We leave from the center of the city and drive along route 258 skirting Lake Gutierrez and see mount Catedral with its typical needles, then go to lake Mascardi and drive along its east side through a debris road to the bridge over Manso river where there is a forking to Cascada Los Alerces and another one to Mount Tronador.

The road runs to the north within an exhuberat forest and with the image of lake Mascardi to the right. A few kilometers farther there is a viewpoint with an outstanding vista of the lake, the mountains and a native forest of incredible colors. After the watch point the road becomes narrower and you must drive very carefully because there are many cliffs. After you pass the bridge over Los Cesares brook you can park your car near Hotel Tronador and walk to Cascada Los Cesares,a 70 m. waterfall, through a well signalled trail.

H ere starts the valley of Manso river and 15 km . from that point is Gendarmeria Nacional in Pampa Linda, where there is an inn, a camping site, two restaurants and a National Park ranger station.

From the Pampa Linda's Ranger hut and after had signing in our schedule of activities (just for statistics controls), follow an old vehicle track roughly north for 30 to 45 minutes through open meadows and areas of tall Coihue forest to the Río Castaño Overo. Cross the stream on a makeshift footbridge and continue a short way to a (possibly unsignposted) track junction.  

Take the left branch which heads north-west along the route of an unused road. The old road (not correctly shown on the Argentine IGM map) soon begins a steady ascent on the slopes on the north side of the valley.

There are some steep shortcuts which leaves the bulldozed track and cut off long switchback curves.

Two to three hours after crossing the Río Castaño Overo the path comes out on the crest of a ridge coming down from Monte Tronador. There is a level area called "the almohadilla" (its means a small bolster of pillow) here providing an ideal resting spot.

Make your way up a broad ridge through Ñire and Lenga scrub.    After the last vegetation the well-marked path goes between rocks along the left side of spur, leaving on the rigth side a particular basaltic rock named "Morenkopf" which is a good spot for condor watching.

The trail still going up following the ridge and after a further two to three hours of walk from the "Almohadilla", we finally arrive at the Refugio Otto Meiling. From the "Morenkopf" ridge the trail climbs steeply a short part and crosses a flat 500 mts ridge to the refuge.

Refugio Otto Meiling stands at around 2000 metres above the sea level. This refuge is propiety of Club Andino Bariloche, it was builted in 1971 and it is placed on one of the eastern rocky ridges comming down from Monte Tronador, between the Castaño Overo and the Alerce Glaciers.  

Ice climbing practices on Ventisqueros Negros, close of the car, and on Glaciar Castaño Overo, close to the refuge.

The refugio is builted on concrete and wood. It has a big kitchen-dinning room, bathrooms and a sleeping room upstairs for a capacity of 60 mountaineers and trekkers.    The refuge offers meals, kiosk and refreshments.   

Its location offers a superb panorama of Pampa Linda, the Paso de las Nubes and the Cerro Catedral spires directly to the east.   

In summer, Refugio Otto Meiling often serves as the base for courses in snow and ice climbing run by the Club Andino Bariloche and the Argentinian Guides Asociation.

The large reinforced concrete building has been built in a depresion and is not visible until you are quite close. The descent is made via the same route.   

Horses rides are organized currently as an easier way to this refuge and to differents places around the area by the Hosteria's owner.