Tronador Hill, a Classic in Bariloche

Tronador Hill, along with its magnificent ancient glaciers, is one of the most traditional and emblematic tourist attractions in the City of San Carlos de Bariloche. Having that kind of certainty, we resolved to tour around it. It was a beautiful sunny morning and we woke up with the idea of enjoying this nice tour. Omar, the bus driver that would lead us to our destination, welcomed us courteously and told us that both he and his working partner, Ayelén, were very glad to greet us. In fact, Ayelén occupied one of the first seats carrying photographs, posters and tons of reference material to share with the tourists. The journey began and we traveled 36 kilometers towards the Southwest. Afterwards, we got deep into a mountain gravel path and stopped at several points to behold and enjoy nature.

On the way to the mountain range, we were stunned to see the change of hues experienced by the rivers and lakes in the area, for instance, Lake Gutiérrez. We were also able to appreciate the beauty of Catedral Hill and the residential villages in the surroundings. The natural environments change significantly. The dry shrubby vegetation typical of the steppe may be observed to one side, whereas the humid Valdivian rainforest lies on the other. The journey continued around the turquoise waters of Lake Mascardi. Finally, we entered Nahuel Huapi National Park. Ayelén quickly told us everything about the impressive figure of expert Francisco Pascasio Moreno. She defined him as a scientist, explorer, visionary, statesman, educator and philanthropist. In the late 1800s, Moreno also worked on the layout of the Argentinian-Chilean borders. A respectful connoisseur of nature, he encouraged the protection of the environment and fostered the enforcement of the regulations still valid today. Ayelén continued with an explanation about the importance of wildlife. Every corner, every kind of vegetation kept their own secrets and everything was unveiled in due time as we passed by. There was a lot to learn.

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After visiting the Manso River, Pampa Linda and the Vuriloches Slopes, it was time to enjoy and to see majestic Tronador Hill. It features three peaks. The tallest one reaches 3,554 meters above sea level. The last part of the tour presents very steep slopes. Therefore, drivers should be most careful. The scenery is fantastic. It is an excellent moment to take photographs. We reached a height of 1,100 meters above sea level. Once at the dark snowdrifts, Ayelén gave an account of the formation of the Andes Mountain Range plates, glacial periods and volcanoes. We got off the shuttle and walked towards the various vantage points that let visitors analyze the distance among the ponds formed at the snowdrifts and observe the floating ice resulting from constant global warming. It is impressive to listen to the noise produced by the break-offs. Of course that is the reason why this hill was called “Tronador” -which stands for “thundering” in Spanish. Definitely, that was a thrilling moment. It was the confirmation, the certainty that nature changes, takes action, evolves and develops minute after minute. This place becomes immense, unattainable from every point of view. It was time to enjoy and listen to the sound of silence. Because silence has its sounds. The tour ended. We retraced our steps and tried to remain in the same silence created by wise nature. Many passengers chose to doze off. They were tired after a tour that gives way to deep emotions. In the meantime, Tronador Hill continued to thunder.