Reached from the Val Ferret in a little over an hour’s walk, Rifugio Walter Bonatti, at 2 025 m6 644 ft, describes itself as “nestled at the foot of the Grandes Jorasses, facing the magnificent Fréboudze glacier”. It bears the name of alpinist Walter Bonatti, the climber who “discovers and climbs impossible routes in the thin air of the Mont Blanc massif” (quotes from the refuge’s website, translated from Italian).

The refuge (website in Italian) welcomes hikers on the Tour du Mont Blanc and on the Alta Via no. 1 alike. The next day, the route climbs towards the Grand Col Ferret and the Swiss border.

Access

Two trails start from La Remisa, just above Lavachey (park only in permitted areas):

• Trail 28A (recommended): it starts beyond the small wooden bridge; the route is easy and very panoramic, through woods and then pastures.
• Trail 28: it leaves the main road just before the wooden bridge and climbs through larch forest, more steeply. Views of the Mont Blanc massif (4 807 m15 771 ft) with the Aiguille Noire (3 773 m12 379 ft) on the left.
• In winter: follow trail 28, which starts before the small wooden bridge.

Services and payment

The refuge has 80 places in rooms and dormitories. A personal sleeping bag liner is mandatory (cotton liners can be rented for 3 EUR$3). Dogs are accepted in twin rooms, not in dormitories. Outside the staffed season, a 7-place winter room with blankets is available.

You sleep on half-board, with shared bathrooms and showers. Bring cash: cards only work when the internet connection allows, though cheques and bank transfers are also accepted. The stay is settled on arrival, extras by 10pm. Prices are on the refuge’s rates page (in Italian).