The Story Behind the Story: The Fidani Family and Refugio Jakob

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I recently researched, wrote, and published a three-part series, in English and Spanish, for Osprey that’s been a journey and tale years in the making. In short, the story is that of Claudio Fidani, his 40+ years managing a remote mountain hut in the Argentine Andes, and the relationship he and his five children have with each other, the mountain hut, and nature in general.

On occasion, as I share new stories, family, friends, colleagues, and others are curious as to how I came to connect with, know, and tell the story. For this particular story with and about the Fidani family and Refugio Jakob, I decided to write a blog post with the backstory.

For the full story, check out the series on Osprey’s site—all links are included further below. For the story behind the story, continue reading here.

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One evening in 2018, while sharing a beer and conversation with my friend Juli, I mentioned I was interested in writing a story that covered a day in the life of a refugiero in Bariloche. Juli told me I needed to connect with her friend Nico, whose father had been working at Refugio San Martín, more commonly known at Refugio Jakob, for decades.

Before I continue, let me pause briefly and provide some context. Refugios, in short, are mountain huts. The idea is that these huts give locals and tourists, mountain athletes and casual outdoorists alike a base, or destination, within the mountains. Refugieros, in essence, are caretakers for the huts and their guests. They often live and work in the mountains at the refugios for days, weeks, or longer.

Alright, back to 2018.

Following our conversation, Juli shared Nico’s contact info with me. That winter, I met with Nico and his sister Bianca at their family home to make an introduction and learn more about their father, their family, and their story. Over a couple hours, Nico and Bianca shared story upon story with me. They showed me photos, and they played a short film that Bianca, who was in film school at the time, had recently made for Refugio Jakob’s 65th anniversary and her father’s 40th anniversary working at the refugio.

That day, I left their home and walked back to my place feeling inspired and motivated. There was a story here—a unique story about a life lived outside that carries universal themes and connective threads—and I wanted to collaborate with this family to tell and share their story for a wider audience.

In my work, I’m drawn to character-driven stories of outdoor adventure and social and environmental impact, and I’m passionate about telling truly local stories that carry universal themes to inspire global understanding, connection, and action. For me, within the outdoor and adventure travel industries—and the world as a whole—this story checked all of those boxes. Even more, it captivated me.

Growing up in Michigan, I wasn’t exposed to mountains, refugios, or stories like that of Claudio and his family. To me, their story was, and is, beautiful in its uniqueness. And while unique, it carries themes that resonate with people globally. Human themes. Themes of pursuing an “unconventional” life. Themes of family, home, and community mixed with adventure, nature, and nostalgia.

For these reasons and more, from the moment I met and spoke with Nico and Bianca, their father and family’s story captivated me.

Fast forward to the end of 2018. In December, the start of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, I visited Refugio Jakob for the first time with a friend. We ate dinner in the refugio and camped outside. That visit was my introduction to Refugio Jakob and to Claudio Fidani, Nico and Bianca’s father who was working at the refugio as its concessionaire.

The following morning, I introduced myself to Claudio and explained that I was a writer and had spoken with Nico and Bianca earlier that year about their family’s story. If he had time—I fully recognized the refugio was crowded in the high season—I was interested in speaking further with him, too. An informal or off-the-record conversation.

Claudio was returning to Bariloche that day, and since my friend and I were also going down, Claudio wound up hiking with us for the first kilometer or so. During that time, I asked him a few questions to better understand who he was and how he’d come here—to Bariloche and to Refugio Jakob.

After a short time on the trail together, my friend and I said goodbye to Claudio, who hiked on ahead of us. My friend and I chatted a bit about Claudio’s story, and she helped me understand a few things he’d said in Spanish that were beyond my language comprehension at the time.

Later that day, back at home, I jotted down what I could remember from our conversation. This time, even more than my conversation with Nico and Bianca, I knew there was also a very raw and real story here, a very human story. I had some pieces of the puzzle, but still, I was far from knowing the entirety of it.

In the months—and years—that followed, with what I understood from Nico, Bianca, and Claudio, I began reaching out to editors and editorial teams within the outdoor industry to see if I could find a home for this story.

I pitched. I let go. I pitched. I let go. I pitched. I let go.

There were moments when I pushed and moments when I stepped back a bit. At times, I also pitched different variations on this story, based on what brands and publications were focusing on. Nothing stuck.

Through it all, I never fully lost sight of this story. My desire to tell it has always been there, and I strongly believe it has a place and purpose in this world.

