El Bolson

Got off the bus with 2 German girls, Pina and Sylvie, and at the last minute Chris (my climbing buddy from El Chalten) after persuading him that El Bolson was indeed worth a stop. We followed the German girls to the secluded Casa de Odile hostel, way out of town in its own small wooded estate, which was to be my base for the next few days.

Started the next day with yoga in the crisp morning air in the garden, and then, after making a few paragliding enquires, found myself heading off with my glider, in the company of Manu, his wife and baby. Both very relaxed and friendly pilots and they took me on a tour around town showing me the landing zones, telling me about the area and eventually dropping me off at the track heading up to Mount Piltriquitron. Not the most interesting hike up (track for the most of it but no traffic unfortunately) but I had some company from a friendly old dog who joined me for the hike.

I eschewed the official take off and on the advice of Manu's wife carried on to a higher takeoff on the mountainside, at about 1600m. It was a beautiful sunny and calm day with a few light thermic cycles coming up the takeoff. I took off at 6. Not much lift but lovely smooth conditions and a beautiful 25 minute flight along the rock faces of the mountainside before heading into the valley and El Bolson.

Happy to get my glider out!

I Struggled to recognise the main landing field from above however and where I thought it was, it definitely wasn't; so I went for my fall back option and landed in a nearby field. Just after landing I noticed one, two, then three large gentlemen come out of a building a 100 or so metres away, taking a clear interest in my actions. One of them then purposefully strode over to me and I discovered I'd just landed in the back yard of the Gendarmerie...

They weren't too happy but after some initial stern words and noting all my particulars the officer relaxed and was actually quite friendly by the time he'd escorted me off site. Probably the only field in El Bolson I shouldn't have landed in!

I was back up Piltriquitron the next day, but this time to climb it with Chris. Got a ride up the track I'd hiked the day before fortunately, so just had the 1000m to climb from the car park to the summit. Fairly easy going with just a steep scree slope to the summit presenting any challenge. Very different landscape to southern patagonia. Much more arid higher up and different rock, blacker and sandier here.

Not alone in the woods

 

The view from the top was spectacular and after hiking back down to yesterday's takeoff, Chris had the pleasure of watching me fly off and leave him to walk back alone. Took off earlier than the day before and although the wind was a bit cross, found a few thermals and buoyant air and had a great 45 minute flight - much longer than expected! The cypress trees and their long shadows looked particularly stunning in the low evening sun as I came down to land.

Late that same afternoon Volcano Calbuco, across the border in Chile, decided to let off some steam and the resultant cloud of ash draped itself all over Bariloche to the north. Couldn't see the eruption from El Bolson but did notice an odd looking cloud formed on the horizon after I'd landed. I had planned on a few days around Bariloche for flying and hiking but the volcano put paid to that. El Bolson got very hazy the next day and you could taste the ash in the air. I had a fairly relaxed day, wandering around the big craft market that El Bolson is famous for (big alternative / hippy community in El Bolson. Lots of arts, crafts and artesanales offerings). 

The approaching ash cloud

My little group of Chris and the 2 German girls I'd been hanging out with were all heading to Mendoza the next day. I think after all the solo camping in Patagonia I was enjoying the company of nice people and wasn't quite ready to go it alone again. That and the lure of a wine tour in a balmy 20+ degrees, meant I duly followed suit.

We passed through Bariloche and although the ash had cleared a lot from the days before, the air was still thick and you couldn't see any of the surrounding mountains. It was a very eerie drive heading north east from Bariloche to Neuquen. Flat and pretty featureless landscape, shrouded in a grey haze and with patches of thick ash swirling in the air that looked like smoke rising from the ground.

20 odd hours later we all arrived in Mendoza.