andes mountains | Wander Argentina

Roaring Mount Tronador & The Black Glacier

Mount Tronador, only 90 kilometers from downtown Bariloche, is one of the most accessible and popular destinations in Patagonia.

The ‘thundering mountain’ is the highest peak in Nahuel Huapi National Park at 3.491 meters above sea level. It gets its evocative name from the crashing sound of its melting glaciers when they fall.

Cerro Tronador is a volcanic mountain, or stratovolcano, inactive for the last 60,000 years. Visitors need not worry — chances are slim it will wake up now.

This daytime tour from Bariloche can be done on one’s own by renting a car or booking a tour (feel free to get in touch with us to arrange it).

Due to the combination of mountain roads and rough weather conditions in winter, driving is only recommended for experienced drivers who won’t get too distracted by the stunning scenery.

A 4×4 vehicle is required in the winter months (June, July and August).

The only way to get close to the mountain on public transportation is to take the bus from Bariloche to El Bolson and ask the driver to let you off at the Tronador diversion.

Hitchhiking isn’t common on this stretch, but it may be the only option to avoid getting stranded if dropped off by the bus.

⇒ Explore activities in around San Carlos de Bariloche

Argentina’s Historic Route 40

The road that initially leads visitors to Mount Tronador is the historic Route 40.

One of the longest roads in the world, RN 40 is Argentina’s counterpart to the U.S.A.’s Route 66, Australia’s Stuart Highway, and Canada’s Trans-Canada highway.

The road is also known as ‘Libertador General Don José de San Martín,’ in honor of revolutionary and star of the five-peso bill.

‘Ruta 40’ stretches across Argentina from La Quiaca in the northern Jujuy province to Cabo las Vírgenes, at the tip of the country in Santa Cruz province.

For many years, RN 40 was a gravel road memorialized for its ruggedness by travelers such as English novelist, Bruce Chatwin, who wrote about it in his classic, La Patagonia.

In 2004, Route 40 was decreed a National Site of Tourist Interest and paving began. Today Route 40 is almost fully paved.

Argentina and Chile’s Natural Boundary

From Bariloche, go south on route 40 for about 15 kilometers until reaching Gutierrez Lake in a zone known as ‘the Water Division.’

This huge wetland, called ‘Mallín’ in the indigenous Mapuche language, was formed during a stationary phase of the Ice-Age.

When the glaciers reemerged, they formed what today is the Gutierrez Lake basin.

This huge wetland changed the direction of the water flow. On one hand Gutierrez Lake is part of the Nahuel Huapi basin which, along with the Limay river, flows out to the Atlantic Ocean, while Mascardi Lake like most western side lakes and rivers, flows into the Pacific.

Until the 18th century the natural watersheds were considered the natural border between Chile and Argentina, but when explorer and academic, Francisco Pascasio Moreno proved that the course of the rivers could be changed, the government declared that the boundary between the countries should cross from the highest peaks of the Andes Mountain ranges, including Mount Tronador.

Activities on Lake Gutiérrez: ‘Eye of God’ Lake

The glacier transformation that took part in this region millions of years ago created magical scenery of wild nature surrounded by various-sized lakes.

Gutiérrez Lake is in a valley surrounded by Otto hill, Cathedral and De la Ventana mountains. The native Tehuelches named this lake, ‘The eye of God’ and later the Mapuche tribe called it Carre Lauquen, meaning ‘Green Lake.’

After the Julio Argentino Roca-led genocide against indigenous peoples, in 1877 the original names were supplanted by ‘Gutiérrez’ — the name of a the head of the Ministry of the Interior, who was also a mentor to Moreno.

Pristine Gutiérrez Lake is perfect for fishing, kayaking or stand up paddle. Since it is sourced by rainwater and not melting glaciers, it’s warmer than Nahuel Huapi Lake and has many small sandy beaches and camping areas along its shores.

