LaninparklotParque Nacional Lanin, Arg - In Maupuche the word Lanin means the dead. I skied off the top of 3776m Volcan Lanin, 'the dead', three days ago on one of the warmest days of the spring yet. The wind was blowing probably 60k on the summit but even so the ski run down had awesome corn and a bit of powder at the top.  Lanin is the highest peak in the Lake Distirct and is climbed totally within Argentina even though it is a boarder peak. As such it commands an excellent view of what is northren Patagonia.

Day one after messing around renting crampons for a friend and being held back a day by Argentinan mother's day (all the expedition agencies were closed), we hired a taxi and took off to the Argentinan customs an hour past Junin where the climb begins. 5hrs of sloggging up a steep bowl we reached the military RIM 26 hut and stayed the night. The following day an alpine start put us on the summit by mid afternoon. The strangest meeting I have ever had in the mountains though occured just before leaving the hut in the morning when Marcus W., a buddy of mine from North Van rolled up to the hut solo. I was like hey dude,  what the ·$%· are you doing here? He had rented a car, ditched his girlfriend, and was soloing around Volcanos in Arg. He was great company to have along.

The following day I jumped a bus to Zapala but slept through my stop and ended up in Cultral Co (don't ask), where a wind stop do to insane gusts and blowing dirt held the bus from going back to Zapala for three hours. After finally getting to Zapala later that night, I caught another bus to Caviahue (1700m). That wind blew a storm through this desolate out post town and dumped some fresh snow beside it's emerald green lake, on the millenia old Arucarian arucaria trees that dot the hillside, and on the volcano above but the winds were too strong to go up Copahue (3003m) today.  Tommorrow fingers crossed it will go but till then it's hanging out in the only Hotel/thing open in town which happens to be government run, really afforable, and straight out of the Shinning.