Susan Aksu September 12, 2016

San Carlos de Bariloche is a stunning lakeside town on the Argentinian side of Patagonia. It’s a three-hour bus ride from the quaint town of San Martin de Los Andes and it is a popular location for seasonal vacations and end-of-the-school-year trips. The natural setting combined with a small city-town vibe is a place not to miss for someone looking to embark on some of the most beautiful hikes in South America even if you are not a very active or athletic person.

I present to you part two of my two-part guide to hiking in Bariloche!

Part I: Guide to Hiking to Cerro Llao Llao in Patagonia

Part II: Guide to Hiking Cerro Catedral in Bariloche, Patagonia

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If you are ready to take on a challenging hike while in Bariloche, you must do the hike to Refugio Frey and Cerro Catedral. I did this hike about five days before arriving in El Chalten to hike Cerro Fitz Roy. This hike, as well as the one to Cerro Llao Llao, helped me not only acclimate to the altitude, but it also helped condition me to be able to physically do that hike. Cerro Catedral is a ski resort in the winter, and in the summer it offers a great opportunity to explore northern Patagonia. These hikes are known for their granite pinnacles such as the ones at Cerro Frey, which are absolutely worth experiencing.

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Elevation: 7,890′
Elevation Gain: 950 meters (3116.8 feet)
Mountain Range: Andes Range
Length: 13 kilometers (8 miles)
Duration: 5-7 hours

Cerro Catedral

Hiking to Cerro Frey from Lago Gutierrez 

From either Central Bariloche or any number 50 bus stop take the 50 until the last stop which is Lago Gutierrez. Let the bus driver know where you are headed and he will let you know when you have arrived. When you get off of the bus, to the right of the lake there is a sign that says “Cerro Frey.” Walk up that road for about 15 minutes. You will end up at a ranger station/park office and from there you will see the trail head. Follow the trail and the signs that point to Cerro Frey.
Bariloche Bus
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The trail is completely straightforward. Once the landscape of the trail turns into an alpine valley, you will see that it is quite sandy, but it is actually volcanic ash from the 2010 eruption of Cerro Tronador.
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Once you get past this section, the trail becomes somewhat steep, but not for long. You will eventually come across cascades, which for a while you can only hear and because the view is obstructed by bamboo trees. Around this area you will come across a small refugio called A. Petricek, but it was closed when I was there. A kilometer or two later, you can actually walk along the cascades where you will need to cross a short foot bridge in order to continue along the trail to Refugio Frey.
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Depending on your pace, the hike to Refugio Frey can take up to five hours from Lago Gutierrez. Refugio Frey is more or less the half-way point of the loop to Cerro Catedral, however, you can hike back down the way you came and not go to Cerro Catedral. I suggest doing this if you are out of shape and there is snow along the pass. However, if yes you are ready for the challenge, very cautiously make your way up to the peak. If there is no snow, then head on up! When I was there, there was about knee to waist-deep snow at some points and of course, it would depend on how recently snow fell.
Refugio Frey

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Arriving at Refugio Frey

Refugio Frey is a refuge for hikers who are backpacking the mountains and need somewhere to sleep for the night.  I received various answers about the cost of using Refugio Frey. I was told that it was free to camp outside, but that you could purchase warm food here. However, I have also read online that it is $180 ARS per night to sleep inside and $45 ARS to use the kitchen. Due to not needing the services, I didn’t inquire about the cost. It would be best to stay on the safe side and have enough ARS with you to sleep and use the kitchen at those rates.

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Hiking from Refugio Frey to Cerro Catedral

Once you get beyond the pass from Refugio Frey, there is a trail that goes left to Cerro Jakob and one that goes right to Catedral. Hike towards the Catedral trail. At some sections, the trail has lots of loose rocks that are unstable, so proceed with caution and prepare to be adventurous! In both this and the instance with crossing snow, it would be beneficial to have trekking poles. Meanwhile, along the ridge, you are confronted by serious epic views of the valley below and snow-capped mountain towards Lago Nahuel Huapi.

Keep hiking the ridge until you begin to see signs of a ski resort and lifts. Locate the trail leading down and hike along the right for about an hour. You will see the ski resort’s parking lot and there you will walk to the bus stop and take the bus back into Bariloche!

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What to bring: Water, water purifier, trekking poles, lunch, snacks, windbreaker with a hoodie, sunglasses.

Experience Level: Somewhat experienced. This hike can take 5-7 hours depending on the trail conditions and also your pace. It’s about 13 kilometers to Cerro Catedral with a bit of steepness.

