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Published: January 9th 2009
I spent 6 days hiking around El Bolson. Each night sleeping in a different refugio. Refugios are rustic buildings and the surrounding areas that function as combination campsites-dorms-restaurant-kitchen facilities and crash pads. Basically they are little communities in the wilderness populated by a couple caretakers and a daily rotation of trekkers. They are located in areas of interest along trails in the mountains - next to a lake or near a canyon or a glacier route. Each refugio has workers who greet visitors, get them registered and setup for the night. Most sell pizza or some other main meal, wine or locally brewed beer. Some have hot showers. Bread and jam are usually available for breakfast. Theoretically you can walk from refugio to refugio with nothing more than a sleeping bag staying on the floor in a large common dorm (often the entire upstairs floor of the building) on foam mattresses. Dorms rooms can fit from 5 to 30 other trekkers. I brought a couple hunks of cheese, some bread sticks and a few other lunch items and I was very glad I had the extra food, the refugios vary in what and how much is available. It was nice to
have my own food for breakfast and lunch when I wanted it. The refugios vary in size and construction. Some have large staffs with lots of cool wooden seats and tables, others are more basic. The staffs in all were really friendly and helpful.
Sometimes the number of people in a refugios ´living´space is almost overwhelming - some are very popular. On the other hand the homey atmosphere is great and there is no better place to meet new people than sitting around a wooden table drinking matte after a long day hiking. I met more Argentinians in 5 days than I´d met in the last 5 weeks. A couple nights we spent sitting around a fire singing songs. I was stunned to hear a dozen or more Beatles tunes played by Argentinians, singing all the english lyrics, with most of the other Argentinians around the fire singing right along.
The refugios are run by Club Andino Piltriquitron which has an information office in El Bolson right on the main road just a block away from the main town square and the information center. The Club has maps and a great guide book. Prior to hiking you need
to register your approximate dates and route. There is no fee to register at the office.
The hiking map given out at the Club Andino office is excellent. There are also some´unmaintained´trails that are not on the map. For example there is an old trail between Refugio Encanto Blanco and the trail to Los Laguitos. Ask at the Club Andino office for more info on small trails.
The mapped trails are very well marked. I had no trouble hiking between the refugios, following the trail markers. Some trails are very steep. Real hiking boots would have been nice but I survived with my walking shoes.
A night in a refugio dorm is about 35 pecos. An evening meal, maybe 30 or 35 pecos.
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Javier Lofredo
non-member comment
My friend!!!
Hi Bill! How are you? looking for some photos from Bolson I found your blog. It's very nice read this things about my country, although some inconvenient you had in Bs.As., but as you could see, everybody isn't the same. Send me your email so I can send you some photographs. Enjoy the rest of your vacations!