The town of Bariloche can be seen in the distance, nestled between high mountains and an enormous lake. Click images to enlarge.
I’m sitting in a hostel in Bariloche, Argentina. It is frigid outside, and the mountains above shine white with snow. An entirely different world than the sunny Estados Unidos summer I was enjoying a few days ago.
One of the best experiences I’ve ever had was my five week trip to South America a few years ago. After graduating college, a repeat performance was in order.
Skyler, who accompanied me last time, and Cooper, a new recruit, agreed to come along and chase the endless winter.
Cooper and I flew into Santiago, Chile a few days ago. We checked out the city for a few days and filled our airbags (made easy with the help of Phillippe Bouteille, of Whiteworld Freeride Company. Thanks!).
Cooper waiting for the Santiago City Metro with ski gear, during an abortive attempt to get a quick day of skiing in before heading south.
Later we met up with Skyler, and embarked on an epic bus journey 15 hours south to the Argentinean town of Bariloche. The decision to head there was easy, with good reports of snow around Bariloche, and our incredible time at Refugio Frey last trip.
What better welcome to South America than an authentic dinner of Steak and raw clams? Courtesy of our new friend Casey Earle, Thanks!
Pretty lakes and mountains on the way to Bariloche.
The scenery here is absolutely striking.
The snow and weather look good for the next few days, so we plan on heading up to the Frey hut, and staying as long as the conditions permit. Later, we may do some other trips in the Bariloche area, or perhaps head even further south, into the depths of real Patagonia.
Louie Dawson earned his Bachelor Degree in Industrial Design from Western Washington University in 2014. When he’s not skiing Mount Baker or somewhere equally as snowy, he’s thinking about new products to make ski mountaineering more fun and safe.
