Goûter Hut

Refuge du Goûter is at an altitude of 3,835 m, the highest situated stewarded hut in France. It is situated at the beginning of the snowy ridge of Aiguille du Goûter and overlooks the Chamonix valley. We usually return to this hut on the sixth day of the Mont Blanc climb after successfully reaching the summit. If we decide to use it as the first hut on our expedition, it will take us 2 hours less to reach the summit than when starting at the Tête Rousse.

It was first built in the 19th century and reconstructed many times until it was built anew in 2013, so it can accommodate the increasing number of climbers trying to climb Mont Blanc. The new iteration is designed to adapt to extreme weather conditions, looking like a space station. The capacity has been greatly improved, with the hut now able to house up to 120 mountaineers. It is usually open from the end of May to the beginning of October, depending on the conditions.

Service-wise, they’re similar to the Tête Rousse Hut. They offer half-board service, and they also don’t have running water, which you can then buy in plastic bottles. If you want additional food or drinks, they have some quite basic mountaineering meals without extravagance. If you are staying in this hut, we strongly recommend that you drink enough water, because it will lessen the chance of getting altitude sickness.