Renclusa Refuge
The Renclusa refuge is a refuge located in the Spanish Pyrenees at the base of the massif de la Maladeta, at high, in the Ésera valley. It is the starting point for excursions to the summit of la Maladeta, of the monts Maudits and Aneto. It lies in the commune of Benasque, north-east of Huesca province, Aragon.
History
The refuge's name comes from the Pic de la Rencluse above it. It was originally a shelter under rock, then a shepherd's hut, which was used as a shelter by Platon de Tchihatchev, Albert de Franqueville and guides Pierre Sanio, Jean Sors dit Argarot, Pierre Redonnet dit Nate et Bernard Arrazau dit Ursule, during their first ascension of the Aneto in July 1842.Later, engineer and Catalan pyreneeist Juli Soler i Santaló built a small 4x3 m house, near its current location, which he named villa Maladeta, and he draughted the future refuge.
The refuge was inaugurated in 1916. It had 22 beds and was kept by Antonio Abadias. It rapidly became one of the most frequented refuges in the Pyrenees. The Spanish Civil War interrupted its activity, and it wasn't until 1951 that a new refuge, restored and enlarged, came to be. After Antonio Abadias' death, Benasquan Antonio Garié succeeded him in 1966.