BARILOCHE BACKCOUNTRY SKI TOURING WEEK
Length Trip
8 days
Ski Season
Mid August to mid October
Level
Beginner to Intermediate Backcountry Skiers
Style
Ski Touring- Ski Mountaineering- Alpine Ski Touring- Backcountry skiing
This trip is a perfect combination of a warm up in the ski area of Cerro Catedral, adding some classic day ski touring trips in Bariloche area, combined with some days in Refugio Frey that is renowned as one of the best ski huts in Argentina! The setting is magical: a cirque of golden granite spires and the couloirs in between the towers come down to merge at a frozen lagoon. Frey Hut sits beside the lake in the peaceful wilderness of Nahuel Huapi National Park. The cirque offers all aspects of 5 star AT terrain for every backcountry skier.
At the end of a beautiful day of backcountry skiing, Frey Hut offers excellent Malbec wines, beer on tap from local microbreweries, homemade pasta, pizza, and fondue!
Then we will do another ski adventure for 3 days in a beautiful High End hut accessing with snowmobile to ski terrain, having 4 stars cuisine in the hut for 2 nights
Day 1:
Pick up in airport at your arrival. Drive to Hotel and check gear for next day.
Night in Hotel
Day 2:
Ski Resort or day trip to backcountry
According to clients, we go to the ski area to do some warm up skiing with short skinning, boot packs and get the best of it to be ready for our backcountry adventure.
If clients are motivated we can start with a backcountry ski day out of the resort directly, anyway this evening we go back to hotel.
Night in Hotel
Day 3:
Frey hut
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.
Night in Frey Hut with homemade pizza, fresh pasta, micro-brewed beer and/or fondue.
Day 4:
After breakfast we get our skis and skins ready, and make our way across the frozen Laguna Toncek looking for the aspect that holds the good snow. It is easy to find hidden powder in the cirque. Your ski guide will be able to show you the variety of terrain Frey has to offer for every AT skier to get in a nice long day of fresh tracks. We’ll bring lunch with us so we can eat it while enjoying the views of the Patagonian Andes. Back down to Frey Hut for another homemade dinner.
If weather doesn’t cooperate, it is nice and cozy in the hut. Enjoy a cup of tea by the fire while reading a book or chatting with other backcountry skiers who come here from all over the world.
Night in Frey Hut.
Day 5:
After breakfast, we can ski one more run if you’re up to it, and then start skiing and skinning our way back to Villa Catedral.
Your mountain guide will drop you off at your lodging in Bariloche.
Night in Hotel
Day 6:
Cerro Villegas – ***** Cozy alpine hut – Gourmet food
Early in the morning pick up in hotel, we prepare our packs with sleeping bag inclusive and drive to the mountains for around an hour, some 4×4 river crossing involved to get to location and at the end some short snowmobile driving to get to the hut. Easy access to this remote location.
We access to the hut at mid-morning, leave our stuff and go for some ski touring exploration above tree level.
Night in the hut
Day 7:
Ski touring for the day towards Cerro Villegas, a freeride paradise with little chutes, several orientations and generally good snow since is a bit far from humidity of the lakes.
Options are endless and we pick up the best according to snow conditions.
There are at least 3 different summits and several peaks to explore with all kind of terrain.
Night in the Hut
Day 8:
Repeat ski touring for the day towards Cerro Villegas, a freeride paradise with little chutes, several orientations and generally good snow upthere.
Options are endless and we pick up the best according to snow conditions.
At the end of the day we drive out back to Bariloche and go for asado (parrilla) at classic restaurant
Night in Hotel in Bariloche- End of Services
Optional adds up:
- Heliski day according to conditions
- Cat skiing day according to conditions
- Ski touring day in different location or Off piste ski access in resorts nearby Bariloche
- Booking of hotel through us according to your needs from Hostel to 5 stars Hotel, we leave option open
IMPORTANT:
Villegas and Baguales Reserve is a Private lodge with limited visitors access according to time of the year. It is possible that we need to change the Villegas/ Baguales days for similar plan hut or day trips on the go. Please be flexible on this 🙂
Itinerary is flexible and could be modified by UIAGM-IFMGA mountain guide according to fitness of the clients, weather and facilities of logistics. Itinerary is a guideline!
Anyway we will find the good backcountry skiing, fresh snow, the powder, the chutes, couloirs, tree skiing and the fun of skiing during that week ! So no worries! Call us for any questions!
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
PHOTO GALLERY
2850 USD per person
Certified UIAGM- IFMGA Mountain Guides
4 WD transportation
All meals in the mountains
Lodging in Frey Hut
Lodging and meals in Baguales hut
Snowmobile help and one lift ticket to Frey hut, good bye dinner!
1-8 August 2020
Will sell out! few spots left
ANDESCROSS
IS RECOMMENDED BY