Although the majority of work on the refuge was completed before last summer it was not until last Friday that local personalities and members of the renovation firm Haag & Baquet from Sallanches gathered to officially open the refuge to the public.
The Refuge Alber-1er was named after the former King of Belgium who reigned from 1909-1934 until he was killed in a mountaineering accident in eastern Belgium in 1934.
The main refuge was built in 1959 and could hold 137 people during the summer months. Over the past 50 years it has proven to be very popular mainly due to its locality to the Le Tour ski area; the walk takes less than 2 hours from the top of the chair lift.
It's a very popular destination for day-trippers looking to get close to the glacier, but it's main purpose is to house the many climbers who venture onto the Le Tour Glacier.
The renovation work to the French alpine Club building took 4 years to complete and an investment of 3.4 million euros. The work included insulation, a new sewer system, water collectors and general modernising of the refuge, which can now hold 148 people.
