Refuge Frey via Cerro Cathedral
Refuge Frey or Refugio Frey is a complete day hike from Bariloche. Once there, you will have the option of returning or keeping on to Jacob’ shelter (More than one day trek)
There are many ways to reach Refugio Frey:
- Regular road go/return (12m + 12km, free)
- Regular road go and return by Cerro cathedral (12km + 10km, free)
- Cerro cathedral go and return by the regular road (10km + 12km, 1050 pesos each)
In order to reach or leave Cerro cathedral, you will have to take a chairlift and a cable car. It you opt for the option 2, do check at what time the cable car closes.
When you are going down with the cable car, it’s free as nobody check ticket up there.
We opted for the 3rd solution as we kinda arrived late at the base of Cerro Cathedral, didn’t want to risk being late and miss the cable car back, and make the hardest part in the morning.
Table of Contents
Getting there
In order to get to the trail (for any option), you will need to get to the base of Cerro Cathedral. There are public buses going there. As every bus in Bariloche, there are not running every 5min and you may end up waiting a while.
From town, you can simply take the bus 55 (a ticket cost around 80 pesos). From Llao Llao, first take the bus 20 (35 pesos each) until the intersection and then the bus 55 (80 pesos each).
You will have to get down at the bus terminal in Cerro Cathedral. You can’t miss it as it is at the end of a long uphill road and will arrive at cable car station where shops, restaurants are.
Trail to Refuge Frey via Cerro Cathedral
Cable car to Cerro Cathedral
Once out of the bus, simply walk toward the ticket office and buy a ticket for 1050 pesos per person. You can also go to WC before starting the day there.
We got the bus 55 at 10:37am and arrived at 10:52 at the cable car station. From there you will need to take:
- A cable car to Amancay (We arrived at 11:16am)
- A chairlift to Diente del Diablo (We arrived t 11h31)
Trail to Laguna Schmoll
We then started the hike to Refuge Frey at 12:26pm. The beginning of it is easily noticeable as it is a small dirt road on the side of a hill. But quickly the trail turns from dust/dirt to rock and we ended up on the side a mountain walking on rocks. At this point, the only way to notice the trail are the DOT (red and yellow) on the rocks.
The trail is quite challenging as you’d better not miss a rock or misstep.
Along this trail, we got the chance to see Condors, one of them flew maybe 10m from us, it was incredible and later on we still got the chance to see them flying around the mountains.
We made a 20min lunch break on that trail around 1:30pm, on a nice rock with a gorgeous view.
At a certain point, we arrive on a bigger platform which was the intersection between Refuge Frey and Jacob one. We kept on toward Frey and by 2:15pm, we made it to the first lagoon (Laguna Schmoll). We followed it on the right and then down toward the valley.
Trail to Frey
Now this part between laguna Schmoll and the valley (where laguna Toncek and Refugio Frey are) was also challenging. There were no real path and it was quite steep, plus rocks are much smaller and slippery.
Once down, the landscape is amazing, and a bit further was Laguna Toncek and at its end Refugio Frey. We made it there by 3pm but didn’t really stay as it was super crowded.
The trail we just did was almost empty, some 10 to 15 people all along, but now, it’s like behind in Bariloche city center, kids, families, couples, campers and so on.
After 10min, we then head toward the regular road back to Bariloche.
Regular Road
This trail was much easier that the one we just took but also much more crowded. We came across lots of people still going up and lots of campers as well.
While at first the trail is along the mountain, it quickly become a forest and end up by a mountain side trail. The trail is a dirt path all along making it enjoyable. Its beginning (near Frey) is a bit steep but quickly become easy. It did get a bit boring by the end though.
Along the way, we got some impression view toward the lake.
We made it to the Cerro cathedral base by 5:50pm.
Way back.
At this time, the bus 55b arrived around the same time as us but we could only get on it around 6:05pm for a departure at 6:15pm.
If you need to top up your SUBE card, there is a minimarket 5min down the road on the left where you can top up max 300 pesos.
If you go to town, just chill on the bus 55b, if you go toward Llao Llao, at the intersection you will have to go out, cross the road and take the bus 20.
We went off bus 55b at 6:30pm and got luck to catch a bus 20 by 6:36pm.
What to bring
Food:
- Snack such as peanuts, cereal bars
- Sandwiches for lunch
- 2L of water per person
Gears
- Hiking boots
- Hiking pants
- Regular shirt or Merino one
- Mid layer of foldable jacket for the wind
If it rains, don’t do the trail
Others:
- Suncream
- Toilet paper
- Wet wipes
Video of the trail
“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination with reality, and instead of thinking of how things may be, see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson
Where to stay in Bariloche
- Budget: Alberto’s Airbnb (our top pick!)
- Mid-Range: Sol del Nahuel – Hotel & Spa
- Luxurious: Llao Llao Resort, Golf-Spa
- Apartment: Studio Bariloche
