Summiting Piltriquitrón

After a day or two loafing about it was time get moving and we picked Cerro Piltriquitrón as a worthy summit to go for.

The area below the mountain is a popular spot for paragilders and after we finished our hike we were lucky enough to see one launch. In the video take a look at how much time they have to get off the ground and clear the trees below.

On day three in El Bolson, Adrian, myself and our friend Janey, got up early for once and drove out to the trailhead about 11 kilometers from the hostel. The final stretch of road up to the trailhead and dusty and bumpy, but doable in any kind of car.

The trail first took us through El Bosque Tallado or the sculpted forest, a collection of wood carvings created by local and international artists. The forest was the brainchild of sculptor Marcelo Lopez, who wanted to do something about a stand of burnt lenga trees on the trail at Piltriquitrón.

Hikers pass right by the sculpted forest on their way to the refugio and later the summit. However, the caretakers of the forest ask for a few pesos per person to see all of the carvings.

We reached the refugio about 45 minutes from the parking lot and were treated to nice views of the town below. There were a numbers cats near the refugio and within minutes of our arrival they were sitting on our laps by the overlook.

During the summer months anyone planning to hike up to the refugio and beyond should leave early in the morning and bring plenty of water. We were walking in the shade for most of the morning and as we made our descent later that afternoon we passed dozens of Argentines and other travelers who were suffering from the heat on the steep climb up.

The hike from the refugio to the summit was steep at times, especially on the last section. Anyone with some hiking experience would consider this an easy to moderate trail. And the slog through sketchy choss at the end is worth it once you reach the top.