VILLA LA ANGOSTURA

CERRO BAYO IN WINTER
A SKI RESORT
In recent years one cannot but associate Villa La Angostura with Mt Bayo, an Alpine skiing resort created in the mid-seventies that currently offers year-round attractions: ski runs in winter, and wonderful panoramic views at other times of the year.

It is located only 9 kms from the "Villa", surrounded by forests and offering a spectacular view of Lake Nahuel Huapi. This resort offers the ideal facilities for both beginners and advanced skiers.

The skiing season starts halfway June until the end of September and depending on the climate it might last until halfway October. It is a season of heavy rainfall (some 3,000 mm between June and October). When the snow melts, the Cerro suddenly appears thickly blanketed with greenery and flowers.

On Mt Bayo tourists will find 16 well appointed runs for all skill levels and 10 high-quality elevation devices, plus a first rate ski school with highly qualified instructors and a wide range of other services.

The following elevation devices may be used: Two double chairlifts, five teleskis, a T-Bar teleski and two Baby-Lifts, with a total capacity of 4,500 skiers an hour. The 16 runs are a total 20 kms long, and you can also ski outside the runs on a 200 hectare surface whose tree-covered slopes offer snowboarders deep-snow "surfing" thrills.

Ten percent of the runs are designed for beginners, 40% for intermediate level learners, 35% for advanced learners and the remaining 15% for experts.

A large number of restaurants strategically placed on the Cerro enable skiers to savor some excellent cooking accompanied by warm wine, while sunning themselves on the open-air terraces.

Events and Services
Not all is skiing and enjoying nature in Villa La Angostura. Another special feature if the local gastronomy offer: wild boar, venison, trout, mushrooms and home-made farm cooking such as jams, jellies and liqueurs are all readily available for the delight of visitors, as also the local craftwork in silver, wood, dried flowers and regional textiles, all in the cordially welcoming atmosphere that the local inhabitants prepare for visitors. During the winter season there are numerous events to attend and participate in, such as the Torchlight descent of the mountain, Argentine Snowboard Circuit competitions, festivals and music concerts.

Excursions and bike tours
Another activity is the Lake excursion from Puerto Angostura to the Arrayanes Forest. The latter is a unique curiosity in the world, with its cinnamon-hued trees. You can do cycling excursions on the mountainsides or simply ride around the area, discovering places like Cumelen, Puerto Manzano, Arauco and Inalco.

CERRO BAYO IN SUMMER
HORSE RIDING TREK TO THE LOOKOUT POINTS
A few kms away from the center of the "Villa", you have the chance to do an entertaining horse trek through the Mt Bayo Ski Resort. You start the excursion at the foot of the mountain.

Here you will find the guía baqueano (tracker guide), who will accompany you on the excursion. Your horse will be gentle and used to taking tourists on mountain treks to enjoy the majestic local landscapes.

Once all is set and you are on your horse, you leave along a lane heading up to the intermediate slopes of the Cerro. Here, the important thing is to find a pace which will enable the animal to make a steady ascent. A good idea is to let your horse stride along so that it doesn't tire halfway up and come to a stop.

During your ascent, your guide will tell you the story of how the Ski Resort was founded, stressing that this is the country's only privately-owned resort of this kind. Slowly you will find yourselves entering a wooded area, where the vegetation will become leafier and more ancient, because this is a place of lengas and coihues that are hundreds of years old.

The trekker will soon discover that the track he is on is actually used as a ski run for beginners in the winter season. The zigzagging run will take him all around the base of the Cerro, with hairpin bends that must be negotiated on horseback.

Almost without realizing it, the trekker will find himself/herself at the middle of the Bayo mountain slope, where one can view the constant flow of travellers in the chairlifts and the machinery that is used in winter to sweep and compact the snow on the runs.

Ascending a bit further, he/she will be told that the altitude is 1,500 m a s l, a height from which an impressive landscape unfolds to view.

After another few minutes, the tourist will be at 2,000 ms, where the horses will be left to graze and have a well-earned rest, and the group will walk to the Mt Bayo Lookout Point. Here the panorama is unique. In an atmosphere of silence and absolute peace, our gaze will stray across an impressive view to be lost on a hazy horizon.

Tourists will be able to admire the crystal-clear waters of Lake Nahuel Huapi, and on the other side make out San Carlos de Bariloche, on its right Victoria Island, and beyond the Quetrihué Peninsula and the different arms of the Lake.

Facing them will majestically rise the permanently snowcapped peak of Mt Tronador, with the urban resort spreading below and the Correntoso Lake just visible on the right.

After a few minutes spent basking in this view and frantically snapping dreamlike shots with their cameras, the tourists will reluctantly mount to return to the foot of the Cerro.