Refugio Frey Is Worth the 12 Mile Trek
We had no idea what we were signing up for when we decided to hike Refugio Frey. When we got the recommendation from the front desk at La Cascada, we decided to just go for it with very little preparation or consideration. They warned us it would be difficult, but as someone who has spent the last year and a half in Seattle, I’d done a handful of hikes and considered my friend and I to be in good enough shape that we could tackle whatever came our way. Thankfully, I was right — I just didn’t realize how much that would be put to the test. As All Trails indicates, it’s a 5.9 mile hike… but that’s point to point. So, round trip we hiked 12 miles.
The beginning of the trail was mostly dust, with low brush and high heat. I am a fair-skinned, light-eyed New Englander, and anything above room temperature feels hot to me, so noon sun in Argentina’s summer was a huge drain on my athletic stamina. My friend and I were wearing long sleeves and had shirts draped over our heads to prevent the sun from further torching our already scorched skin from a hike two days prior. Sunscreen is an absolute must.
Thankfully, about halfway through the hike, we got some shade as the trail started winding through the forest. We passed a beautiful stream and mini waterfall, as well as some smaller refuges where people could rest for lunch. The forest was blissfully shadier and cooler than the first leg of the trip, but it came at the price of large black flies that followed us around. Still, the woods were beautiful and lush.
Unfortunately, the last part of the hike was the hardest — not because we were sapped of energy (which, at least I was) but because it was the steepest by far and also lacked shade. That last half hour provided some spectacular vistas but required light scrambling, which was none too easy in my running shoes. I was hot, tired, hungry, thirsty, and oh so dirty.
As we approached the top, hikers coming back down gave us words of encouragement. The “Refugio” (refuge) doesn’t come into view until you’re steps away from it because of the incline and curvature of the path, so you don’t get the line of sight to spur you to the top. Without that visual goal, I was feeling ready to give up (or fall down) when we finally arrived. My friend and I dragged our stiff bodies into the little wooden hut and peeled off our sweat-drenched clothes to let them dry for the descent.
The refuge is just that — a place that provides food and shelter to the hikers who make it to the top. I marvel at the thought that hikers must make this a routine trek to get to the top with supplies because the cabin was outfitted with various beverages, snacks, and enough ingredients to give full dinners to people who were camping overnight. We ordered a pizza and devoured the carbs and cheese as though we hadn’t eaten in days. I’m sure it wasn’t the best pizza in the world, but it certainly tasted like it at the time.
After we’d replaced some of our calories, we changed into our bathing suits and took a dip in the glacier waters. It was the perfect refresher for our aching bodies that rejuvenated us enough to power through the descent.
Back at the base of the hike, we caught the bus back to our hotel along with other dusty hikers. The hike, while difficult, wasn’t impossible, and it provided a unique view of Patagonia I am glad I saw.
