Refugio de Respomuso

The Refugio de Respomuso is a guarded high-mountain hut in the Aragonese Pyrenees, standing at roughly 2,200 metres on the banks of the tarn (ibón) of the same name, in the Circo de Piedrafita beneath Mount Balaitus — the westernmost three-thousander of the Pyrenees. Administratively it lies in the municipality of Sallent de Gállego, in the Alto Gállego comarca of the province of Huesca, in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It is reached on foot in about three hours from La Sarra and operates seasonally. The hut was built in 1993 and, when first constructed, marked a milestone as the first high-altitude mountain hut in Aragon to have indoor bathrooms; it also has a waste water treatment plant. It is owned by the Gobierno de Aragón and managed by the Federación Aragonesa de Montañismo. The official site lists 90 beds, while the Spanish Wikipedia article describes 105 places in bunks and continuous bunks; it is guarded all year according to that article. Facilities include running water, showers and washbasins, hot water, a bar and dining service, blankets, heating, a fireplace, a cooking place, lockers, ski storage, rest footwear, a multi-purpose/audiovisual classroom, a public telephone and a telecommunications system for rescue. A webcam and online booking are offered through the official site. The refuge is a classic base for Pyrenean mountaineering and hiking. It is a starting point for the GR 11 long-distance path, the Ibones de Arriel and Circo de Piedrafita trails, traverses to the Refugio de Wallon and the Balneario de Panticosa, and ascents of Balaitús, Frondelles, Tebarray, Gran Facha, the Infiernos (Central, Occidental, Oriental), Cristales, Cambales and Llena Cantal, as well as mountain-ski itineraries and high-mountain and ice climbing. Prices are published per person per night for lodging, breakfast, dinner and picnic, with reduced rates for federation members and children under 14.

The Refugio de Respomuso was built in 1993 in the Circo de Piedrafita, on the banks of the tarn of the same name and on the skirts of Mount Balaitus, the westernmost three-thousander of the Pyrenees. When it was first constructed, the mountain hut marked a milestone, since it was the first high-altitude mountain hut in Aragon with indoor bathrooms; it also has a waste water treatment plant. The special high mountain features of the cirque, with its jagged peaks, crests and glaciers, make it a famous spot for all mountain sports in the Pyrenees. The refuge is owned by the Gobierno de Aragón and managed by the Federación Aragonesa de Montañismo. It is guarded all year according to the Spanish Wikipedia article, and opens seasonally according to the official site. It has served as a base for hikers and mountaineers on the GR 11 and for ascents of Balaitús, Frondelles, Tebarray, Gran Facha, the Infiernos, Cristales, Cambales and Llena Cantal, as well as for mountain-ski itineraries and high-mountain and ice climbing. A 1995 book, Circo de Piedrafita y Refugio de Respomuso (Ed. PRAMES), documents the area and the hut.

• 1995

  The book Circo de Piedrafita y Refugio de Respomuso is published by PRAMES.

• 1993

  The Refugio de Respomuso is built in the Circo de Piedrafita; it is the first high-altitude mountain hut in Aragon with indoor bathrooms.

A state-owned, federation-managed high-mountain refuge in the Aragonese Pyrenees, positioned as a base for mountaineering, hiking and ski touring around Balaitús and the Circo de Piedrafita.

• Overnight accommodation (90 beds per official site; 105 places per Wikipedia)

• Breakfast, dinner and picnic service

• Bar and dining room

• Showers, hot water, washbasins, heating, fireplace, cooking place, lockers, ski storage, rest footwear, multi-purpose classroom, public telephone, rescue telecommunications

• Online booking and webcam

1. 1Albergues y refugios :: Refugio de Respomusoalberguesyrefugios.com
2. 2Refugio de Respomuso - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Refugio de Respomuso - Wikipedia (Spanish)es.wikipedia.org