Pampa Linda and Cerro Tronador
Our day began early, leaving my pack behind with all the unnecessary gear and food. We met up with several others headed in the same direction just outside the Clube Andino Bariloche office, payed our dues and got into the van that would take us to Pampa Linda, our pack swaying with the rest from its perch on the
roof. The two hour drive, with a beautiful view the whole way, took us along Lago Gutiérrez and Lago Mascardi stopping at the outflow of the second for a break, before continuing on to Pampa Linda. We got our pack off the roof, checked in with the local rangers, then set out, chatting with a couple of Israelis along the way. They soon got ahead and we were left to enjoy the beauty of the area, switching the pack every half hour.
We had our lunch break just before the steep climb of switchbacks which we took in stride, trading the backpack every 15 min. to make the going easier. Finally we reached the top, took off the bag and briefly enjoyed the view before the monster sized horseflies drove us to continue. 
One of the many lizards
Our trail continued in the shortening scrub for a while longer before opening up to bare rock for the last hour or so. The day was incredible with not a cloud in the sky! We could see forever in every direction except behind the mammoth Tronador. It felt so good to be back in the alpine, breathing in the fresh cool air, and enjoying the solitude of the mountains. Each time I return to the mountains I am reminded of just how small I am, and how powerful nature truly is. We finished our scramble over the rocks, following the same red dots that had led us off of Cerro Cathedral, filling up our water bottles each time we happened upon a creek running off of the glacier. 
The water in the mountains is so incredible, refreshing, and pure. I wish we hadn’t so blatantly destroyed our own water sources that once contained that same purity. We finally reached Refugio Otto-Meiling, perched like a miniature cabin on the shoulder of the mountain, embraced by two hanging glaciers. Ditching our pack and checking in were followed by an hour of just sitting alone and admiring the surrounding beauty. I watched the flight of a couple condors, and the raw grace of pieces of glacier tumbling to their shattering a thousand meters below. 
Eventually we got dinner cooking, and were accompanied by the same two Israelis for a meal beneath the setting sun and the rising moon. I have never seen such a large moon in my life, rising like a giant orb of light from behind the surrounding peaks. Its light was more than enough to see by, making headlamps useful but not completely necessary. After hours of conversation beneath the moon we headed into the Refugio to continue with a beer in hand. Finally it was off to bed in the loft, curling up on the mattresses provided.
I rose early, well kind of, at 6:30 am to watch the sun rise. The golden light on the glacier was a beautiful sight and well worth the lost sleep. having run out of fuel the night before (I forgot to pack the extra canister) we borrowed the Refugio’s kitchen stove to cook our quinoa breakfast, adding apples, dried fruit, and chocolate to the mix. Thanks Heather for the excellent idea! 
That was to be followed by some crazy carpeting on the Israelis sleeping pads down the glacier and over one small crevasse. On our way back a snowball fight broke out and left us all refreshed and out of breath. What better way to spend your spring break than in the Andes of Norther Patagonia, with two people from a different culture, having a snowball fight on a glacier in the middle of summer? I can’t think of any answer better. We then headed back to collect our gear and head back down to catch our van at 5:00pm. It was another beautiful day and despite the bugs the hike went well. We arrived back at Pampa Linda with time to spare and enjoyed it lounging in the shade of some trees. All too soon we were bumping back along the gravel road to Bariloche, a magical two days in the mountains behind us.
