Lakes, forests and mountains

Arrived in Mendoza, we try for the second time to put the polarized film on the windows of the combi (the attempt to do it in Buenos Aires had not been very successful. It's a real crap this film to stick). Two gentlemen come to see us, tell us that they also have a combi, they saw ours from the road and turned around to come see it closer. We talk and they give us their details, living in a town on our way south. Finally we leave the polarized as it is (two attempts, two tinted windows... with the eight that we have we are not even close to finish it) and visit the city park.

Quick stop in San Rafael and off to Las Lenas, second ski resort of our trip. On the way we visit the winery Suter, being in the most important vineyards region of Argentina. The ski resort normally closes October 2 so supposedly we have a few days to enjoy it but a person in Penitentes told us they would close early for lack of snow. Not having had time to check it on the internet, we're going confident, but seeing that only a few miles away there are still not a single snow-capped peak, we start to panic a bit because the road is long and in poor condition so arriving to a closed ski resort would be far from good. Luckily, the entry in the last valley offers a view of nice snowy mountains.

Once in the ski resort, search of a place to settle down. The rule would be to park on the city parking lot but at sixty pesos a night, no thank you. Negotiation with some hotels that have private parking plus a great meeting with Francisco and here we are in the center for free.

After Penitentes who had no Internet at all Las Lenas has only one public access in a hotel at a rate ten times higher than normal ... Not cool at all.

I go to the rescue center to sign the "deslinde, mandatory document for going off track, which states that I am aware of the risks and potential costs of rescue.

In Las Lenas, the pass is expensive but they have a magical chairlift, Marte, that takes you to the top of a mountain full of steep off tracks, so it's worth it.

First day of skiing, I begin identifying the off tracks and then meet a "policeman" of the resort who tells me that the off tracks are closed due to the poor quality of the snow. "Closed"?? How an off-track can be closed?? I can believe that they have good reason to close the off tracks, but this new concept is very very far away from another concept that is dear to me : a free mountain. Here everything is regulated. I am a bit angry because I have not come here to ski on the slopes. A little later, they finally open a sector but the conditions are rather poor and so the first day is not that good.
The following day is very cloudy so I do not get out, but the snow begins to fall. A bit of hope and it’s a miracle. The next day, we get up and eight inches of powder ! Checking with the rescue team to see if the off tracks are open. Half of them yes. The “policemen” are set up to make sure nobody gets into the closed area ... Some nice downhill despite the hard snow that is felt below the powder (grrrrr). I meet Travis, a very cool American who comes here since 1997 and who shows me some very nice spots.
The conditions being far from ideal, I do not go out the next day.

On Thursday, opening of all the off tracks and it’s goooooood. There are between twenty and thirty centimeters of powder and it is steep. Awesome. I finally have my dream day in the mountains of Argentina.
With the hope of seeing another ski resort down south, we leave that evening. The short stay in Las Lenas has enabled us to realize that the isolation of the combi is really good: -15 ° C and we slept like babies.

 

Back in San Rafael, we fill the tank of the combi and like every time I check to see if there are no leaks.
Story aside: the combis are known to catch fire easily because they have the gas tank near the engine and the pipes have a tendency to disconnect themselves, and so the slightest leak can turn into a disaster. Knowing this, we are more than cautious.

Nothing to report. Let’s go eat. Getting out of the restaurant, we see gasoline next to the combi. Big panic. Fortunately Caris saw it because if I had started the engine...

Call to the ACA for assistance. They tow us to the gas station, where we sleep. In the morning, towing to a mechanic. It is the gasket between the tank and the pipe that allows filling the tank that is damaged. They dismantle it all, go buy a new gasket and change it. The mechanic is so nice, we take this opportunity to ask him if he can take a look at our headlights that are incorrectly set. No problem, he fixes everything. An excellent place!

Afternoon in the park with sun and heat (what a pleasure after two weeks of cold!) And visit of the city.
About to go to General Alvear, city where Daniel, met in Mendoza, lives, we call him. Without waiting a second, he invites us for lunch. We accept with pleasure and get to know his wonderful family. Once there, he invites us to spend the night. Even nicer. They show us their combi that is in perfect condition. We spend the evening at a party Pena Folklorika (typical Argentine). The next day we tour a bit in their combi. What a pleasure not to be the driver and be able to freely watch the landscape. We go to see Betto, another combi owner who is kind enough to lend us the original manual of the combi so we can photocopy it. A Sunday family visit of the city. In late afternoon we try a new sales technique: place the combi near the central square with a sign inviting people to help us fund our trip. Many people come to see us but the wind forces us to leave...

Micaias, the twelve year old son taking English classes in a language institute, I go with him and suggest going to speak a little French and English in various courses. The teachers are more than happy and invite me to lead their classes in the evening, telling interactive stories of my trip.
The next two days, I take full use of the house to finish some ongoing work of the combi.
We finally leave on Thursday afternoon. Feeling of sadness when leaving our host family. Who would have thought that turning around to go see a combi more closely would offer us five days of pure happiness? Travelling is magic for this particular reason. All those little things that ultimately turn into great stories.

We then spend two days in Neuquen to visit a little bit, have the front end of the combi greased (which once again turns out to be difficult but we manage to do it) among others, but the wind (one of those that turns Caris's hair into the mane of a wild lion) makes us leave and we thus arrive to Zapala. Another pause of several days (not being in a hurry, we take our time) and we leave for Aluminé. The combi has her first experience with dirt roads. She does not complain, but the distances become interminable, because if we drive at 80km / h on average on the road, on the dirt paths we are at 20km / h ...

During the trip, we try to take a shower regularly, but finding a shower is not always easy. Some gas stations have one, but this is rare. Attempts in churches, gyms, etc. have not been successful so far. Once in Aluminé, we are ready to ring the doors of different people to try our luck, but once again the providence arrives. We ask in a cyber and five minutes later, we meet Jorge, who welcomes us to his home and helps us during our stay there!

Visit to lake Rucca Choroi located 20 kilometers away from Aluminé. Absolutely beautiful!

So beautiful that we decide to stay for the night. The camp site next to the lake is closed but they allow us to stay anyway (all by ourselves of course). A major advantage of our combi: we have always our home with us!

Back to Aluminé and then departure for Villa Pehuenia. Area even more beautiful! Lakes, forests, mountains. Whether on foot during the walks or from the car, the scenery is incredible. Two days on site to enjoy it and departure for Junin de los Andes.