Q: How many mountain adventures are too many in just a couple of weeks?

A: There is no such thing as "too many" mountain adventures.

That's why one week or so after going all the way to the summit of Piltri, we faced the awesome challenge of climbing a higher mountain and camping there for 4 days.

As usual we drove to the base with my dad and sisters, talking nonsense and listening to all kinds of very shuffled music. Then they walked us down this rocky road to a valley that is the proper base. I told Chey "Remember, this will be the hardest part of coming back".

 That valley is the confluence (that's a word, I looked it up) of two rivers: Encanto Blanco and Azul.  From there you can go to many different "refugios". We went to the hightest one because that's how hipster we are. *Note: Not real hipsters.

"Confluencia" of the rivers.

Before going up we stopped for a while, enjoying the view and having a beer to gather our strength. Then we were slightly tipsy for the first part of the hike, which was fun.

Chey, beer, and our backpacks: Stina Violeta and Apollo XIV

Very helpful and informative sign.

This climb was heavier than Piltri, even though it was less steep, because it lasted almost five hours.

The view, one hour into the climb.

At some point we passed a horse carrying down some gear for some lazy gringo tourists, and to get out of the way I fell on my back -with my backpack on- over a bush, like a pathetic turtle, but other than that we did pretty well.

Behind the horse you can spot a very embarrassed me, trying to get up.

We arrived to the refugio with time to look at the surrounding scenery, have some mate and find the most perfect camping spot to pitch our tent. Seriously, it couldn't have been any more perfect: soft grass, a few big rocks to make a fireplace, and a ring of trees protecting it from possible stalkers. *Note: we don't really have any stalkers.

Refugio Cerro Natación

First night got super cold after the sun set. We clearly don't care.

A perfect camping site 

Refugio-made beer by the fire

Chey thinks about the great mysteries of life.

Camping site during the day.

The time we spent up there proved again what a good camping team we are. We cooked yummy camping meals, explored all around, killed many march flies, had a few "refugio-brewed" beers, read Harry Potter in front of the lake and built cozy campfires.

A lake on top of a mountain

In the forest: Kate Moss.

A bridge fresh out of Lord of the Rings.

Refugio "Hielo Azul"

The refugio cat, being adventurous.

Right by our camping spot.

Mate and Harry in front of the lake

A cool lizard

Cauquenes

At some point we entered a Disney movie.

Magical creatures of the forest?

Chey exploring

A huge tree root, and happy us.

A few times we used the refugio kitchen, although I much preferred our little gas cooker under the stars, We also got to use the shower (a little wooden structure without any kind of roof, with a hose hanging over it which sprays you with fresh mountain water). And possibly the creepiest toilet ever, *See note at the bottom

Finally, the time came to go back. I can honestly say that the way down was harder than the way up (now with a 437% MORE march flies!!!), and as I predicted the little rocky road to the car park was the most accurate depiction of hell I've ever experienced.

Luckily, my wonderful dad was waiting for us at the start of the vehicle road , and when we got back to town we had a very welcome real shower and a delicious ice cream at Jauja.

Creepy toilet, exhibit A

*A small note on Creepy Toilets

Ever since we traveled to North Queensland, Chey and I have started this tradition of rating public toilets based on creepiness. There are many categories, but the main are:
-darkness
-bug-friendly corners (extra points if there are actual bugs)
-axe-murderer-friendly corners (extra points if there is an actual axe murderer, which luckily never happened so far)
-dirt
-how much it looks like a set for the movie "Saw"

We actually thought about starting a website on creepy toilets only, like "the travellers' guide to the galaxy('s public toilets)", but then we forgot about it,

Creepy toilet, exhibit B

Icy baths and rock skipping.

Emperor Meow does not like lakes. He thinks they're pointless masses of water.

In the area where El Bolsón is, there are several lakes and rivers: Río Azul, Lago Puelo, Desemboque, Puerto Patriada...  My dad really likes driving us everywhere, so we were lucky enough to explore many of them.

Usually the watery places are all kind of connected to each other, and they share a few traits: the surroundings are purple snow-capped mountains, covered in cypress forests, the banks are covered in soft, flat, round-edged pebbles (perfect for skipping), they have a nice selection of old willow trees that give you perfect shady spots to lay down, and they're made of crystal clear water that has all the shades of blue (50?) you can imagine. And it's cold. Cold. Cold as cold gets.

Beautiful clouds over very cold and awesome lake.

Chey has a special talent for making me do things that I would chicken out about if I was on my own, and probably the main of this things is making me get into the water.

