Climbing Cerro Ventana

We came to Sierra de la Ventana with one main intention - climbing the nearby peak Cerro Ventana (1134m).  Those of you with some knowledge of Spanish will know that Cerro means hill and Ventana window, and as the name implies Cerro Ventana is famous for the spectacular window in the rock near the summit.

First things first - we needed to work out how to get to the provincial park, Parque Provincial Ernesto Tornquist, from where the climb begins. We consulted the local bus timetable and found there was a bus there at 9.50 am and one back at 5 pm - perfect, we thought, as the hike takes around 5-6 hours. We set off the next day but on arrival we were told the only way to do the hike was to arrive before 9 and do it in a group with a guide. Furthermore, according to the rangers at the park, the 5pm bus didn't actually exist and the only bus back was at 7 pm.

On the 'path' to the waterfall

Instead, we spent the day on a great shorter walk, scrambling along a dried-up canyon culminating at a sheer cliff and waterfall. We were lucky to be able to hitch a lift back to Sierra de la Ventana with a friendly couple from Buenos Aires. We bought them a beer to say thank you and enjoyed having a long chat with them in Spanish - fun and very good practice for us.

Gazing across the Pampas

Attempt #2 at the Cerro Ventana climb involved getting up at an unearthly hour in order to catch the 6.45 am bus - the only option for getting to the park on time. We had just over an hour to wait for the park to open but once it did around 20 other people turned up and we duly registered for the climb. It was as amazing as we'd hoped. The route was very tough going in places, with steep sections where we had to scramble up rocks, and there was no shade in the 30 degree heat. The clear skies meant breathtaking views though - panoramic vistas of the surrounding plains for miles and miles around. The hills in this area are the only bulges of any size in the whole of the Buenos Aires province (and bear in mind we were now 500 km south of the capital). The views got better and better as we climbed and the one framed by the window at the top was the best of all - simply stunning. During the course of the climb we saw a couple of guanacos (wild llamas) and while at the top a large bird of prey soared above us, so low that we could see the patterns on its wings - wow!

Made it to the Window!

The guide was friendly, helpful and very well informed. We were the only non-Argentinians on the walk so followed his detailed (and fast) Spanish explanations as best as we could. He kindly gave us a lift back to Sierra de la Ventana that day in his very antique vehicle.

On a sidenote, Sierra de la Ventana has a rather interesting dog population. We initially thought that the countless dogs running around everywhere were strays, but they seem remarkably well fed and most have collars. It seems most likely that dog owners here just let their pets out every morning to go and have fun round the village all day - this would also explain the large number of 'lost dog' signs!