Refuge · 2025 m
Walter Bonatti Refuge
A stone-and-timber gem at the foot of Grandes Jorasses, facing the Fréboudze glacier. A key stage on Alta Via 1 and the Tour du Mont Blanc, with a panoramic terrace over the Mont Blanc massif. Practical info: alpine hut at 2025 m in Val Ferret, with 78 beds. Open: Late May – 30 September (summer season; check rifugiobonatti.it). Managed by: Privately managed.
Altitude
2025 m
Valley
Val Ferret
Beds
78
Opening
Late May – 30 September (summer season; check rifugiobonatti.it)
Managed by
Privately managed
History
Opened on 1 August 1998 and dedicated to Walter Bonatti, a pioneer of Italian mountaineering. Stone and larch timber building with 13 rooms and a dining room with a terrace overlooking the Fréboudze glacier.
What to eat
Aosta Valley mountain cooking: polenta concia, valley soup, alpine cheeses, tagliatelle and meat mains. Local wine list and artisan digestifs.
Indicative rates
Official 2025/26 rates (lovevda.it): overnight €60; half-board in 2–4 bed room €95; half-board in dormitory €75; sheet rental €3. Booking required on the official website.
Contact & booking
Official manager details — always check opening dates and rates on the website before you go.
Book / official siteWhere it is
45.8469, 7.0336 · 2025 m
How to get there
- Rifugio Bonatti loop9.2 km · +620 mE
- High Route 1 — Stage 16: Rifugio Frassati → Rifugio Bonatti via Col Malatrà10.0 km · +430 mEE
- High Route 1 — Stage 17: Rifugio Bonatti → Courmayeur12.1 km · +300 mE
- Tour du Mont Blanc — Stage 2: Rifugio Giorgio Bertone → Rifugio Walter Bonatti9.9 km · +739 mE
- Tour du Mont Blanc — Stage 3: Rifugio Walter Bonatti → Rifugio Elena7.2 km · +373 mE
- La Remisa - Rifugio Bonatti1.6 km · +332 mE
- Rifugio Bonatti - Col Malatr�5.7 km · +903 mE
- Villair - Rifugio Bertone - Rifugio Bonatti10.7 km · +910 mE
- TAPPA 16: Rifugio Frassati - Rifugio Bonatti7.6 km · +0 mE
- TAPPA 17: Rifugio Bonatti - Courmayeur11.9 km · +0 mE
Recommended season
Late May – 30 September (summer season; check rifugiobonatti.it)
Effort to reach it
Difficulty of the access trails: E–EE, +300–910 m (CAI scale).
What to bring
A sleeping-bag liner (required in many huts), cash (cards are often not accepted at altitude), a change of clothes and warm layers for the evening, a headlamp, a water bottle. Always book your bed and meals in advance, and let the hut know if you cancel.
What to do there
Enjoy dinner in good company and the sunset from the terrace. Many use the hut as a base for a dawn departure: ask the keeper about trail and weather conditions before setting out, and start light while the snow is still firm. The climbing routes are on the trail pages above.
Nearby peaks
Community gallery
Photos are published immediately. JPG/PNG/WebP, max 6 MB.
Source: rifugiobonatti.it · lovevda.it
Walter Bonatti Refuge