NAHUEL HUAPI NATIONAL PARK

EXCURSIONS WITHIN THE PARK
The Park presents a wide range of land and Lake trips, as well as chances to do trekking, horse riding treks and mountain climbing, among other recreational sports.

You shouldn't miss the Victoria Island / Arrayanes Forest and the Villa la Angostura boat excursions, nor the Tronador Mt, Encantado Valley and the Seven Lakes Route land tours.

Within the protected area we will find many parts for free and programmed camping activity, as well as hotels, hostelries and cabins. From November through April you have the sport fishing season for the varieties tah have been introduced such as River and brown trout and salmon (see the annual fishing regulations).

You can also train in water sports like kayaking, canoeing, sailing, windsurfing and rafting.

A large number of trails will let you go walking, biking or horseback riding, as well as mountain climbing. Some other options, about which you can get further information at the National Parks offices, are:

• Crossing from Frey Refuge to General San Martín Refuge, going by the side of the crest of Mt Catedral, Rucaco Valley and the crest of Brecha Negra Mt. It has medium difficulty level and the trek takes 8 hours.
• Descent from General San Martín Refuge, along the Casalata River, towards the area of Hotel Tronador: you go across the Schweitzer pass. Medium difficulty level and the trek lasts 8 hours.
• Route linking the Segre and López refuges with La Carne Lake, descending to Pampa Linda in the Mt Tronador area. You go by the CAB, Mallín de las Vueltas and Cretón Lakes. Medium difficulty level and the trek lasts two and a half days.
• From the Hotel Tronador area to Cretón Lake, where it links to the previous circuit, going by Azul Lake. Up to Azul Lake it is low difficulty level. From Azul to Cretón Lake it is medium difficulty level. Duration: three hours.
• From the Water Divide to the Hotel Tronador area, at the mouth of the Manso Superior, going by Llum Lagoon and the crest of Mt Mora. The last part links to the descent from Casalata Stream. Low difficulty level. Duration: one and a half days.
• Circuit linking the Segre and López Refuges. You go along the crest of Mt López, Mallín del Goye and Mt Bailey Willis. High difficulty level. Duration: 5 hours.
• Circuit linking the General San Martín and Segre Refuges. It is very high difficulty level, requiring the company of a mountain guide. Duration: 12 hours.
• Descent from La Carne Lagoon to Pampa Linda. Low difficulty level. Duration: 3 hours.
• Excursion to the bottom of the Castaño Overo valley. Low difficulty level. Duration: 3 hours.
• Circuit joining the Pampa Linda area with Lake Frías. You go through De las Nubes Pass. Low difficulty level. Duration: 2 days total.

Pampa Linda is the starting point of long and short excursions. Some of them are:

• Trail to Saltillo de las Nalcas: it starts 500 m from the Park Rangers' Cabin, on the way to Mt Tronador. Duration: half an hour.
• Trail to Ventisquero Negro: it starts 7 km from the Park Rangers' Cabin, on the road to the foot of Mt Tronador. You arrive at the Ventisquero Negro watching point.
• Trail to the foot of Mt Tronador: it starts at the conclusion of the vehicle road, where one can watch the Garganta del Diablo waterfall.
• Trail to Llon Lagoon: it starts 300 m from the Park Rangers' Cabin. You continue on the path to the Otto Meiling Refuge, turning right at the sign-posted sidetrack. It is a 6 hour climb.
• Track to the Otto Meiling Refuge (Club Andino Bariloche): you leave from the Park Rangers' Cabin in the direction of the Castaño Overo River. After crossing it, you go up to the gravel pit. It is a 5 hour climb.
• De las Nubes Pass trip: it starts on the gorge leading to the Otto Meiling refuge. This is a high mountain trek, enabling one to see condors. It ends in the Valdivian forest at Lake Frías and Puerto Blest. It lasts 2 days.

All National Parks offices give full information on these and other trekking possibilities.

The Lake touring services will informa about the history, natural environment and traditions of the Park. Trips to Victoria Island, Los Arrayanes National Park, Puerto Blest and Lake Mascardi are some of the selection offered by the tourism agencies in the region.

There are over 500 kms of roads crossing the Park, enabling vehicle access to the main tourism appealing sites:

• In the northern part there are various circuits. One leads to the confluence point of the Limay and Traful Rivers, and to the fascinating Encantado Valley, that shows startling geological formations. Another option is the Seven Lakes Route, with some stops inside Lanín National Park, where one can see varied and superlative forest and Lake scenery.
• In the southern area, from Bariloche, paved Route N° 258 will take us to Lake Mascardi. There we will find the beginning of a consolidated dirt road forking at the Manso River Rapids, one of the leads to Lake Roca and Los Alerces Waterfall, and the other to Mt Tronador and its glaciers. Going on the way to El Bolsón you will come across Lake Guillelmo. On the right side of the road there is a descending path that goes to Lake Steffen, and a few kms from this fork you will go along the shores of Hualahue Lagoon, a venue for waterfowl.

Other activities in the area (from Bariloche):

• Rafting: near San Martín de los Andes (170 km along the Seven Lakes Route; 150 km through the Cordoba mountain pass; 250 km along Route Nº 237).
• Thermal springs: offers fishing and horseback riding in Puyehue, Chile (120 km).