Ascent to Cerro Tronador: 3-day adventure

Our ascent begins at the foot of the Cerro Tronador, in Pampa Linda with breathtaking views of the whole mountain. We will begin our walk along an easy path through a native forest of huge Cohihues. After crossing the Castaño Overa stream, the trail gently gains altitude for a couple of hours. Upon arriving at La Almohadilla, the vegetation begins to disappear to be then replaced by volcanic rock and snow. An hour later, we will arrive at the Meiling Hut at 1900 m which gives us incredible views of the glaciers around it. Before dinner we will practice some techniques of transit in glacier, rescue in cracks and we will have a talk about the plan for the following day. A long day awaits so we will have dinner early and go to sleep.

Early in the morning we will wake up, have breakfast and before we leave, we’ll check the equipment. We will leave the hut with headlights turned on towards the “Piedra Island”. There, we will be roped as we continue on the Castaño Overa Glacier. We will cross the “Filo de la Vieja” during the dawn and continue towards the “Depression” crossing a large field of cracks. In the “Depression” we will check how the group is and if we are all well to face the last effort towards the summit of the Argentine Peak, one of the peaks of Cerro Tronador. Once we cross the Col Reichert we will walk on the edge of the hill until we are below the summit. The last 50 meters are the most technical and steep. You have to be strong and attentive in order for the team to move efficiently. An ice climbing of about 50° takes us finally to the summit of the Argentine Peak at 3185 meters. Time to celebrate with the team!!! The descent is done following the same itinerary of the ascent. After 8 to 12 hours of adventure we will arrive at the hut to rest and enjoy a good beer!

If the energy is enough, during the morning we can practice some ice climbing skills in the cracks near the refuge. After lunch, we will begin the descent to Pampa Linda following the traditional road. Already at the base of the mountain we take the time to appreciate the achievement and enjoy the beauty of the mountains.