Accommodation for mountaineers in Chamonix

Some of the huts are privately owned, but most are owned by the Club Alpin Francais (CAF), Club Alpin Italiano (CAI) and Swiss Alpine Club (SAC). If you're a member of an Alpine mountaineering club and present your membership card you will usually receive a discount on accommodation costs when staying in club-owned huts.

Find contact details and check opening times for the huts in the Chamonix Valley.

Summer

Hut opening times vary but most are open and hosted from late June to early September. 

Winter

Some huts will open if they're in an area popular with skiers, most are unguarded in winter. When closed these huts usually have a “winter room” for people to use for overnight stays. These vary from individual rooms with minimal furniture and a wood burning stove to multiple dormitories with cooking facilities. Blankets are usually provided in the winter rooms. To be safe, it's always worth taking a sleeping bag and gas stove unless you know exactly what is at the hut.

A few tips for using alpine huts:

Booking

Book as far in advance as possible. The most popular huts (Gouter and Cosmiques) are usually booked up months in advance (often by the guiding companies). To book, simply phone the guardian using the number from the hut list. Most guardians speak enough English to take a booking, but some don’t, so be prepared to parlez Francais or Italiano.

Try not to phone first thing in the morning as the guardian will usually be sleeping after having served breakfast in the middle of the night. 

Arrival

Introduce yourself to the guardian on arrival. They will book you in, allocate you a bed space, and tell you the meal times. They can also be a great source of route info as they are often mountain guides or active climbers.

Food

Most huts offer a half-board service at a reasonable rate, however you can usually opt out of meals to make your stay cheaper. If doing this remember to confirm whether there is a cooking room for you to use, or you might have to sit outside in potentially bad weather to cook. Either way you will need to take your own gas stove.

Payment

You usually settle the bill the evening before your departure from the hut. Some huts accept credit cards, but most don’t. 

Always take plenty of cash.

Facilities

Most huts are fairly comfortable, but simple. 

Most don’t have showers or duvets, but occasionally you can find one that does. Expect to sleep on “alpine bunks” next to lots of other people, using woolen blankets to keep you warm. Most huts prefer you to bring a liner sheet to sleep in. Many huts sell essentials like batteries and sun cream in case you run out.

Respect for others

One of the most important things in alpine huts is getting enough sleep before you set out on your climb. So, keep the noise down in the dormitories, leave the lights off (use your headtorch), and don’t decide to sort out your rack in the middle of the night. 

If you're a light sleeper bring ear plugs.

Hut slippers

All huts provide ‘indoor hut shoes’ for you to wear indoors instead of your boots. Fail to use them at your peril.

Gear storage 

Huts normally have a gear and boot room where you leave your kit. Store it neatly and always sort your gear for your climb the night before – it can get quite chaotic in the morning as everyone tries to leave at the same time.

Drying kit

Try and dry any damp gear or boots in the afternoon sun before it gets dark.

Cancellation

Cancelling a booking is not a problem. Just phone the guardian (even if it’s last minute). Not cancelling a booking will cause unnecessary work for the guardian and may deprive someone else of a place in the hut.