Patagonia BARILOCHE by UTMB
Patagonia BARILOCHE by UTMB – NAHUEL HUAPI 33K
Los Baqueanos → Centro Cívico
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The NAHUEL HUAPI 33K is the mid-distance option at Patagonia BARILOCHE by UTMB, running 36 km with 1327 m of positive climb from Los Baqueanos to a finish in the Centro Civico of Bariloche. Despite the 33K name, the measured course is closer to 36 km, and the profile hides its difficulty: two-thirds of the route rolls along at low altitude before the race stands up on its hind legs for a single decisive climb to a high point of 1417 m. Set in the Nahuel Huapi region of the Argentine Andes that gives the race its name, this is a course of two clear halves. Runners who treat the long, runnable opening stretch as the whole story get caught out by the late climb; those who save something for the push to Piedras Blancas and the drop into town run the strong finish this route rewards.
The course: a long runnable approach, then a wall
From the start at Los Baqueanos (814 m), the NAHUEL HUAPI 33K spends its first 22.5 km barely changing altitude. Peuma Hue arrives at 8 km still at 831 m, Gutierrez at 18.3 km sits at 827 m, and Trypay Antu at 22.5 km is 808 m. On paper the net elevation change across this whole opening section is almost nil, which makes it the fastest, most flowing running of the day through the classic Nahuel Huapi terrain of lakeshore, forest and valley trail. Everything then changes. From Trypay Antu at 808 m the course climbs to Piedras Blancas at 31.2 km and 1195 m, and the route tops out at its high point of 1417 m along the way. That is roughly 600 m of gain packed into the back third of the race, on tired legs, after a long deceptively easy warm-up. From Piedras Blancas the trail drops around 400 m over the final 4.8 km to the Centro Civico finish at 795 m.
Where the race is won: the climb to Piedras Blancas
With 1327 m of total climb and a flat first two-thirds, the decisive terrain is unambiguous: the ascent that begins after Trypay Antu (808 m at 22.5 km) and carries you over the 1417 m high point to Piedras Blancas (1195 m at 31.2 km). This is where the race is won or lost. Runners who spent too freely on the flat, fast opening will feel it here as their legs meet the only sustained vertical of the day. The smart tactic is to ride the runnable early kilometres at a controlled effort rather than a hard pace, arriving at Trypay Antu with the legs to power-hike or run the climb strongly. The reward comes immediately after: from Piedras Blancas it is a 400 m descent over the last stretch into the Centro Civico. A runner who has managed the effort can descend hard and finish fast, while one who blew up on the climb will simply survive the drop into Bariloche.
Pacing and fuelling across the aid stations
The aid points are spaced generously for a 36 km race: Peuma Hue at 8 km, Gutierrez at 18.3 km, Trypay Antu at 22.5 km, and Piedras Blancas at 31.2 km before the finish at 36 km. The two longest carries are the 10.3 km from Peuma Hue to Gutierrez and the 8.7 km from Trypay Antu over the high point to Piedras Blancas. That second gap is the one to fuel and hydrate for deliberately, because it contains the entire climb; leave Trypay Antu with enough fluid and calories to cover the ascent without rationing. Because the hard work is concentrated at the end, the pacing rule is simple: bank time gently on the flat opening without redlining, top off fully at Trypay Antu, then commit to the climb. Aim to reach Piedras Blancas with legs still capable of running the final descent to the Centro Civico rather than limping it.
Conditions and terrain to expect
This is a high-Andean course in the Nahuel Huapi region around Bariloche, and the altitude profile tells you what to prepare for. The route climbs from around 800 m to a high point of 1417 m, so weather can shift markedly on the upper section: what feels mild on the runnable valley approach can turn cold, windy or wet on the exposed climb to the 1417 m point. Carry a layer you can deploy on the ascent even if the start feels warm. The terrain shape favours runners who are comfortable switching gears. The first 22.5 km reward relaxed, efficient running on rolling ground, while the closing kilometres demand strong climbing legs and then confident downhill running to drop 400 m into town. Practise that combination of sustained late climbing followed by a technical descent, and the Centro Civico finish in the heart of Bariloche is a memorable place to arrive.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 814 m · —
8 km · 831 m · —
18.3 km · 827 m · —
22.5 km · 808 m · —
31.2 km · 1195 m · —
36 km · 795 m · —
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