Another Visit to Parque Nacional Lanin

Volcán Lanin (3271 mts), as seen from a pasture at the start of the ascent, looks deceivingly tranquil on a clear day. Ferocious winds whipped the ice and snow on the upper north face forcing many mountaineers to abandon their ascents at the 3000 meter mark.

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After recovering from our fender-bender in Zapala, we spent a day and night on the flanks of Volcán Lanin, one of Argentina’s finest parks. The park borders on the huge Nahuel Huapi Park to the south, and several Chilean parks to the west, making this area (known as The Lakes District) one of the largest expanses of park land in Patagonia. We were in Lanin in March earlier this year, and trekked to the southern base of the “volcán” on a glorious autumn day. This time we visited the northern face, hiking up to the “Refugio Militar”, the highest point for day-trippers. The weather was fantastic (but for the proverbial freezing winds) and we stretched our eyes with vistas to Volcán Villarica in Chile 50 kilometers to the north. Lanin is one fo my favourite parks in Patagonia. Far from the maddening crowds of Fitzroy and Torres del Paine, the land is vast and elegant, with rolling pastures nestled between dramatic rock walls and craggy tusks formed by millenia of fierce winds. Sapphire-blue lakes and smaller volcanoes compliment the acentuate the towering cap of Lanin. And as always, there are small woodsy towns nearby – Junin and San Martin de Los Andes – cultured by cheese-makers, artisanal chocolatiers and micro-brewers.

More photos can be seen in the photo gallery.