We organized a ride to Pampa Linda, the mini-town where the hiking starts and worked our way uphill. Argentinian trails (like Swiss trails) are steep and we put in a lot of work before breaking out into some great views. Here's the look back to Pampa Linda.
As we started to break above tree-line we also earned views to the summit of Tronador. The peak reminded us a lot of Mt. Rainier! It also marks the border between Argentina and Chile. That's the Castano Overa glacier on the left.
Of course, a hike on a high peak wouldn't be complete without a few snow crossings.
Finally, we arrived at the hut. They don't take reservations for the huts near Bariloche which was a relief to us because of our somewhat spontaneous plans. We liked their policy of waiting until everyone arrived to give out bunk numbers... but more on that later. We enjoyed the afternoon by the hut reading, and relaxing.
Dinner at the Otto Meiling was fantastic. I had lamb and Shannon had a beef stew. Life is pretty good when you're having lamb at 6,000 feet. Here's a view of our delicious dulce de leche pancake dessert.
The hut continued to fill up and our crammed proximity meant we got to meet a lot of good people (many on vacation from Buenos Aires). We may have been the only English speaking people in the hut this night and so many people practiced their English with us (and we hacked at our Spanish)... we privately began referring to ourselves as Dos Gringos.
The downside of all the good community? When assigned a bunk space we were given one twin mattress. "Just one?" we asked. "Yes, the hut is very full." In the end, we slept ok and still enjoy debating the exclusive-hut-with-reservations or sleeping free-for-all scenarios. For one night, high in the mountains, the community was worth it.
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