The Old Gouter Hut Will Remain in Place
The planned deconstruction of the refuge will no longer take place
Ségolène Royal, Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development & Energy has reversed the decision to destroy the old Gouter Refuge.
Contrary to what was envisaged when the lease for new refuge began back in 2006, the old refuge will not be demolished. Instead, newer part of the old Gouter Hut, which was built in 1991, will be maintained as a winter refuge.
Focus will now shift and be on the deconstruction of the site of the old aircraft engine testing facility which lies 1470 metres below the Gouter refuge on the Col du Mont Lachat at the side of the Tramway du Mont-Blanc. The structure here has been in place since 1937 but ended operations in 1969. It has been lying derelict since.
Jean-Marc Peillex, the mayor of Saint Gervais, who had campaigned against the destruction of the old refuge du Gouter, welcomed the decision: "This would have required a lot of money, helicopters, all in the name of ecology, then we would have consumed gallons of kerosene."
The demolition of the wind tunnel building is estimated to take three years. About 2,260 m3 of concrete and various materials must be treated, some of it, inert, will be buried on site to fill the excavation resulting from demolition. The remaining materials will be evacuated by train. The site should ultimately return to its original alpine lawn status.
