The Quintino Sella Hut (
French: ''Refuge Quintino Sella'') is a very remote
bivouac hut 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 ...
of the
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 ...
in
Aosta Valley
, Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title = Official languages
, population_blank1 = Italian French
...
, Italy. Built in 1885, it is perched on rocks on the south-western flank of the Rocher du Mont Blanc at an altitude of 3,396 m. It is owned by the
CAI and can accommodate up to sixteen people with bunk and blankets provided, but no stove or warden.
Access
The hut is amongst the most challenging of the alpine refuges to reach in the Mont Blanc massif, with two approach possibilities.
* From Val Veni, first up the
Miage glacier
The Miage Glacier (french: Glacier du Miage; it, Ghiacciaio del Miage) is a debris-covered glacier in the upper Aosta Valley, in northwestern Italy.
Description
It is situated on the southwest flank of the Mont Blanc massif, flowing from the ...
and then steeply up the
Mont Blanc glacier towards the Rocher du Mont Blanc. Time to reach hut: 6½-7½ hours, grade
AD-.
*An alternative route (when the Mont Blanc glacier is badly crevassed) goes from the
Gonella Hut
The Gonella Hut (French: ''Refuge Francesco Gonella''; Italian: ''Rifugio Francesco Gonella'' and sometimes called ''Rifugio del Dôme''; or ''Refuge du Dôme'') is a high elevation mountain hut in the Aosta Valley in the Mont Blanc massif area o ...
, taking a couloir that climbs directly towards the rock crest near the Quintono Sella Hut, but is exposed to stonefall and only recommended with good snow cover and after a frosty night. Time from hut to hut: 2½-3 hours, grade
PD+.
Ascents
The bivouac hut provides access for climbers to the Miage face 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 ...
, including the Brouillard Ridge and the Tournette Spur.
[
]
References
External links
Location of Quintino Sella Hut on French IGN mapping portalQuintino Sella Hut on camptocamp.org
Mountain huts in the Alps
Mountain huts in Aosta Valley
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