Trek Hut to Hut in Bariloche

Day 1: Start trek from Catedral Ski Center; Refugio Emilio Frey

The day starts with a 30min drive to the trailhead at Catedral Ski Center. From there we follow a hiking trail along the smooth slopes of the mountain, crossing creeks and climbing slowly. Along this section you'll see Lake Gutiérrez before the trail enters the Río Van Titter Valley, dominated by a lenga forest.

After 3-4 hours of hiking we'll reach Refugio Piedrita, located underneath a giant granite rock. From here the vegetation decreases to reveal the rock formations of the valley.

It's around an hour further to our destination and this section has the steepest climbs of the day. When we reach the Refugio Emilio Frey at 1700m we'll have the rest of the afternoon to explore the area – one of the best in Patagonia for rock climbing. 

Length of hike: 4-5hrs, 10km

Elevation gain: +750m

Activity level: Moderate

Meals: Picnic lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Refugio Emilio Frey

Day 2: Trek to Mount Brecha Negra; Refugio Jakob

Following breakfast, we have a 1hr ascent to Lake Schmoll Lake, followed by another ascent to the Northern ridge of Mount Catedral at 2000m. The path is steep and rocky, but once at the top we'll be rewarded with spectacular views of Mount Tronador and the National Park.

From the high point, we'll descend on a loose, rocky trail to the Rucaco Valley and cross through lush vegetation to the other side and up to the day's second highest point, the ridge of Mount Brecha Negra.

Once we've recovered and had time to soak up the amazing views from here, we'll ascend for 1.5hrs to Lake Jakob where our accommodation for the night, Refugio Jakob, is located. 

Length of hike: 4-5hrs, 9km

Elevation gain: +650m / -750m

Activity level: Moderate

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Refugio Jakob

Day 3: Trek to Cerro Navidad; Refugio Italia

Today's trek is the most technically difficult of the trip and we'll need to start early in the morning. We head to Laguna Témpanos and then on a steep climb, almost to the top of Refugio Peak which will involve using our hands.

From Refugio Peak we'll continue along the ridge that connects it to Mount Inocentes and onto Cerro Navidad's ridge at 2080m.

From there it's a 1hr descent into the valley before a final ascent to Refugio Italia at Laguna Negra (1650m), where we'll spend the night.

Length of hike: 8-10hrs, 12km

Elevation gain: +950m / -950m

Activity level: Moderate/high

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Refugio Italia

Day 4: Trek to Turista Peak; Bariloche

The final day of our trek starts by following the trail around Laguna Negra and then around the rocky ridge of Mount Bailey Willis before descending into the Valley Goye – a scenic, small high-altitude valley in which we'll stop for lunch.

From there we continue over mountain ridges before descending through a steep chute to Turista Peak (2040m) on Cerro López. There are stunning panoramic views from here of Lake Nahuel Huapi, Lake Moreno and northern Patagonia.

When we're ready, we'll head down the mountain on the traditional trail to Refugio López where we can rest and rehydrate before taking on the final 2-hr descent, at the end of which our transport will be waiting to take us back to Bariloche.

Length of hike: 7-8hrs

Elevation gain: +750m / -1100m

Activity level: Moderate/high

Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch