Top 5 mountain refuge huts (with a touch of luxury)

I’ll confess right off the bat that the above is a pretty misleading headline. I’ve not stayed in too many refuges and none at all outside of the Alps. Maybe the the title should be ‘5 places I’ve been very grateful for when I’ve been walking all day and in need of some sustenance and comfort in an inhospitable but stunning environment’. As a headline it’s a bit of a clunker but it’s more accurate. Refuges are quite literally life savers and without them it’s fair to say many more hikers and climbers would get into serious difficulties. I raise a glass to all the hardy souls who risked life and limb to construct these life savers. Arguably the most up to date and state of the art refuge must surely be the Refuge du Gouter in France. If others are to follow suit, I can see Alpine hiking becoming even more popular.

Refuge du Gouter, France

Tackling Mont Blanc is a two day affair and an overnight…