Confirmation - The Refuge du Gouter Will be Opening This Summer
Confirmation yesterday from the FFCAM that the refuge WILL be opening
Will it, won't it..? After much speculation and disagreement, a decision was made yesterday by the Fédération Française des Clubs Alpins et de Montagne (FFCAM), confirming that the Gouter Refuge will indeed be opening this summer.
The announcement by the National Syndicate of Mountain Guides (SNGM) of its refusal to manage the bookings for professionals this year cast doubts on the refuge opening. The authority for business competition also believed that the current booking system wasn’t fair.
The opening of the refuge depends on the presence of mountain professionals among the 120 guests, for security reasons. The withdrawal of SNGM shouldn't have any consequences: “The safety of mountaineers and refuge keepers will be ensured by the FFCAM, as it always has been, either directly or with the help of partners wishing to commit to the safety of the refuge’s users”.
The FFCAM explains: "For people using the refuge, bookings have been done via the Internet since the opening last year, and for professionals, the bookings (delayed by the withdrawal of SNGM), should start at the beginning of April”.
The refuge is set to open on the first week of June 2015.
