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Refugio Frey Ski/Splitboard Hut Trip

Bariloche, Northern Patagonia, Argentina

  • Duration

    7 days, 7 nights
    August 28-September 4, 2024

  • Location

    Refugio Frey, Refugio Jakob, Bariloche
    Northern Patagonia, Argentina

  • Maximum participants

    6

  • Price

    $ 500 (reservation deposit)
    $ 3180 (second payment)

Join Saveur the Journey and Eagle Cap Mountain Guides us for a “hut to hut” ski traverse to the amazing “refugios” in the Nahuel Huapi National Park in Northern Patagonia. Chase southern hemisphere snow by earning your turns amongst the dramatic granite spires, couloirs, and chutes of the Andes.  IFMGA certified Ski Guide and Avalanche forecaster Victor McNeil and Kelly McNeil, will be taking our small group on fantastic tours through this stunning scenery. Not far from Cerro Catedral, you can access Refugio Frey, one of the best huts in all of Argentina, located at the base of a small lake with a massive cirque towering above. We will spend a few days exploring the remarkable terrain and enjoying the delicious home-cooked meals that the micro-hydro powered hut has to offer. Then we will set off on a classic ski traverse to Refugio Jakob, another gorgeous hut surrounded by exciting terrain.

***Saveur the Journey takes the COVID-19 pandemic very seriously. Please see our COVID-19 Policies for more information.***

$3,680.00

In stock

Pay a deposit of $500.00 per item

Remote Location

Refugio Frey and Refugio Jakob can only be accessed by skiing in, so the tranquility and wildness of the area remain intact.

Human-Powered Hut Trip

Earn your turns in the dramatic terrain surrounding Refugio Frey and Refugio Jakob with steeps, bowls, and powder fields all outside the front door

Small Group

Advanced/Expert level small group with a fully certified High Mountain Guide (IFMGA) means excellent and exciting lines

Refugio Frey can be accessed from Cerro Catedral resort by taking the lifts to the top of the Nubes chair and then completing a series of descents and short skins. You reach the hut in about 3 to 4 hours. Refugio Frey is staffed year round and offers hot home-cooked meals such as big steaks and homemade pizza as well as wine and beer that is brewed on premise. The hut offers barrack style sleeping arrangements and is powered by a small hydroelectric mill. Outside the hut’s door is a huge cirque with orange granite spires, tight and steep couloirs (up to 1000 feet long and 40-55 degrees steep), and wide open mellow faces (30+ degrees). 

After a few days of exploring the Refugio Frey, we will do a 6-8 hour ski traverse to the even more remote Refugio Jakob. Refugio Jakob is quite a bit bigger than Frey (it sleeps 60+) but even less busy. Again the hut provides three meals a day (hot breakfast, packed lunch, multi-course dinner) as well as beer and wine options. There is a variety of ski options at Refugio Jakob, from expert level steeps and chutes to mellow, wide open faces and bowls.

The huts provides everything you need to fuel your adventures. All that is required is ski or splitboard touring gear, clothes, sleeping bag (lightweight down with compression bag, 20F minimum), and avalanche safety gear. On clear nights, the huts have some of the most amazing stargazing anywhere and moonlit night ski tours are a possibility. A morning pre-breakfast tour is also a an option to take in the sunrise and feast on powder and couloirs before heading back to the hut for fresh baked bread, jams, coffee and maté.

The trip is decidedly focused on ski/split touring in fantastic terrain but as with all Saveur the Journey trips, good food is a given. While Refugios Frey and Jakob are in remote locations they are known for making delicious and hearty food from locally sourced ingredients that will power us for distant peaks and untouched lines. Expect the delicious steaks Argentina is famous for, homemade pizza, warming stews, rich wines and local beer.

