Yurting: the art of sleeping in a yurt

If you’re unfamiliar with a yurt, allow me to quickly educate you. Yurts originated in Mongolia. They are round structures with a domed roof. Yurts can take on different forms and functions, but for the purpose of my new word... yurting, we’re discussing sleeping quarters.

I’ve been on the yurt path for quite some time. Several years ago a designer on HGTV built and decorated a yurt, and that’s all it took for me to find my fasciation with the yurt. The dream is to have a property with a series of yurts connected by walkways. Like Swiss family Robinson, only on the ground with less chance of falling from a tree bridge. I mean, can you seriously think of anything cooler?

Enter Chile and the EcoCamp, they have EcoDomes that are yurt-like wood platforms with an octagonal frame covered in a stretched green tarp over a layer of insulation, and they have a series of wood plank walkways connecting 33 EcoDomes. Yurting has become a reality in the middle of Patagonia!

There are three types of EcoDomes: standard, superior, and suite. The standard are the smallest of the three and also have no heat, electricity, or connected bathroom. The entryway into the standard dome is a small door with a pointed top. You enter into a vestibule about 2 feet wide and 1.5 feet deep, just enough to close the door before stepping up into the dome. The living space consists of two twin beds (or one queen) enough room on either side for luggage and a shared center area between the beds. The bathroom/shower room was a shared yurt structure with three toilets and showers for women on one side and men on the other.

Each of the superior and suite domes have heat, electricity, composting toilet, and a shower. I only got a glimpse inside a suite dome, which offered more space and seating - truly a luxury yurting experience.

Our dining and meeting facilities were also  large EcoDomes/Yurts. These were heated by wood stoves and had fans to push the heat down to the living. The decor was fitting for the lifestyle of yurting, rustic, yet chic.

I’m going to continue the quest to seek out other yurting opportunities around the world. Let me know if you discover some unique yurt structures! Steep Adventures also has some great adventures to Patagonia EcoCamp and other places.