When to Hike: Unless you are a pro-hiker in snow with gators, it’s best to do this hike in the late spring t0 early fall which would be October to April. Start your hike early in the morning to avoid being caught in the trails in the dark or bad weather.

Planning to hike in Argentina? Read my Fitz Roy hiking  more guides and tips.

 

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20 thoughts on “Patagonia Hiking: Bariloche – Cerro Catedral and Refugio Frey”

  2. Can’t help noticing the sharp, jagged edges of those mountain peaks! The pictures are lovely and very tempting. Must have been an exhilarating trip filled with wonderful memories.

  3. Wow stunning photos, I would love to get up there and hike throughout the mountain peaks. I would also throw in some advice to include sunscreen in the list for things to pack. I’ve been hiking in snow many times and you don’t think to bring it with you, but the reflection from the sun can be brutal – been there learnt that!! 😀

  4. Looks spectacular. I like to think of myself as a fit person but when it comes to hiking, I do sometimes tend to take moderate routes over more strenuous ones (Maybe its the age factor or I am just lazy). This 5 hour hike in Bariloche looks amazing though. I def wanna do it if I am ever in Patagonia.

  5. Its been a while since I’ve read about a hike in the snow! I actually think I’d prefer it, hot weather usually drains my energy a lot quicker. Love your jump shot!

  6. I love hiking and hope to visit Patagonia. Thank you so much for the detailed information about Refugio Frey and Cerro Catedral. It looks like a spectacular hike.

  8. Looks like an awesome hike and what a view at the peak. We would love to go back to Argentina and tour around Patagonia it looks fantastic. Last time we were there we did BA and the Salta area. I really liked Argentina it is one of my favorite countries.

  10. Great post! We would love to visit Patagonia one day, this is definitely so,e more inspiration for us 🙂

  11. Hi there! Great post?! What month did you go? We are planning our trip and would like to know if there could be some snow there. Thanks!

    1. Hi Evan! I was there the last week of November / early December. I just checked cerro catedral on instagram just now and all of the most recent photos have snow at the moment. Not sure when you want to go, but Instagram might be a good last minute check to see the conditions. However, December you’ll have a better chance of having more cleared/completely cleared trails.

  12. Hi Susan, thanks for your thorough explanation of the route. I intend to do Refugio Frey in March. Doing the route as you did: you took the downhill path the last km back to Villa Catedral instead of the lift. Is the path easy to find and can it be done uphill (in the morning) – is it very steep or doable? Where is this path in relation to the lift if you go up with it?
    You are the only person I have found mentioning the path instead of the lift (which is quite expensive!). I would prefer to use it.

    Thanks!

    1. Hey Suzanne! I’m so excited for you to be planning this hike trip, it is really awesome. Just to be clear, you’re not starting the hike at Lago Gutierrez, but instead starting from the ski resort? The path should be easy to find, I can’t remember exactly but I think it was RIGHT UNDER the lift. You will definitely be able to see it because the trail obvious and i think in the summer people use it to mountain biking. It’s very doable, and I also remember quite a few switchbacks. This stretch is all a dirt hill, no crazy rock formations until you get to the top, amazing views from there. As far as the lifts, I didn’t even know they operated them in the summer! They were all off when we were there in November (spring) so hiking in and out was the only option and it was 100% fine. I would save your money and do the hike, just start early to give yourself time to enjoy it if you’re going to hike down the loop through Refugio Frey and to Gutierrez. After I received your comment, I read a few other posts where people said that they can’t imagine doing the hike without the lift and completing it one day, I think that they’re exaggerating! BUT if decide to hike up to additional mountain peaks, then I could see why the lifts MIGHT be useful.

  13. Sorry – another question!

    During the ridge walk: is the fall down to the valley RIGHT next to the path, i.e. very scary….or is there a bit of an area to prevent you from falling right off the cliff should you trip or slip a bit??

    1. GREAT QUESTION! There is a small section of the ridge where it is scary, and you have to be cautious but I remember there just being more rocks you would possibly fall on more so than off the mountain. I know this doesn’t sound good, but if I did it, i think it’s ok 🤣😂

  14. Thanks for great answers, Susan!
    I guess I will have to decide if I am willing to take the risk of the scary parts…

    Did you by any chance do the San Martin via 7 Lakes, Grand Circuit or Cerro Tronador daytrip with a tour company? I am quite sure about doing 7 Lakes, but can’t decide between the other two. The Grand Circuit appeals to me because I would love to see Lake Traful (everyone raves about it). There are overlapping though.

    I believe Cerro Tronador is a great trip, but I have seen glaciers on previous trips.

    Any suggestions?

    Thanks!

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