In 2021, during the pandemic, Bianca—who had graduated from film school and was working for a production company based between Argentina and the U.S.—reached out to me while she was in Utah. We reconnected via a video call. We spoke about life and work, projects and storytelling. Within that conversation, we revisited the idea of collaborating on a story about Claudio, the Fidani family, and Refugio Jakob. That spark for the story was still there.

A little over a year later, in November 2022, I was back in Bariloche. Bianca and I met for coffee. Again, we spoke about life and work, projects and storytelling—and we spoke at length about repitching her family’s story with Refugio Jakob to brands and publications. Both of us remained motivated.

With every conversation, I learned more about the Fidani family and Refugio Jakob. I came to understand their story better and better.

In early 2023, I pitched the story to my editor at Osprey. Ultimately, she was interested in this story for the brand’s blog. So Bianca and I got to work.

Once I was back in Bariloche from June through September 2023, I interviewed Bianca, her father, and her four siblings. Later, Bianca also supported me in interviewing her mother, Vero. Our interviews often lasted for over an hour. The conversations felt special and moving. It was a real gift to spend so much time with the Fidani family, to learn from them, to see them learning from each other.

For me, this is one aspect of writing and storytelling that I truly love and savor. This career gives me the ability and opportunity to draw close to people, ask them questions, and get to know them and their stories. And then, to celebrate and create a record of those stories.

That September, following a snowstorm, I also adventured to the refugio with a friend. It was another world in the snow, and it was equally beautiful.

At the end of September 2023, I returned to Michigan for a few months with a lot of material and a rather large task to review all of my interview notes, transcriptions, and translations and organize what I had gathered into a single story that represented Claudio Fidani, his family, Refugio Jakob, and the mountain community and culture of Bariloche, Argentina.

Along the way, realizing that this story was far greater than a single piece, I asked my editor if we could tell this story in three parts. The three parts would work together to paint the larger picture, and also, each could live on its own, as a standalone story. I’m grateful she agreed.

In January 2024, with the story nearly complete, I returned to Bariloche. I fact-checked what I had written with Bianca and Claudio, and I polished the writing—smoothing edges and tying up loose ends. On February 16, I hiked up to Refugio Jakob with Bianca and her sister Ananda for the 72nd anniversary of the refugio. From the celebration, I gathered a few final details—some last-minute inspiration—to close out this journey, for now, and submit my final drafts to Osprey alongside photos and a video from Bianca.

Today, I am beyond thrilled and proud and grateful to share this story with you. This project has been a multi-year endeavor and a true labor of love for me—and I believe for Bianca, too. Of course, I’m biased, but it’s a special story about an (extra)ordinary family, and I’d love for you to get to know Claudio, Luca, Nico, Bianca, Ananda, Indira, Vero, and Viviana. I’d love for you to experience their connection to one another, to Refugio Jakob, and to the natural world all around us. This story is one of heart, and I deeply believe in the beauty and importance of it. It’s been an honor and a privilege to walk this road alongside Bianca, Claudio, and the Fidani family.

‍English

• Part 1: One Step at a Time: In the mountains, Claudio Fidani encountered a sense of belonging and purpose
• Part 2: Trail of Tales: In the Argentine Andes, the Fidani family has navigated and embraced a unique life
• Part 3: Resilient Nature: Following loss, the Fidani family held tight to memories and navigated a new future

Español

• Parte 1: Un paso a la vez: En la montaña, Claudio Fidani encuentra un sentido de pertenencia y propósito
• Parte 2: Un sendero con historia: En los Andes argentinos, la familia Fidani transita un singular estilo de vida
• Parte 3: Naturaleza resiliente: Después de una desgracia, la familia Fidani se aferra a los recuerdos y transita un nuevo futuro

From start to finish, understanding and telling this story has been a collaborative process. I am grateful to Katie Johnson and the team at Osprey for believing in this story—and me as a writer and storyteller—and allowing me and Bianca to create and share it in this way.

I am immensely grateful to Charlotte Austin for coming alongside me as an editor—and talented friend in words—in the final months of this journey. Thank you for supporting me with wisdom, perspective, heart, and authenticity. Thank you for helping me to take a step back and see this story with fresh eyes, to pull at and weave together the right threads.

Above all, I am deeply grateful to Claudio, Luca, Nico, Bianca, Ananda, Indira, Vero, and Viviana for opening up to me, for sharing so much of yourselves and your lives—the beautiful parts, the challenges, all that lies in between—and for entrusting me to tell your story and tell it well. Thank you, thank you, thank you.