Rio Manso Rafting, Farewell to Bariloche

We left Bariloche town and our hotel by the lake to take another rafting trip AndesTrack arranged for us on the way to our next lodgings.

The Rio Manso flows across the Andes, into Chile and to the Pacific. No passports were required for our two-hour traverse downstream.

We almost didn’t get to go on this rafting trip because of a wildfire that had raged in the area for most of December. Downed trees had made the river impassable once the fire got under control. Our river guide, Manuel, was among the people working tirelessly to create fire breaks, sometimes having to sacrifice 150 year old trees to keep the fire from spreading further. It already had jumped the river. In fact, today was the first day any groups were allowed back out on the river. Fortunately, there were plenty of trees and scenery in abundance along our rafting trip, which included some class 2 rapids and calmer sections.

The river is the dividing line between Nahuel Huapi National Park and private land. At the end of the paddle, we pulled up to a family’s property where we could enjoy yet another delicious and filling boxed lunch by the riverside.

Finally, we were driven a couple of hours to spend the next three nights at the family-owned Hotel Tronador within the national park on the shores of Lake Mascardi. This is the warmest and sunniest it’s been yet, and the views of glacial mountains and the lake are so beautiful!Read more