For effective ski/split touring you must have alpine touring bindings (“pin-tech” recommended but frame bindings are okay) or telemark bindings or splitboard setup with skins. You must know how to use your gear, maintain your skins, and be an efficient tourer with good kick turns, form, and stamina. Avalanche safety gear (beacon, shovel, and probe) are mandatory for everyone and you must know how to use your equipment and preferably have completed an avalanche safety course. For the descents, you must be an Advanced/Expert level rider, comfortable making dynamic turns in steep and varied terrain and in low visibility/difficult weather if necessary. You need to have experience using ski crampons/boot crampons and be able to skin for up to 8 hours, with 4500ft of vertical gain. You must understand how to keep yourself warm (proper layering), fed, hydrated, and healthy while being out all day. Due to the remoteness and high consequence terrain, your skiing/riding level must be evaluated by a professional Ski Guide before attending the trip. Please contact Victor McNeil of Eagle Cap Mountain Guides to discuss your involvement on the trip.

 

Sample Itinerary- subject to change

Day 1 – Wednesday, August 28
Arrive in Bariloche
You will need to arrive in Bariloche by the late afternoon/early evening (we recommend arriving a day early)
Meet the group and your guides
Check into lodging
Group dinner at local restaurant

Day 2

Day 2
Ski at Cerro Catedral
To knock the rust off and get acclimated, we will spend the day skiing at Cerro Catedral ski resort, with opportunities to hike/skin into the sidecountry
After skiing we will head back to our accommodations and prepare for our tour to the Refugio Frey
Group dinner

Day 3

Day 3
Ski to the Refugio Frey
Head to the Refugio Frey utilizing the ski lifts at Cerro Catedral
Expect 3-4 hours total travel time to access the hut
Once we are settled into the hut, we will go for a short ski tour
Dinner provided at the hut

Day 4

Ski the terrain near Refugio Frey
Breakfast at the hut
Countless opportunities to ski/ride wide open bowls and steep couloirs alongside golden granite spires
Dinner at the hut

Day 5

Ski to the Refugio Jakob
Breakfast at the Frey
Tour from the Frey to the Jakob, which takes 6+ hours
Dinner at the Jakob Hut

Day 6

Ski the terrain near Refugio Jakob
Breakfast at the Jakob Hut
Ski/ride the awesome lines around the refugio
Dinner at the Jakob Hut

Day 7

September 8th Finish the circuit and tour back to Cerro Catedral
Breakfast at the Jakob Hut
Start the tour back to Cerro Catedral, full day mission
Group dinner in Bariloche

Day 8

Day 8
Depart from Argentina or stick around, you decide!

TRIP PACKAGE INCLUDES

  • All accommodations (5 nights at Refugio Frey and Jakob, 2 nights a hotel/airbnb in Bariloche)
  • 6 Days of Guided Ski/Split touring in amazing terrain
  • All Meals
  • 2 Lift tickets at Cerro Catedral for first day of skiing and bump
  • Fully Certified IFMGA guide, tail guide
  • Transportation by van

NOT INCLUDED

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FAQ Bariloche Ski Trip

You must be an ADVANCED/EXPERT skier/snowboarder. You must be in good physical shape, be able to and have skied in all conditions (including whiteout, wind, very cold, steep). You must be able to ski/ride in control on all types of terrain and should be very comfortable on black and double black slopes. Ideally you should have some avalanche safety training and should be familiar with using an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe. You should have your own (don’t rely on rentals) suitable all mountain (100-115+mm underfoot) skis or splitboard with alpine touring (pin-tech recommended) bindings and full coverage skins. You should have experience using ski and boot crampons and be able to skin for up to 8 hours and 4500 vertical ft. Your skiing level must be evaluated by a professional ski guide before attending the trip.

No!  Speaking Spanish is definitely an asset but not at all required.  As is the case with many ski towns/resort you will find many people speak some English. It is a great idea to learn a little Spanish as your effort will be appreciated. Our Spanish speaking guides will provide translation, organize logistics, get us to the interesting spots, and help you enjoy your experience.

Argentina is famous for their cuisine and in addition to Asado (slowly grilled meats) there are many stews (like Carbonoda), empanadas, fresh trout, wild game, chorizo, and steaks served up with chimichurri to savor. Argentina has a rich wine tradition and micro breweries have become popular in recent years. The Refugio (huts) serve hearty, homemade food including breakfast, a packed lunch, and multi-course dinner.

Bariloche can have variable weather in late August. Cerro Catedral has over 3700ft of vertical drop so you can encounter cold and windy up top and warm, spring skiing conditions at the bottom. As always it is best to dress with layers. Be prepared for temps in the high teens as well as warm sunny days where the air temperature is well above freezing.

