Cerro López: details of the place where the avalanche occurred in Bariloche

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On Wednesday afternoon there was an avalanche in the Lopez Hill of Bariloche for which A Scottish tourist died, another man was injured and a third person, originally from Córdoba, was rescued. after spending the night in the snow in the midst of search efforts that depended on weather conditions and the risk of a new landslide.

In this context, the head of the Aid Commission of the Andean Club of that city of Black River, Martin Roffodescribed that “the accident area is risky.”

Lopez Hill is located in the Small Circuit -path that surrounds Lake Perito Moreno- and below it is the emblematic tourist site Swiss Colonya European settlement 25 kilometres from Bariloche. It is located at an altitude of 2,075 metres above sea level and can be reached by a three-hour walk. It is a popular area chosen by local and foreign tourists for camping and hiking. Also just a few kilometres away is Refugio López, a mountain lodge with capacity for 100 people at an altitude of 1,600 metres.

The most traveled trail to reach Cerro López begins at the Lopez Creek and it is recommended to fill out a trekking registration to take precautions. According to one of the official tourism pages of Bariloche, excursions are offered to travel trails of varying difficulty between forests and lengas. In addition, along the way there are natural viewpoints that are part of the Nahuel Huapi National Parkwith views of lakes, islands and mountains.

After crossing a section of rocks, the trail goes into the forest until reaching the Roca Negra Refuge, where you can rest and enjoy the views. Kilometers further inland is the López Refuge.

It is recommended to do this route during the day and climb to the top after midday, preferably in good weather. In total, the trip there and back takes more than six hours, not including stops for food or rest.

The scientist Francisco Moreno named the place “López” in honor of Vicente Lopez and Planes, the author of the national anthem. It can be visited all year round, although the best time to visit due to the weather conditions is from October to April.

A Scottish tourist died in the avalanche and a man from Cordoba was rescued alive at 7am on Thursday. “We found him much higher up the mountain than the others, 500 metres away. He managed to get out of the snow himself, he was able to call 911 and then we rescued him again,” she said. Nahuel Campitellihead of the Rescue Commission that participated in the rescue, added: “He is alive and consciousanything better than that is difficult given the situation of being there since last night.”

“He has hypothermia and frostbite. It’s a miracle, his body was trapped by the skis, he was able to get his arm out to use the phone but he couldn’t get out of the snow because his body was trapped.“, he revealed in dialogue with TN.

The third victim of the avalanche in Cerro López was found aliveCourtesy: Club Andino Bariloche

He also said that he was given rapid treatment for hypothermia and placed in a “warm environment” before being taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Meanwhile, more than 30 members of the Commission of Assistance, Gendarmerie and Civil Protection worked on the operation.

Minutes later, in dialogue with LN+Campitelli said: “We suspended the search because it was highly unlikely that the victim was still alive. and to not overexpose the rescue team because the situation was dangerous.” After that, he added: “At around 3.30 he gave notice and the team arrived at 7 to rescue him. They had to go to the place on foot – something quite difficult in the mountains – dig him out, put him on a stretcher, give him hot liquid and get down as quickly as possible. He was there for 10 hours”.

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