The Tête Rousse Hut (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: ''Refuge de Tête Rousse'') is a

mountain hut A mountain hut is a building located high in the mountains, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineers, climbers and hikers. Mountain huts are usually operated by an Alpine Club or some organization d ...

in the

Mont Blanc massif The Mont Blanc massif (french: Massif du Mont-Blanc; it, Massiccio del Monte Bianco) is a mountain range in the Alps, located mostly in France and Italy, but also straddling Switzerland at its northeastern end. It contains eleven major indepen ...

in the French

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

. It is located beside the

Tête Rousse Glacier The Tête Rousse Glacier ( French: ''Glacier de Tête Rousse'') is a small but significant glacier located in the Mont Blanc massif within the French Alps whose collapse in 1892 killed 200A contemporary account by J Vallot, cited here, states ...

at an elevation of 3,167 m. Owned by the

Club Alpin Francais Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

(CAF), it is normally reached after an approximately two hour climb from Nid d'Aigle, the highest stop on the Mont Blanc Tramway. It is commonly used by mountaineers attempting to climb the 'normal route' on the French side (

Goûter Route The Goûter Route (also known as the Voie Des Cristalliers and Voie Royale) is one of the two normal mountaineering routes used to reach the summit of Mont Blanc in the Alps, ascending to a height of . The route lies on the north side of the mo ...

) to the summit of

Mont Blanc Mont Blanc (french: Mont Blanc ; it, Monte Bianco , both meaning "white mountain") is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, rising above sea level. It is the second-most prominent mountain in Europe, after Mount Elbrus, and i ...

. Staying here, rather than continuing to the higher

Goûter Hut The Goûter Hut (french: Refuge du Goûter), is a mountain refuge in the French department of Haute-Savoie. It is located at a height of on the Arete du Goûter in the municipality of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains. It overlooks the Glacier de Bio ...

adds an extra 2–3 hours to the ascent of Mont Blanc, but is less cramped than the latter and also avoids having to climb the dangerous 'Grand Couloir' later in the day when the risk of injury from stonefall is at its greatest. The mountain refuge was completely refurbished in 2003 and can accommodate 72 people in summer and 16 people in winter. Because of the popularity of the Goûter route to ascend Mont Blanc, both huts only accept reservations in advance, and also require confirmation three days before arrival. Camping at high elevation is banned on this route, however it is permitted on the snowfield above the Tête Rousse Hut. In 2019 a base camp was built on that snowfield where it is possible to spend the night, but it is required to have a reservation there also. Camping with a private tent is completely forbidden. Accommodation at the Tête Rousse Base Camp will include 6 group tents (of the “Himalayan Base Camp” type), each sleeping 8 people, which come equipped with camp beds, including pillows and duvets.

References

External links

Official websiteTête Rousse Hut on SummitPost
Mountain huts in the Alps Mountain huts in France {{france-struct-stub