Refugio Paso del Viento
The place
Refuge built in the 1950s at the Paso del Viento pass, which connects the Campo de Hielo Sur (Southern Patagonian Ice Field) to the Argentine town of El Chaltén. On the Chilean side, the pass is part of the Bernardo O'Higgins National Park (Última Esperanza province, Magallanes); on the Argentine side, of Los Glaciares National Park (Santa Cruz). The refuge is small: overnight sleeping isn't really possible there, it serves as a meal shelter with numerous bivouac spots nearby. A place offering the most panoramic view of the Campo de Hielo Sur, blending steppe, Andean Patagonian forest, and high-mountain scenery. Most commercial treks pass through here counterclockwise on the "Vuelta al Huemul".
Getting there
Vuelta al Huemul from El Chaltén; Campo de Hielo Sur.
The setting
Campo de Hielo Sur, Los Glaciares NP / Bernardo O'Higgins NP.
