Too dump to take the bus – Thuesday 06.02.2024
So the visitor to Aconcagua Park was scheduled for today. Just before 5 my alarm went off. I got up, got ready and then left my room to walk to the bus station. After a few minutes I reached the building and looked where my bus was supposed to leave. From what I could read on my ticket, the bus was supposed to leave at station 50. So I stood there and waited for the bus that was supposed to come at 5:55 am.
After a few minutes, Laura from Stuttgart joined me, who also wanted to go to the national park. She also spent four weeks traveling in Patagonia and visited almost the same places as me. We then waited together at the stop for our departure and talked a bit about our travels.
Unfortunately, no bus came for a long time and when shortly after 5:55 there was still no bus, we asked a bus driver next door. As he then informed us, the bus had already left 41 3 minutes ago and so we unfortunately missed the bus. After a closer look at our ticket, we could see that it actually said 41-50, which wasn’t really easy to see given the employee’s terrible handwriting and both Laura and I didn’t understand that. Maybe it was also because we hadn’t really looked around because we were talking so much or we were simply too stupid. In the end it didn’t make any difference because we had missed the bus and were now looking a bit stupid.
After getting excited for a moment, we went to the ticket counter and booked a ride for the next morning. At least we were able to easily rebook the return journey and only had to buy a new ticket for the outward journey, which was still manageable given the price of just under €2.
Since we were already awake and didn’t want to waste the day, we decided to look for an alternative program. After briefly exchanging numbers, everyone returned to their accommodation to have breakfast and look for alternative hikes.
After a short research, we agreed on a hike up Cerro Baños, one of the mountains in the region. Luckily, two of Laura’s roommates were able to take us to the starting point of the hike in a rental car, which made the journey there much easier.
After a short drive by car, during which we also stopped at a Western Union on the way and I finally got fresh cash again, we reached the starting point of our hike.
From the small parking lot we first went back through a valley. The landscape here seemed completely different than in Bariloche. Instead of green trees, there were only smaller bushes and cacti. Otherwise the environment seemed very dry, but somehow still beautiful.
Again and again we had to climb up smaller rocks where there was no way around.
The path then led us up pretty quickly and at almost 38 degrees in the blazing midday sun we worked up a sweat.
After a few sweaty minutes we got our first view of the largest lake in the area.
From here, it went uphill for another few hundred meters. While we were hiking up, we ran into two guanacos that I hadn’t seen for a long time.
Just like the animals, we climbed further and further until we reached the summit after about 2 hours. Here we took a short break and looked at the surroundings.
Since there was no shade here, we soon started the descent again, which was very slippery due to the partly sandy ground.
At least, the way down was much less strenuous and we soon reached the parking lot again.
We sat down in a small kiosk and waited for a bus back to Mendoza. Even though we didn’t have a ticket, we still hoped to get a seat. After a while a bus came in the other direction and some other people who were apparently also waiting for the bus were already lining up. We followed suit and joined the queue, but that wasn’t particularly smart. We stood in line for over an hour before a bus came. But it was already pretty full and so only people with a valid bus ticket were allowed to ride, which made some of the people here very upset and there were sometimes tumultuous scenes. While some of the people here were still discussing loudly, a second bus arrived, which was also quite full. Luckily, even without a ticket, we got one of the few standing places and while there was still discussion on the other bus, we drove back into the city in the packed bus.
When we got there in the evening, we returned to our accommodation and I soon went to sleep because we had to get up early again tomorrow.
Der Aconcagua – Wednesday 07.02.2024
So today I got up again at 4:45 and made my way to the bus station again. I met Laura there again and this time we managed to get on the bus and then drove for almost 4 hours to the park. Since I slept for a while, the ride went pretty quickly and we were soon able to get out at the park entrance.
Here, we had to show our tickets again. After that, we were finally able to start our little hike to the base camp. At a viewing point right at the park entrance we were able to take a beautiful look at the summit of the 6,962 meter high mountain for the first time, which was a special experience for me. Although I had seen many mountains in my life, it was something different to be able to see a peak of this size with my own eyes.
