2023 Passport Chronicles

Sometimes all you need is a girls’ trip!

I’d heard that El Bolsón had a mountain range where you could hike from hut to hut for days, so I had to see it for myself. Luckily it wasn’t difficult to convince three lovely gals to join me, making it an unforgettable adventure! 🛖

We had just three nights on the trail so we decided to do a point-to-point hike 🗺️

The first day starting from Doña Rosa was breathtaking, crossing glacier coloured rivers surrounded by so many yellow flowers in full bloom. However, most of the 15km trail to Hielo Azul was steep, winding through dense forests. It was literally a maze of fallen trees for hours so we were thrilled when we reached the hut in time for dinner and much-needed rest.

Day two took us 11km starting with a tough river crossing, followed by a brutal uphill climb, gaining over 1,000 meters to reach Refugio Natación, which was closed due to snow. However, the snow-covered landscape was a stunning winter wonderland, and we couldn’t resist having a pitstop to indulge in some dulce de leche (a weird new obsession for me on this trip!). After a bit more of this snowy stretch, we had to tackle a steep and super tough descent surrounded by jaw dropping scenery before arriving at Cajón del Azul, a beautiful hut in a sheltered valley for a warm and welcoming stay. ❄️ 🔥

Cajón del Azul felt like home, with its cozy fire oven and baked goods. It was also where we discovered pasta flora—another foodie favorite from Argentina! We had so many over the two days and told everyone we met about them, earning the owner many new customers. They were so pleased that they showed us how to make it and even shared the recipe! 🧑‍🍳

Our third day began with a beautiful walk along a canyon, followed by a gradual climb through lush, quiet forests before reaching Casa de Campo, our final hut. This place was magical, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, greenery and farm animals. Freshly made doughnuts with dulce de leche, mate, a communal dinner, spontaneous yoga and guitar music made it a perfect last night. We even experienced musical tarot cards and shared so many laughs and tales with the other hikers! 🧘🏻‍♀️

On our last day, the trail from Casa de Campo to Wharton was a gradual downhill for the most part, leading us back through Cajón del Azul for more mate and pasta flora. To our surprise, the end of the trail had a brewery in the most gorgeous setting—a perfect way to end the trip. 🍻 🍻

There were also plenty of bloopers along the way, the funniest being Maria’s attempt to toss her waist bag across a river not once, but twice! The bag fell straight into the moving water on the 2nd attempt but luckily, she was quick enough to jump in onto a rock and retrieve it. We were all on the other side watching it all as if in slow motion. We also ended up hitchhiking our way back to El Bolsón from Wharton, meeting lovely locals!

There were more videos and photos we didn’t ended up getting because Mery lost her phone a couple of weeks later 😅
But this is a place I’m certain I’d like to return to someday!Läs mer