The Coihue forest, named after the evergreen tree of the same name, offers a lush area for horse riding and trekking tours. Villa Los Coihues also has a paleontological museum where visitors can appreciate the geological evolution of Patagonia, one of the densest areas for dinosaur fossil discoveries in the world. To find the ranger post walk two kilometers from the Coihue Village along the western part of the Gutierrez Lake, or take the public bus n°50 on the frontage road.

Heading up from Mascardi Village

For those visiting Mount Tronador and the Black Glacier on their own it’s important to check the car’s oil levels in the ACA gas station in Mascardi Village, because it’s the last place to do so before ascending. This outpost, 27 kilometers from Coihue Village, was built 1940 by the Christiani & Nielsen construction company, famed for constructing the Civic Center in Bariloche.

It’s is also a lookout point of the next stop, Mascardi Lake, known as ‘Seven Colors Lake’ because of the color variation it has during all seasons of the year.

Named after a 17th-century Jesuit missionary, its surface area is 40 square kilometers. The 200 meter-deep lake is formed in a V shaped with two arms formed from the melting glacier’s path. The Cathedral arm is seen first,where the Guillelmo stream flows into it. This crossing point is where to verge right onto the rubble province road 82 that leads toward Tronador and Cascada de los Alerces.

The Tronador Route & Isla Corazón

Five hundred meters up the road is the the ranger station where visitors pay the approximately US$10 entrance fee to enter Nahuel Huapi National Park (important: it can only be paid in cash — in pesos, other currencies are not accepted).

The road then goes along the Playa Negra (Black Beach) with a view of Mount Bonete, the Ande’s fifth highest peak in the background.

After nine kilometers the road reaches the Los Rápidos Campground. The area get its name, meaning the ‘the rapids’ because this is where the Manso river flows off the Rio Manso Glacier – one of the fourteen on Mount Tronador – and finally flows out into Mascardi Lake. The Manso River contains a great quantity of glacier minerals so it appears brilliant green in sunlight. During the fishing season, this is a perfect place for fisherman to cast a line — it’s considered fairly easy to catch native Brook, Brown and Rainbow trout here.

Fifteen minutes up the road from Los Rapidos is the lookout point for Isla Corazón (Heart Island) — or ‘Piuké Huapí’ in the Mapuche language — in the Tronador arm of Mascardi Lake. This heart-shaped island gets its name from a Mapuche-style Romeo and Juliet drama involving ancient enemy tribes.

The legend goes that two young lovers were separated by their rival families, so they kept their relation secret until they were caught together and rounded up on the border of Mascardi Lake. The two lovers had no other option but to jump into the cold water to try and swim to the opposite shore. While crossing they started to feel the symptoms of hypothermia so they embraced each other to keep their bodies warm. According to the legend, after the lovers drowned, they were transformed into a heart shaped island.

Not surprisingly, this romantic spot enjoys a reputation as a unique place to pop the question.

Trekking to Pampa Linda

From Isla Corazon it takes about 30 minutes to get to the next destination, Pampa Linda. This camping area with a small restaurant is where lunch is served on the official tour.

This is the spot with the best views of the Mount Tronador and its three peaks — the western peak is in Chile, the eastern one in Argentina, and the middle one marks the border point between the two countries.

Mount Tronador has fourteen glaciers — products of the last glacial period that occurred more than 10,000 years ago. Mount Tronador is one of the most important glacier-accumulation areas of Patagonia, having seven principal glaciers, three on the Chilean side and four on the Argentinean side. Bring a good pair of binoculars, to see the Manso Glacier and the Castaño Overo Glaciers in detail.

Pampa Linda is the starting point for various treks from easy to difficult, ranging from one hour to two days.

The ‘Saltillo de las Nalcas’ trek to a waterfall is an easy family option that takes about 1.5 hours to complete. There are also guided tours to climb the glaciers offered for those in decent shape who have the proper equipment. It’s not recommended to for amateurs unfamiliar with the area to hike the glaciers without a guide. Those who do will want to fill out the online trekking registration and make sure to inform to the park rangers of their plans.

