner than around Frey. I know some friends of friends who live in Pucon, which is also a bonus. I can contact them and share more info about the area if you are interested.

My plans are totally flexible. I can be in bariloche any time from Nov 13 - Dec 15. I'm trying to hit up climbing and trekking spots from bariloche to el chalten during that time, but I can start or end in either place depending on who i can find to climb/trek with asking the way. We can be in touch closer to that time, but if you're going to be around more in Nov than Dec, it might make more sense for me to start on the bariloche end if we can connect to climb.

Puco sounds amazing. What a fantastic problem South America has...too much climbing!!! I think I'll stick around bariloche since I'm flying there. But I was hoping to climb some peaks. Will bariloche have some moderately technical peaks I can check out nearby? I'm hoping for 30-50 degree couloirs, snow fields,scrambles, or similar.

Hey Becca,

I think you'll probably wind up with better weather and route conditions if you start in the north and work your way south as spring progresses. El Chalten and TDP will probably still be pretty cold and muddy in November. On the bright side, I think they should also be less crowded then... I trekked around TDP in late December last year -- the weather was great (at least by Patagonia standards) but the campsites filled up quickly every day, and it was hard to find a decent place to stay in Puerto Natales.

I expect to be around Bariloche for most or all of Nov and Dec, so we could plan to climb anytime that works for you. It will probably be a tad better for me if we shoot for early-mid November, but I'm flexible. I'll post another notice when I figure out when I'll arrive in Bariloche, but I'm shooting for sometime around Nov 1-5. It will depend on how the weather and climbing is in Pucon.

Hey Jordan, I'm still learning about the peaks in the region, but I do know that Tronador is the main summit in that area -- it's 1000 m higher than anything else around and is heavily glaciated. I climbed Volcan Osorno 9 months ago -- it's not far away on the Chilean side of the border and from Osorno, Tronador looked to be pretty "interesting" due to many crevasse fields, but not particularly steep. (Maybe it is very different on the side that faces Bariloche...?)

In November, you can probably find some good steep snow couloirs on the S side of Cerro Catedral, though I don't know how hard they would be to gain access to. There are lots more unnamed peaks to choose from, but I have yet to find any info available online. You should check out the area with Google Earth to see what strikes your interest. Once away from the Frey area, I think all the peaks in that part of the Andes are volcanoes, so probably not much steeper than 45 degrees. Other than Tronador, they should have small glaciers or just seasonal snowfields.

Pucon, is only about 100-150 miles from Bariloche, just a couple of bus rides through some of the prettiest scenery in Argentina. (Siete Lagos, Parque Lanín, and San Martín.) Worth a visit. However, you would need to pay $160 for a Chilean visa if you don't have one already. Hope this info helps with your planning... Please let me know if you find any other resources with useful details on climbing options. Looking forward to meeting you once we are both in Bariloche!

Thanks for the info, ill be sure to update this forum on conditions when I get to brioche. Man you seem to be a wealth of south American knowledge! Can't wait to join the club!

Hi Mike and others,

I am currently planning a trip to S. America from around Dec 15th to Jan 12th. Flying into Santiago and hope to make my way down the coast to Torres Del Paine and back within that month. I am not sure how feasible that is at this point, waiting to talk to a couple of friends who have spent more time in that area. Trying to hash out the specific details soon.

Anywho, if my route southward route crosses any of these places (I think I could easily swing by Bariloche), then I'd love to climb. I'm planning on bringing a light rack (nuts, single set of cams), climbing shoes, harness, helmet, and maybe a couple other things. Probably not my rope though.

Or if anyone is interested in some trekking let me know!

I am a bit worried as I know very limited Spanish. I'm starting to brush up on it a bit, and I fully expect it to make travelling a bit more difficult. Wondering if anyone has any advice or insight? It is times like this when I regret taking latin in high school..

I'll be traveling with double ropes and a full rack. Feel free to contact me when you get to bariloche.

Hi, I live in Santiago and would like to go to Frey from 7 to 13 of december for climbing. Looking for a partner. I have been there twice and I have all necessary gear. I speak English, Spanish and German (I am German).
Areas in central Chile eventually earlier but only on week ends.
Saludos,

Hey Holger, that sounds terrific. I also speak German and Spanish, though my German is really rusty from years of not using it. Let's plan on doing some climbs at Frey during the week in Dec when you will be there.

