Refugio Frey, Argentina. Looks like a nice place.

[Stefan]

Anybody been here? Got this from a friend who was there about 8 weeks ago.

 

What I would like to know is the woman on top or the man on top in the chair and is that their pants by the boulder?

 

http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=589

[MysticNacho]

Not such a great place.... if there's a guy with a telephoto lens and a box of crackerjacks peeping behind every boulder!

[bubblebutt]

Where is this place exactly. I'm planning a trip to Patagonia and this looks very intersting. Anybody got beta!!!

[Dru]

Its an alpine cragging area in Argentina. Near Bariloche. Nice spires. Also sexy Argentinian trad chicas in sport bras.

[forrest_m]

It is above the ski resort town of San Martin de Bariloche (most people just call is “Bariloche”). While technically in the same province as Fitzroy et. al, it is about 500 miles north. It’s a reasonable side trip if you’re planning to travel in Argentina anyway, but it’s pretty out-of-the-way from how most people get down there. There is bus service, I think it’s about 20 hours… it took me 5 days to hitchhike from Rio Gallegos.

 

The valley itself is a nice place, lots and lots of climbing from 1-10 pitches on good (though usually not immaculate) granite. Routes with fixed gear are pretty spicey, though it’s been years since I was there and it is likely that the Bosch revolution has arrived in the meanwhile. The whole valley was very crowded, not so many climbers, but tons of trekkers. Hut serves decent meals, though I remember thinking that it is kind of expensive. When I was there, they didn’t mind us hanging out in the hut on bad weather days even though we weren’t staying there, but that probably depends on how crowded it is. You can take a city bus from Bariloche up to the ski area then hike (about 2 hours) up to the hut. The Bariloche area is pretty pricey, it’s a major resort destination. In the summer, graduating argentine high school students flock to the area, making it sort of an alpine Ft. Lauderdale. (In the winter, it is a huge ski resort). You can save money by camping in the valley (free), but you have to compete for space with free roaming mules and horses. They hobble pairs of them together to keep them from running off, so they stumble around the valley all night like a seven-legged-race. I lay awake night after night wondering if they were about to trample me in the tent.

 

Don’t know anything about the pants.

 

[Jim]

I was down there a few years ago while climbing for 3 months. For a nice trek you can take the back (high) route. Catch a ski lift (they run up to the cafe) and then start your hike. Just some ridge running basically but stunning.

 

The hut is next to a lake amongst the shrub beech. You can stay in the hut but most folks camp and get a meal and beer from the hut folks. The climing is great, there's one popular pinnacle 10 min from the hut. Gotta do Torre Principal, the highest tower. It's like 4 long pitches of around 5.8 with an 40 ft ending of "aid" - several rebar lengths pounded in and glued. That last bit is around 5.9 if you avoid yarding on the rebar (I yarded - it was getting late). Lots o' condors hannging around.

 

You can pick up a guide (I can copy you one if you're serious) from the Barolochie Climbing Club headquarters. Relando Garribaldi authored it, was lucky enough to meet him near Fitroy before we went and he supplied beta on some good routes. Baralochie has the best chocolate also. Good bus service to Baralochie.

[cj001f]

Bump, for good beta, and 'cuz I'm down that way for 2 weeks starting not soon enough.

 

Q: Lake district volcanoes(esp. Chile - Villarica, Tronador) - if one of your party is a member of an alpine club w/experience is that good enough for a permit?)

[dylan_taylor]

One of the easiest ways to get to Bariloche is via Puerto Mont, Chile. It is a 9 hour bus ride, pretty cheap. I thought frey was amazing, conidering that it is in "Patagonia" but the weather doesn't always suck. Its a lot like going to Washington pass, except that the rock doesn't grind off when you smear on it. The face routes are spicy and sandbag. I've never seen so many 3/8" buttonheads. The crack routes are awesome, and a little soft on the ratings. THere are classics from 5.6 to 5.12+. Most of the routes are short, the longest routes being on Cerro Catedral (4-8 pitches and 5.8 to 5.11 depending on route choice). Some of the best routes are the one and two pitch routes that ascend the micro-spires and gendarmes scattered about. And the cracks on the Campanilla are splitter. Camping is free, and since the economy in Argentina has been rock bottom since January 2002, eating in the hut is cheap. In early 2003 beers were 3 pesos (around a dollar) and pizzas were 14 pesos (about five bucks) and feed up to three people. I thought Bariloche was dirt cheap compared with what Argentina was like back when they were pegging the peso to the dollar. And the blue-eyed latinas with tight shirts are hard to beat...

[John Frieh]

[cj001f]

Yeah I saw your picture NOLSe - am expecting it to be a bit warmer. If it's not I'm heading wine tasting.

 

Thanks for the transport advice Dylan, taking the plane from BUE. rented a car, going to cruise around on kidney busting gravel.

[ryland_moore]

I wouldn't call Bariloche Patagonia. It is considered the Lakes District and just east of Purto Montt. The coolest way there is you are down in Patagonia and not travelling by bus is to take the Navimag boat from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt, then get on a bus to the Lakes District/Bariloche. Or, you can hit it on the way down assuming you are flying into Santiago. The Navimag boat goes through the fjords of southern Chilean Patagonia where there are no roads. Pretty awesome trip in itself and super cheap. Bariloche does have some of the best crag rock climbing although there are some nice spots not too far from Puerto Natales. Ask the guys at the hostel with the bouldering wall on the outside in Puerto Natales. You will see this place as all buses go right past it on the way into town.

[cj001f]

I wouldn't call Bariloche Patagonia. It is considered the Lakes District

The Argentine's seem to consider Bariloche/Rio Negro, Patagonia

 

The Navimag's gone upscale in the past several years it seems.

[cj001f]

Q: Lake district volcanoes(esp. Chile - Villarica, Tronador) - if one of your party is a member of an alpine club w/experience is that good enough for a permit?)

A:Yes.

 

Standard MSR/etc gas canisters are available in BRC and elsewhere. White Gas is harder to find. Prices have gone up for Frey - Pizzas are AR$18 You can buy the Rolo guidebook at the CAB office on Morales in BRC; the looseleaf paper guidebook at the Refugio is the most complete. Routes are tough for their grade. If you try the Refugio Jakob to Refugio Italia traverse make sure you can get down what you went up; don't be like the f'ing Austrians who needed a rescue (roca con agua es mierda!)

[texplorer]

I have heard there is some good route potential in this area.

[cj001f]

I have heard there is some good route potential in this area.

Yes. Plenty of potential. Most of the spires in the attached pick have 1-2 routes, with plenty more possible. Cheap living, and the best season's just beginning (March from what I hear!)