Refugio Frey has barrack style sleeping rooms with double decker platforms and no separation between beds. It is not for those who require luxury accommodations or need personal space. You will need to bring your own lightweight down sleeping bag with a compression sack, rated to at least 20F. Refugio Jakob has 4 person bedrooms with bunkbeds. The views, starts, snow and terrain make up for any deficiencies in the sleeping arrangements.

We recommend that you bring your own gear, providing that you have suitable all mountain snowboard or skis in the 100-115mm width underfoot with touring bindings (or splitboard) and skins. There are rentals available but it is best not count on them and bring your own gear that you are familiar with. Avalanche safety equipment is required and rentals are available as well.

Please contact us to let us know about your dietary restrictions to see if you can be accommodated.

Terms and Conditions

Deposit is half refundable until 90 days before the start of the trip, after which it is non-refundable.

Final payment is due 60 days before the start of the trip.

Cancellations between 30 and 59 days before the of start of trip are 50% refundable (of total booking cost). Cancellations less than 30 days are non-refundable (100% of booking cost). No refunds will be made if you voluntarily leave a trip for any reason after the trip has begun. The same applies if you leave a trip or cannot fully participate in a trip due to injury or illness. Refunds will be at the discretion of the Company if you are involuntarily forced to leave a trip for any reason. No refunds will be made for any accommodation, transport, sightseeing, meals or services not utilized.  For this reason, we recommend you consider purchasing travelers insurance, which will cover the cost of your trip in extenuating circumstances.

In the event that Saveur the Journey has to cancel a trip due to the situation surrounding COVID-19 you will be notified and your deposit or trip balance will be applied to a future trip. If you need to cancel a Saveur the Journey trip for any reason because of COVID-19 you will be given a full credit for a future trip until 2026.

If a trip does not receive the minimum number of bookings the trip may not run. Please confirm with us before you purchase airfare or make non-refundable plans.

You will receive a reminder and an invoice to pay the final payment.

Gratuities for guides are not included in the price of you trip and are much appreciated. Tipping is at your discretion. Normally average tips for excellent service are around 10%-20% of the trip cost. Tips are pooled together and shared equally among the guides.

Please see our COVID-19 policies

If you are coming from the US, Canada, Mexico, most of Europe, Australia, South Korea, South Africa and Turkey you do NOT need a Visa to enter Argentina for stays shorter than 90 days. You do need a valid passport.

More questions?

Contact us

Our team

Victor McNeil

IFMGA Certified Ski Guide

Victor McNeil is a native of the Pacific Northwest and currently lives in Northeast Oregon with his wife and two golden retrievers. You will find Victor working and recreating in the mountains year around, from guiding three week expeditions on Denali to ski guiding in his home mountain range the Wallowas. Victor has a passion for travel and exploration and has skied around the world. In 2016 he became the third certified Splitboard Mountaineering Guide through the American Mountain Guides Association in the country. Victor now “splits” his time between split boarding and skiing. When not ski guiding, he also runs a non-profit avalanche forecasting center in the Wallowas. Victor loves sliding on snow and can’t wait to share some turns with you.

Kelly McNeil

Ski Guide and Professor

Kelly grew up in Eastern Wyoming where she started exploring the mountains at an early age. During this time she learned to ski in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Kelly moved to Montana for her undergraduate program in community health and where she was introduced to backcountry skiing. After many years of school and earning her Ph.D. from Oregon State University in 2012, she began a career as a professor at Eastern Oregon University, where she focuses on studying the connection be community-wide interventions to change behaviors for the health and safety of the public. Currently, Kelly is working to incorporate public health theories and practices within the avalanche industry. Since 2017, Kelly has helped organize and run operations at the Wallowa Avalanche Center. She is an avalanche instructor for both motorized and non-motorized courses. Kelly has completed a Professional Level 2 avalanche certification and is one of the Avalanche Forecasters for the Wallowa avalanche center. She also is an instructor trainer for the America Institute for Avalanche Research and Education as well as a program evaluator. Kelly is a Professional Member of the American Avalanche Association, a guest host on the Avalanche Hour Podcast, and has completed the AMGA ski guide course.