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Frey near the town of Bariloche in northern Patagonia is a paradise of infinite spires.

Argentina

FREY

RECOMMENDED BY Quentin L. Roberts

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Sometimes when plans change on an epic adventure, the trip is ruined. But sometimes, the traveler encounters unexpected treasures.

“I was on a climbing trip to Patagonia,” Quentin L. Roberts recalled. “A friend and I had just climbed the south face of Fitz Roy. We were hoping to do more alpine climbing in that range, but the weather was forecast to be bad there. He suggested we visit Frey, which is sometimes used as a warm-up area for climbers heading to the taller and harder mountains, like those in Torres del Paine National Park or around El Chaltén. We made our way to the town of Bariloche [a hub city for outdoor adventurers—rather like Bozeman, Montana, or Bend, Oregon], and then hiked four hours into one of the most incredible camping areas I’ve ever seen. It’s free, and sits nestled on the shores of an alpine lake surrounded by granite spires. We ended up spending two weeks there climbing. If I travel to climb, it’s usually to big mountain ranges for alpine ascents. There aren’t many places I’d travel to just to rock climb, but Frey is one of them.”

Like Texas, Patagonia is as much a state of mind as a place. Encompassing roughly four hundred thousand square miles of infinite steppes, groaning glaciers, rugged pink granite peaks, and electric-blue lakes, wind-pummeled Patagonia is still very much a frontier. Frey is situated in the north of Argentine Patagonia in the Cerra Catedral region of Nahuel Huapi National Park. It takes its name from pioneering Argentine climber Emilio Frey, who served as park administrator of the Nahuel Huapi and co-founded the Club Andino Bariloche. Situated at an elevation of roughly 5,500 feet, Frey is made up of two connected alpine cirques, surrounded by spires offering one- to ten-pitch routes. Lake Toncek rests in the middle. A nearby refugio (simple lodge) offers travelers hearty hot meals and shelter, as well as free camping on the surrounding grounds. Though earlier European immigrants were among the first to climb around Frey in the early 1930s, its popularity increased after the Second World War when a new wave of immigrants arrived in Argentina.

A trip to Frey begins with the aforementioned hike, which starts near the Cerro Catedral ski resort. The trail climbs through a valley, over several rushing streams (spanned by sturdy footbridges), and through a thick forest before emerging above the tree line. “It’s a fairly steep hike in,” Quentin continued, “but it’s a well-established trail. It’s easy to navigate, and you can carry a massive backpack with lots of luxuries.” Once you’ve set up your camp (or found your bunk in the refugio), you can begin to take in the many spires around you in all their magnificence, a wonderland of granite for trad climbers. “The climbs here encompass a huge range of difficulty—there’s something for everyone,” Quentin added. “But Frey still incorporates a bit of spice in the climbing, and I like that. Additionally, there are many interesting granite features. The weathering of the granite has created crazy holds, in combination with brilliant cracks.” (While predominantly a trad climbing destination, portions of some popular routes are bolted.)

An hour or so chatting with fellow visitors at the Refugio Frey—perhaps over a bottle of local wine or mugs of mate tea—will begin to reveal the area’s must-climb spires. Some conversations may mix in sign language and pantomime, as you’re likely to encounter climbers from throughout South America and beyond at Frey. (The only printed source of information is a guide prepared by a fine local climber named Rolando Garibotti; his hand-drawn topographic maps can also be found online.) Some of the spires are a short walk from the refugio. Others can be up to a two-hour hike away. Torre Principal is the region’s tallest spire, a golden granite monolith looming to the west of the lake, and two ascents here, Siniestro Total and No TEOlvidaremos, are among Frey’s signature climbs. Siniestro (5.10+) is Frey’s longest route, comprising of ten pitches on the west side of Torre Principal. (The fourth pitch may be the most exciting, a series of finger and hand cracks over almost one hundred feet.) TEO (5.12a) is named for Teo Plaza, who’s considered one of Argentina’s greatest—if not the greatest—climbers. (Sadly, Plaza perished in an avalanche; as Garibotti notes in a fine piece on Patagonia’s contribution to climbing published in the magazine Rock and Ice, TEOlvidaremos is a play on the phrase “We will not forget you, Teo.”) It’s a five-pitch climb on the windy south side of Torre Principal, a delectable mix of face and crack climbing on an exquisitely clean piece of rock. The routes on Aguja Campanile Esloveno, Aguja Frey, and Aguja M2 also get high marks.

Though Frey offers world-class climbing, crowds are seldom a problem. In his two weeks there, Quentin never encountered more than twenty-five fellow climbers. But on one special day, it was nice to have a bit of company. “It was my climbing partner’s birthday,” he recalled. “We were climbing one spire, and our friend Brette [Harrington, another gifted young climber] was climbing another nearby spire by herself. We were hollering back and forth to each other, and we were the only people out there. As we summited, there were Andean condors [a member of the vulture family that boasts wingspans in excess of ten feet] circling around the spires. It was spectacular.”

QUENTIN L. ROBERTS grew up in the United Kingdom, Germany, South Africa, and British Columbia, and has always loved the mountains. His alpine climbing adventures have taken him through the United States, Asia, and South America. Quentin holds a degree in mechanical engineering, and when he’s not climbing or cragging, he works in Vancouver at Conetec, a mining, geoenvironmental, and geotechnical site investigation contractor. He is sponsored by ARC’TERYX, La Sportiva, and Petzl.

If You Go

Getting There: Most visitors will fly first to Buenos Aires and then on to Bariloche, which is served by several carriers, including LATAM Airlines (www.latam.com). It’s a short bus ride to the trailhead at Cerro Catedral ski area, and then a four-hour hike in to Frey.

Best Time to Visit: The austral summer, December through March, offers the best conditions.

Difficulty: Most of the routes at Frey fall between 5.9 and 5.12, though some easier climbs are present.

Guides: Several guides will lead excursions to Frey, including Andescross (530-448-8399; www.andescross.com). Rolando Garibotti’s guidebook—available in Bariloche—will prove useful.

Accommodations: Visitors to Frey can either camp or rent a bunk at Refugio Frey (www.clubandino.org). A number of hostels are available in Bariloche.