The Otto Meiling Mountain Hut

The adventurous who want to climb the glacier may opt to do a five to seven hour trek 1,200 meters up from Pampa Linda to the Otto Meiling Shelter.

The shelter is named for its founder, a German mountaineer who immigrated to Argentina (along with many other Germans) and built the hut in the 1950’s. Meiling continued to climb in the area well into his 80s.

During winter season the shelter has no service, but from December to April it provides meals, decent accommodation and guided excursions of varying difficulty.

It’s located between the Castaño Overa and the Alerce glaciers, 2000 meters above sea level. Otto Meiling hut has one of the most privileged panoramic views of Pampa Linda, Paso de las Nubes Valley, the López, Bonete, Righi, and Mount Cathedral.

Otto Meiling is one of the most popular mountain huts of Bariloche, but it’s not part of the Official Tronador Tour. Previous snow and ice climbing experience is required due to the danger posed by deep crevasses. Anon peak, on the Argentina side is the easiest of the three peaks to climb, but many predict that it will become inaccessible within a few years due to destabilization caused by the warming of the upper troposphere.

The Black Glacier

An unpaved road climbs up to the Ventisquero Negro (Black Glacier), a reconstituted glacier full of sediment that gives it its namesake black pigmentation. A new lake that is less than 100 years old at the bottom of the glacier has the same green hue as the Manso River and other bodies of water in the region.

Mount Tronador is pure ice at its peak, surrounded by hundred-meter cliffs that generate the rumbling avalanches and landslides. The debris from the avalanches feed the lower lip of the glacier, giving it its dirty appearance.

At the conclusion of this trip visitors can trek to the Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat — not to be confused with Iguazú’s Devils Throat) waterfall, and be treated to a beautiful view of the natural melting cascade.

On May 29th of 2009 a shocking breakage happened in the dam that contains the Black Glacier, flooding Pampa Linda. Residents were evacuated by helicopter and luckily there were no fatalities. As one of the most accessible glaciers in South America, the event caused introspection into how global warming could wreak havoc on nearby populations such as Pampa Linda any day.

Argentina’s government is tracking the glacial drift — the country is one of the top 15 countries in terms of ice-surface levels. The country’s 16,968 glaciers combined are 41 times the size of Buenos Aires. According to a study by the Argentine Institute of Snow Science, Glaciology and Environmental Sciences (IANIGLA), from the 1970s until now, the the lower tongue of the Black Glacier has experienced a significant loss of ice.

Visitors who experience the constant thundering crashes of ice of the glacier will understand first-hand how import preservation of this pristine environment is for future generations. — Daniela Massolo

⇒ If you’d like to book an excursion to Mount Tronador and Black Glacier Day Trip, get in touch with us!

→ Wander Argentina can also arrange reasonably-priced custom trips to Patagonia, including Mount Tronador along with other attractions in Bariloche, alone or in combination with other Argentina destinations — get in touch via our contact form.

→ Read our comprehensive local’s guide to Bariloche, The ‘Switzerland of Argentina’

→ Check out a customizable four-day Bariloche itinerary

→ Read about the Andean Lakes Crossing Tour, another worthwhile excursion in the same area.

Final tips to Visit Mount Tronador

The total trip to Mount Tronador from Bariloche is about 77 kilometers. The black glacier is another 7 kilometers down the road. The route goes along national Route 40 for 37 kilometers and then along provincial Route 82 for 40 kilometers.
The route is one-way during peak hours

— Heading toward Mount Tronador the road is open from 10.30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

— Returning from the mountain, the road is open from 4 p.m.— 6p.m

- Two-way traffic permitted: From 7.30p.m. to 9 a.m.

– Do you need Travel Insurance?

