Cerro Campanario

A couple of ski bums at the top of Cerro Campanario.
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The majority of my time in Bariloche has been spent in water. For example, I woke up on my first day of class to snow, followed by two consecutive days of rain. When the sun finally came out on Thursday leading to a clear sunny day on Friday I took advantage. So after class I walked down to avenue Bustillo from Pioneros and picked up the number 20 bus to Cerro Campanario. About 20km from Bariloche, Cerro Campanario is a small mountain between several lakes and peninsulas east of town. The location makes it popular for 360 degree views of Lago Nahuel Huapoi and the surrounding mountains. They have a small chair lift that will wisp you to the top in 5 minutes for 25 Pesos round-trip but I decided to use my legs and hike the 45 minute trail.

Enjoying a beer at the top of Cerro Campanario.
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Being a relatively warm day, and the sun shinning strong, I got an early glimpse of spring and summer as the majority of the snow from the last couple of days had melted a way. At the bottom the vegetation was thick and green allowing relatively little sun through, but as I ascended it became more open and rocky, reminding me of trails I've hiked in the Rockies and Sierra Madres. Reaching the top the views were magnificent, and to be honest I couldn't ask for a better day. I sat back, ate my lunch and took in some much needed sun. There’s also a small restaurant / café up here and many people just come up to grab a beer or coffee and enjoy the beer. I followed suit with some reading and a beer.

Finally a sunny day in Bariloche...

Hiking the trailhead to Cerro Campanario
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