I can honestly say that Australia has spoiled me when it comes to frolicking in the water. Anything other than warm puts me off...

That said, when I see little kids (or my dad) getting into the icy lake like happy seals, I get a bit of pressure.

In every lake or river we have the same sequence, as if it was choreographed.

*Realize the sun is shiny and the weather is sweet*

"Wanna get into the water?"

"OK"

*Walks to the edge, dips toes*

"Hell NO, it's so cold!!" *walks backwards like a cat out of a bag*

"Come on Adri, now we have to get in if we got as far as the edge of the water" *gets in up to knees*

"You go" *gets in up to knees as well*

"I will if you will" *gets in further*

"Dammit, Chey" *very slowly walks a bit more*

In the end, and after loads of talking and walking in and swearing in Spanish, we would always get fully in and emerge proudly, looking like featherless birds, our bodies shivering. And then we would spend the rest of the afternoon walking around, collecting good skipping rocks and skipping them, and taking embarrassing pictures with the girls and, ocasionally, my dad.

I love summer.

Chey's rock-skipping powers.

Perfect skipping surface.

Panorama, Lago Epuyén.

More ridiculously clear perfect rock skipping surface, Lago Epuyen.

Bridge across the river.

Chey looks for more rocks without realizing he just killed a man.

I skip rocks in a much more friendly way.

"Your arguments do not impress me, water is still cold."

Up the mountains

Chey and Piltri in the background. We got to the highest spot.

The landscape in El Bolsón and the surroundings is full of mountains. The most beautiful of them is the king of the town, the one with the unpronounceable name: Piltriquitrón.
Piltri, as it's known by the locals.

We can see Piltri from my dad's place, and I kept telling Chey that we were going to go up, since I grew up climbing this and other mountains all around, and I remembered it as a fairly easy hike uphill.

One morning we got ready, and along with my dad and sisters went up to the base in my dad's car (an incredibly reliable old Ford Falcon).

Chey posing with dad's car (he actually drove it! Wheel on the left and all!)

As it turned out, the two-hour hike was harder than expected, we took a few little rests and looked at some interesting trees carved in the shape of things. Maybe you wonder if the climb got harder in the last 15 years or if I'm actually less fit... Of course the climb got harder. 

Unicorn sunbathes.

El Refugio del Piltri.

Inside: kitchen and dining room.

When you're half way up the mountain, you find the "refugio". A house/shack built entirely out of mountain materials, plus some things carried up by horse and backpack: glass panels, some kitchen things, and AN OVEN. I wish I was there to see people carrying that.

Arriving to the Refugio.

Chey takes in the view after the initial climb.

Inside.

Inside: mountain cat.

Outside: our temporary home.

Happy family!

Chey and three very normal sisters.

We relaxed in the refugio, had some coffee and soup, then went to a lookout with the Demattei clan, and finally said goodbye to them for two days, since we were spending the night up there.

Random adventurers at the lookout.

After a bit of a rest, we were feeling cocky, so we decided to go all the way to the summit. It was colder up the Piltri than it had been in town, but we braved the climb in shorts because we're tough and it was sunny, after all.

The view while going to the summit.

The hike/climb was beautiful. We looked at the view that kept getting more and more amazing, breathed all of the clean air, and drank fresh stream water. And generally felt we were the King and Queen of the mountain.

Purest source of water,

King of the mountain.

Queen of the mountain (observe my hair pointing towards the sky)

At some stage we got to the point where snow never melts and built a tiny snowman, and everything was fun and giggles... until we started going up the last super-steep part , made out of slippery bits of rock, and I genuinely felt I was going to die.

Relaxing on the snow (IN the snow?)

Do you wanna build a snowman?

Scene of the crime: Chey makes a snowball.

Oh, but the moment we got to the summit! We stayed there for a while, just taking it in and enjoying our triumph.

"This would be perfect if we only had snacks" Chey said.

 And since I'm an absolute champion, I pulled two alfajores out of my pocket.
Win.

Enjoying our alfajores and the windy summit.

The way down was a bit rainy and definitely icy, but in the refugio my legs came back to life, we had a nice fire, a huge pot of pasta con salsa y queso, and a cute cuddly cat, so we stayed there until the morning, with our hearts a little bigger and our legs tired but definitely more muscly.

Light of the morning.

Decoration.

Relaxing time.

The view of the town, the Andes and some wild daisies.

 

A rainbow seen from above.

Cat girlfriend.

Majestic Cassowary observes the Andes,

An Australian Cocodrilo outside his natural habitat, being happy. 

Before going down to town, which took us 5 hours of walking.