Overview
In the Lanin National Park, in Patagonia, one can find a rather beautiful mountain called Volcan Lanin.(3,776 m) it is located on the southwest side of the Argentinean Neuquen Province, not far from the Tromen Pass, which allows route 60 to connect Argentina to Chile. This mountain gives the name to the park around it, and it decorates the view from the lakes around it: Huechulafquen, Paimún y Tromen.
It is considered inactive (nice?) and it is the symbol of the Neuquen Province. Its name come from the "mapuches", or the natives that live (or used to live) there, and it means "to sink" making reference to the fact that one will sink on snow or hash.
Access
You can start at the town of San Martin de Los the Andes, in Argentina, where one can find advise, food, equipement for hire and local guides and there is a tourist bureau. The lodgings are not very cheap, but there is the camp-site of Automobil Club Argentino and other camping areas.
The Lanin volcano is at the border with Chile. It is necessary to take an international bus (Temuco direction via Junin de Los the Andes, Pucon, Villarica), and to go down in Gendarmeria Tromen (or the border and park guard), in an area called Puerto Canoas, a little before the border. There you can camp.
Also, you can try to arrange transportation to the nearby town of Junin de los Andes. In any case, transportation is bad and not a lot. Getting a ride is possible, but you can ask around the locals. For example, I stayed and got transportation from a Señora Gladis Sponton
The expedition will take something of like 2 or 3 days.
Where to Stay
You can stay at Junin de los Andes in the home of the Sponton Family. In 1998, when I visited the area, Gladis Sponton and her husband where very helpful with us, and they very well liked by the climber that visit the area.
Permits
It is necessary to have a permit to climb the mountain. This can be inquired upon with the rangers in the Park, the Intendencia de Parques Nacionales in San Martin, or at the Gendarmeria in Tromen. No fee is required (as of 2005) to obtain the permit to climb.
The rangers are quite handy but also very strict in the application of rules.
Please note that you will have NO right to climb up if you start after noon even if you clearly state that your intention is just to arrive to one of the shelter and continue the day after.
In order to obtain the permit to climb the park's rangers will ask you to have the following gear:
- Ice axe
- Crampons
- Mountain boots
- Adequate clothing
- VHF radio
- Stove (one in a team of four people)
In March 2005 the helmet was not compulsory but is better to inquire first, as the rules may change.
It was possible to rent locally some of the equipment above but at very high price (the radio was 25 pesos per day).
I worked my way around the permits (1990, since I speak the language (I am Colombian). In any case, I registered in the Gendarmeria in Tromen before attempting the Lanin. They asked to show ice axe, crampons and other basic mountaineering equipment.
Thank you Silvio 1973 for the updated information for permits
Images
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Lake District (Chile / Argentina)