Read our post, ‘Do you need travel insurance for Argentina?’ or click to get a free quote: World Nomads

Patagonia: Andean Lakes Crossing Tour

The landscape of Patagonia’s unparalleled beauty is the highlight of the ‘Cruce Andino’ Tour.

Bordering Chile and Argentina, the Andes Mountains stretch 4,400 miles from southern Venezuela along the western coast of the continent to the southern tip of the Argentina territory, making them the longest mountain range in the world.

With an average elevation of 3,962 meters above sea level, the Andes are also the second highest mountains in the world — only the Himalayas are higher.

More than 500 years ago, on the southern part of this mountain range, native Puelche and Poya people began to cross the Andes Mountain to trade root vegetables, seeds and ceramic goods, creating the first trade route between the pacific coast and central territory.

After Luis Ponce de León captured and sold Tehuelches (or ‘Fierce People’) as slaves in a 1649 expedition, the Spanish faced uprisings by the local population.

Nevertheless, the early indigenous groups here were wiped out by epidemics brought by the Europeans and through assimilation with Mapuche invaders. Later, the Huilliche and Mapuche continued to use this route to trade livestock.

Today this classic Patagonia journey is retraced by visitors on the 11-hour Andean Lakes Crossing Tour from Puerto Varas to Bariloche (or the reverse: Bariloche -> Puerto Varas).

Patagonia’s German Influence

Although centuries have passed since this trade route was established, the area wasn’t settled until Carlos Wiederhold, a German descendant born in Chile, crossed the Andes and set up a warehouse he named La Alemana (The German).

Immigrants — mostly from Austria, Germany, and Slovenia — began to settle in the area and thus was born ‘San Carlos’ in 1895, today the city of San Carlos de Bariloche.

This ancient immigration route crosses a variety of lakes including Llanquihue, Todos los Santos, Frías and Nahuel Huapi.

Throughout the region, visitors see the Alpine-style architecture typical of Patagonia dotting the landscape.

After the first world war, the journey was developed into a commercial tourism route by Ricardo Roth Schütz, an Argentine born to Swiss parents.

Today, people from all over the world visit this area, captivated by its virgin nature that has remained unspoiled over the centuries.

The Trip: Puerta Varas to Bariloche

Starting in Chile, the tour departs from Puerto Varas at 8 a.m. It begins with an hour-long drive around Llanquihue Lake, and through the Llanquihue Nature Reserve. During this leg of the trip you will be able to see the Calbuco Volcano, one of Chile’s most active on the right-hand side of the road, surrounded by the Valdivian jungle, a temperate rain forest.

Among the beautiful foliage in this rainy micro-climate is the Pipilvoqui, a climbing vine, that only grows natively in this region. The Arrayán, or Chilean Myrtle, is also unique to this ecosystem and dominates this area of the Quetrihué Peninsula. The endangered tree sheds its bark and features a distinctive red-colored trunk. Some specimens of the Arrayán in this area are 650 years old. The ash cloud of the Puyehue volcanic eruption in 2011 severely affected the trees here, but if the area remains unexploited they should repopulate in the rich volcanic soil.

After approximately 50 kilometers, the tour arrives in Petrohué to visit the Saltos de Petrohué (Petrohué waterfalls) crossing a short pathway to walk along the Petrohué river. The group then boards the first catamaran to navigate the calm Lake Todos los Santos.

On clear days, there are amazing views of the snow-capped Osorno volcano, Puntiagudo Hill and Mount Tronador, with its nine glaciers glistening on the summit. This first boat ride last for one hour and 45 minutes, and is the longest of the trip.

Puella, Chile: an Optional Overnight Stay

Once in Peulla it’s time for lunch and coffee surrounded by the immensity of the Valdivian jungle at the Natura Hotel, the only lunch option in this remote area.

Other activities at this four-hour stop in Peulla are canopying, horse riding and hiking. Visitors have the option to stay overnight at the homey four-star Natura Hotel Patagonia and continue the journey the following morning.