After taking the first picture, we continued to the park ranger station because we wanted to fill up our water there. Unfortunately there was no water there and the park rangers only said that we should carry at least 3 liters with us, which of course wasn’t very helpful when you couldn’t refill your water anywhere. So we started the hike with significantly less water.
After a short detour to a lagoon, the path led further and further back in a relaxed manner. Although it was only a slight uphill climb, we still found ourselves panting a bit due to the unfamiliar mountain air.
We had the huge mountain in front of us for a long time and were able to take a look at it again and again. But later it increasingly disappeared behind the other mountains.
On the way we passed a stream where we were finally able to fill up our water. In the hot temperatures, the cold water once again tasted excellent and was a nice way to cool down.
After a few more kilometers we reached the base camp, from where the mountaineers started their 15-20 day tour to the summit. Although I would have liked to start a longer tour from here, unfortunately the expensive permit system put a damper on my plans and so I had to make do with the view of the mountain.
Then we continued again up a small hill where there was supposed to be a viewing point. Disappointingly, we couldn’t see the top of the mountain from here. At least we got a nice view of the rest of the area and we were able to look at the rock formations, some of which were very interesting, but which unfortunately aren’t really visible in the pictures.
Although our ticket was only valid up to here, we walked a few meters further to maybe get a good view of the mountain. Since the view didn’t really get any better, we turned around and made our way back to the base camp, where we took a snack break in a shady spot.
After a little refreshment, we walked back to the park entrance. On the way, several mules kept overtaking us, bringing material back from one of the camps further back.
While the animals, driven by the gauchos, ran past us quite quickly, we continued to walk comfortably downhill.
On the way we treated ourselves to a foot bath in one of the cold rivers, which was really pleasant in the heat. Since the sun was now really burning, we both had one or two red spots on our skin before we reached the park entrance again. Shortly before, I took one last look back at the mountain, whose summit was now pretty much covered in clouds.
We checked out at the park entrance and walked a few kilometers further to the next town, from where the bus would leave. Here we looked at the Puento del Inca (“Bridge of the Incas”). However, this is not a real Inca bridge, but a natural rock formation. Over the millennia, the water in the area has formed a natural bridge that looked really interesting in the evening sun and partly reminded me of a stalactite cave.
Afterwards we waited for the bus, which came quite early and left promptly at 8 p.m.
After another 4 hours by bus, we arrived back in Mendoza shortly before midnight. From the bus station we parted ways again and everyone returned to their accommodation. After a quick shower, I went straight to sleep after a long day.
Cerro de la Gloria – Thursday 08.02.2024
After I was able to visit the high Aconcagua yesterday, today I had to sleep in. I got up around 8 a.m. and had a hearty breakfast in my accommodation. Since the weather forecast for the next two days wasn’t very rosy and a multi-day tour in the mountains was not possible due to the reported thunderstorms, I had to find another program for the next few days.
Since I didn’t want to sit around alone for two days, I checked out of my accommodation in the morning and walked a few kilometers further to a hostel. I checked in there shortly after 10 a.m., wrote on my blog for some time and looked for possible activities for the next few days. I got a few tips for a wine tour from a roommate and a few minutes later I had reserved a place for the next day.
Since I didn’t have much else to do, the weather was supposed to hold until the evening and there weren’t really many people in the hostel at the moment, I then went for a walk to Cerro de la Gloria, a small mountain in the city’s largest park a reader recommended it to me.
I walked through the city streets for a while and later continued through the park.
After almost 2 hours, I reached the hill. There were some interesting monuments dedicated to the military.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t see much from the top because the numerous trees blocked the view. But both on the ascent and the descent I always got a good view of the city and the mountains behind me, which were now surrounded by dark clouds. When it started to drizzle, I quickly made my way back to the accommodation before the impending thunderstorm.
Below the hill I lazily got on a bus and took it back to the hostel. The expected rain didn’t materialize for the time being. At least it was already cooling down a little, which was quite pleasant.
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