Day 45 - Refugio Otto Meiling
December 30 - Pampa Linda, Argentina
The trail started uneventfully on a dirt road, then transitioned to switch backs up dirt trails created by melting snow. We followed the ridgeline to the point where we started climbing up the peak, alternating snow pack with mars-like volcanic rock. Along the way, we caught views of the giant glacier, known as the “hanging glacier”, hanging off the edge of the volcano, with rushing waterfalls carrying glacial melt thousands of feet to the grown. Finally, we could see the refugio at the top.
We arrived at the refugio and oriented ourselves. There was a single building, which appeared to have small sleeping quarters upstairs, and a bar with bench seating downstairs. There was a shared men/women bathroom in the entry. We checked in with the man at the bar and he pointed us in the direction of camping. We let us know we could eat dinner at the refugio, or we could cook outside and then eat inside. Because there are so many people and so little room, bags are left in the entry way. We setup up our tent in a flat spot that already had a rock wall stacked to minimize wind. The spot was a bit large for us, but there was no one else there, so we took it anyway. After a little while of laying on the rocks reading and soaking up views, more and more campers arrived, and we felt more and more guilty (and also lucky) for our spot, as they scavenged for flat spots and created their own rock walls. Evan was taking a nap and I heard a familiar voice behind me – a Dutch man we had met a few weeks prior in Chile!
We left the hostel to catch our transfer at 8 AM, leaving
much of our luggage behind. The ride was
a sprinter van driven by a long haired Spanish-speaking French man.
On the way, we entered the park, so had to pay the entrance
fee ($250 pesos for foreigners!) and carried on to Pampa Linda. Pampa Linda is a small village with two
hosterias, a restaurant, a camp area, and maybe gas? After waiting awkwardly at an unmanned
Guardparque, we ventured on a trail towards Refugio Otto Meiling.
The trail started uneventfully on a dirt road, then transitioned to switch backs up dirt trails created by melting snow. We followed the ridgeline to the point where we started climbing up the peak, alternating snow pack with mars-like volcanic rock. Along the way, we caught views of the giant glacier, known as the “hanging glacier”, hanging off the edge of the volcano, with rushing waterfalls carrying glacial melt thousands of feet to the grown. Finally, we could see the refugio at the top.
We arrived at the refugio and oriented ourselves. There was a single building, which appeared to have small sleeping quarters upstairs, and a bar with bench seating downstairs. There was a shared men/women bathroom in the entry. We checked in with the man at the bar and he pointed us in the direction of camping. We let us know we could eat dinner at the refugio, or we could cook outside and then eat inside. Because there are so many people and so little room, bags are left in the entry way. We setup up our tent in a flat spot that already had a rock wall stacked to minimize wind. The spot was a bit large for us, but there was no one else there, so we took it anyway. After a little while of laying on the rocks reading and soaking up views, more and more campers arrived, and we felt more and more guilty (and also lucky) for our spot, as they scavenged for flat spots and created their own rock walls. Evan was taking a nap and I heard a familiar voice behind me – a Dutch man we had met a few weeks prior in Chile!
We cooked our pasta and sauce, and brought it indoors to eat in the heat. The tables were packed and we squeezed in next to an Argentine family. We saw the people next to us were enjoying the same wine we had loved a few nights before, so we asked for a bottle for ourselves. I chatted with a young girl next to me, who spoke with passion and excitement about everything. We swapped stories and she shared about her experience in the other Refugios, commenting that this one was so small, they were packed like sardines, mattress to mattress, alongside her dad and his girlfriend. As the food came out for those who were eating, we grabbed the rest of our wine and excused ourselves from the table to allow for more elbow space. I ran outside to view the sunset, then we retired for the night. I slept horribly, as it was surprisingly frigid (although Evan would say – “surprisingly? We were sleeping on top of a volcano!”)
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