I finished work today and am totally free for the next 3 weeks. I was planning to arrive in Pucon this Monday, 13 October, and will probably stay for about two weeks if the climbing is good and if I can find partners. Do you have enough free time to come down to Pucon for the following weekend?

I am also open to climbing in other areas if that works for you. I will arrive in Santiago early this Sunday morning, on an overnight bus from Copiapó. We could go climbing somewhere close to Santiago if you are available this Sunday.

Tschüß,

Mike

Hey John,

A month will definitely give you time to explore some good parts of southern Chile and Argentina, but my advice is to try and focus on just a couple of destinations, rather than try to rush through all of it. The distances are huge. You could spend ten days just in Torres del Paine and not see all of it. (Especially if you want to actually see things and have to wait for the weather to clear.)

Let me know if you decide to make Bariloche one of your stops, and we can try to hook up for a couple of climbs. If you are going overland to TDP, it's pretty much on the way. But since your time is kind of short, you could be better off flying from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas and skipping Argentina, unless you really want to see Bariloche and El Chalten. Plus, it's another $160 to get a visa to enter Argentina...

For Spanish, it will really help you out if you study as much as you can. The Chileno accent is different than what you hear in other parts of Latin America. It would be worthwhile to buy or rent a Chilean movie like "No" and watch it a whole bunch of times, with and without spanish/english subtitles. You will save a lot of money and hassles if you have a decent grasp of Chilean Spanish, since you can avoid the gringo tourist traps. Buena suerte!

Cheers,

Mike

Hi Mike,
sounds good. I will not be in Santiago on Sunday because I am invited to a wedding in La Serena this night. Sunday I will do some bouldering (I am not a boulderer but "La Pampilla" is really a nice place, Granite blocks close to the sea). If you are interested and if you manage to change your bus ticket, give me a call: 66172891.

Pucon is a nice place but there is not much climbing around. Santiago is not a pretty city but has a lot of climbing spots close. I have no time during the week but lets meet anyway to make plans.
Tschüss,
Holger

Hi Holger, sorry that we will miss each other this Sunday. It would be hard for me to stay in Santiago for the promise of just climbing on some weekends. (I don't like cities very much...) So, I think I will have to look for a different location.

I had heard that there was good climbing near to Pucon and that it was a popular spot. Do you have recommendations for other crags or other towns that you think are a better option? (My favorite climbs are multipitch trad between 5.7 and 5.10a, or 5 to 6a in the French system.)

Hope you are having a good time in La Serena -- I have a friend who lives there and I hear that it's super hermosa. Cheers!

Hey Mike and Holger (& others headed to Bariloche),

I'd also be interested in Frey in early December. I should be finishing work on Chiloe around the 7th and therefore could make a longer visit to Frey. As I mentioned in my emails with Mike, I'd also really like to find a partner for one or two long moderates in Cochamo. Probably going to find an off-the-beaten path for some longer backcountry trips after that, but keen on more climbing too.

Mike, I probably won't be able to meet you in the Pucon area in the next two weeks, as it's just too complicated for me to get off the island by bus for a two-day weekend. In a couple weeks I can probably get another Friday off, and I'll see where you're at then.

Gabe

Sounds good Gabe... I made it to Pucon late last night. It's gorgeous around here; heading into the mountains this morning to go have a look around.

Hi Mike,
many interesting places are high in the mountains but therefore, especially in the south, have still plenty of snow (at least above, so the crags are wet). Very nice is Valle de los Condores above Talca, but it will have much snow and it has generally harder grades.
I understand that you dont like to stay in Santiago but there is plenty of good climbing in the mountains above (mainly Cajon del Maipo) and as the snow line is very high in this season there are lots of options.
There is a DAV hut:
dav.cl/wp/2014/06/refugio-l…
and several hostales in Baños Morales, you just need a partner.
Anyway, I have a friend in Pucon who works as a guide, you might contact him: Pepa, mobile 84680110.
You carry ski touring equipment? It's perfect time for backcountry skiing in the volcanos.
Holger

Thanks Holger -- Cajon del Maipo sounds like it would be a good place to climb. It's too bad that I had just bought my bus ticket to Pucon before I heard about Maipo. For now I will stick around Araucania and the Rivers Region. I'll plan on contacting Pepa today -- thank you for sharing his contact info. You are right about the snow: while hiking yesterday I found that there is still a lot of snow above 1400-1500 m. Backcountry ski gear was too much to bring, but I have crampons and piolets if I can't find any dry rock climbs. Cheers!