Whether staying overnight or not, the tour guides will provide the immigration form that required for the Chilean Customs Office.

Get your passport ready, eat your snacks and ditch your shank before going through customs — fresh groceries, dried fruit, and weapons are not permitted across the border.

From Peulla, a bus takes visitors through the Perez Rosales National Park for approximately two hours. On this stretch, the guides highlight the various bird and plant species of the 1,000 year-old Valdivian Jungle as well as the bordering points between Chile and Argentina in various stops.

Puerto Frías is the formal entry point to Argentina. In Puerto Frías visitors can see a replica of the 1939 Norton 500cc motorcycle that Ernesto Che Guevara used to cross the Andes and nicknamed the ‘La Poderosa,’ or ‘The Mighty One.’

Frías Lake is an emerald lake that gets its crystalline greenish color from the minerals that run off the melting glaciers. This smaller lake is only five square kilometers and its navigation takes around 15 minutes.

If the sky is clear, this portion of the trip provides one of the best views of the Mount Tronador, the highest mountain in Nahuel Huapi National Park, at 3,491 meters above the sea level.

In winter, shallow parts of the lake freeze into a turquoise color that lends itself to amazing landscape photos.

Puerto Blest & Nahuel Huapi Lake

Once the boat arrives to Puerto Alegre, there is a quick bus ride to reach picturesque Puerto Blest. In Port Blest there is time for a brief visit to the Hotel Puerto Blest, a lodge dating to 1904 (which was modernized and reopened in 2015) with an incredible panoramic view of the Cerro Tres Hermanos (Three Brothers Peak).

Those who chose to spend the night in Peulla, will arrive at Blest port around midday, which allows for an optional two kilometer walk to visit the Cántaros Waterfall. Those who do the whole tour in one-day won’t have time for this trek due to time constraints to get the boat to Puerto Pañuelo.

Nahuel Huapi Lake, located in the national park of the same name reaches across 557 square kilometers — the equivalent of three times the surface area of Buenos Aires. The greatest depth measured is 464 meters, in the Blest arm of the lake.

This last trip on Nahuel Huapi takes approximately one hour, passing by Isla Centinela (Sentry Island) and the Cascada Blanca (White Cascade waterfall). Centinela Island is where Francisco Pascasio Moreno, a scientist and explorer is buried with his family.

Moreno was a judge in the border negotiation between Chile and Argentina and declared that the frontier between the two countries should be based on the highest mountains instead of an aquatic boundary. Since this decision in 1902, the border is divided by the highest mountains on the Argentinean side of the range, such as Mount Tronador.

For his efforts, the national government donated a huge mass of land to Moreno, that is today part of the territory of Nahuel Huapi National Park. With this, Moreno became the creator of Argentina’s national parks, making Argentina the third country in the Americas to have a national park system.

In Puerto Pañuelo (Handkerchief Harbor) resides the emblematic Llao Llao Hotel, a circa 1938 hotel that is a traditional destination for VIP’s visiting Bariloche, such as the Obama family in 2015 and the 2018 G-20 summit.

The Llao Llao sits on a steep incline over the dramatic Punilla valley. This stop offers a good chance to take some pictures before the last bus stretch to downtown Bariloche, 25 kilometers from Puerto Pañuelo. In Bariloche visitors are dropped at their respective hotels.

Whether done in one day or two, the Andean Lakes Crossing Tour is an extraordinary experience for nature lovers through unforgettable Patagonian landscapes. —Daniela Massolo

⇒ Learn more about the Andean Lakes Crossing tour here.

→ See a Four-Day Bariloche Customizable Itinerary

Note: This tour can be done either way: departing from Bariloche or Puerto Varas. To arrange the trip from Bariloche, extend it into a two-day trip, or to get a specialized itinerary for your entire Patagonia vacation, please get in touch via our contact form with ‘Andean Lakes’ in the subject line.