The French Alps are a year-round cornucopia of outdoor adventures, but until last winter, I divided seasons into separate camps. Winter was for skiing and summer for hiking, with no crossover. But skiing gets expensive, and my dogs can’t come with me, so I racked up even higher costs paying for pet sitters.
One of the reasons I love hiking is because it’s one of the cheapest, most accessible, and most pet-friendly sports out there. In winter, it requires a little more investment, but after learning how to tap into France’s extensive system of backcountry huts (AKA refuges), that investment is now largely time rather than splashing cash on technical ski gear and resort vacations.
France has over 3,300 refuges, but only around 300 of them are staffed. Here’s a rough-and-ready guide to using both kinds and lining up winter hiking adventures in the French Alps on a shoestring.
How to find and book a refuge
Staffed Huts
Many of France’s staffed refuges open only in summer, and those that open in winter are generally on ski-touring or mountaineering routes, which can make them hard for winter hikers to reach. The FFCAM lists manned refuges, with a toggle function to show those open in winter, and how long it typically takes to reach them on foot.
A night in a dormitory bed on a half-board basis usually costs $56-$90 (€50-80) per person, or $23-$45 (€20-40) per person for bed-only. State any dietary requirements when you book; meals are generally a one-pot affair.
Unstaffed Huts
Most unstaffed huts are completely free to use or very cheap, though the accommodations aren’t opulent. The website Refuges.info lists around 3,000 unstaffed refuges in France (cabanes non gardées), and some in other central and western European countries too. The site is completely user-run, which means that if no one has visited a hut recently, information on conditions can be pretty limited.
Some unstaffed refuges are so basic that a public toilet would look luxurious. Others have views people would pay millions for. There’s no booking system, so they’re on a first-come, first-served basis. Try to arrive at smaller refuges early. If it’s full when you get there, you’ll either have to curl up for the night on a croissant-sized patch of floor or make a hasty scuttle back to civilization.
Not all unstaffed huts have water. There’s a toggle on Refuges.info to filter huts with water sources, but in winter I simply boil snow on the gas stove. Since my winter adventures are generally one or two nights over a weekend, I go a lot more gourmet for food than I would on a summer thru-hike. This is France, after all, so I like to take cheese and make a fondue. Porridge is great for a warming breakfast. If you want to take the easy route, dehydrated meals are also a light and fast way to make dinner or breakfast.
How to choose a refuge
Unless you’ve got very technical cold weather gear, it’s a good idea to choose a refuge where you can build a fire, as unmanned refuges aren’t heated. Annoyingly, there is no search toggle on Refuges.info that allows users to filter by huts that have a wood burner or chimney. Instead, search for the area you want, and then click through the descriptions of each hut. Look for poêle (wood burner) or cheminée (fireplace) in the text.
Adapt your intended distance and elevation gain to winter conditions. Gaining 3,000 feet of elevation in a day poses no problem to experienced hikers in summer, but very few people could cover that kind of ground in winter. Don’t underestimate how much more tiring it is to walk through snow, and how much shorter daylight is. Personally, I drop down to 600-1,000 feet of elevation gain for winter hikes. Each person or party should adjust to their own skill and experience levels.
As with any kind of winter activity, avoid avalanche zones on your hike. It doesn’t hurt to have an avalanche safety course under your belt if you’re adventuring in avalanche-prone terrain.
My favorite unstaffed refuges
Cabane de la Peyrouse, Vercors
Quite glamorous for an unstaffed refuge, with bunk beds to sleep eight, a wood-burning stove and a large table, flanked by a dramatic limestone cliff. It’s a snowshoe hike of around 90 minutes from St Andéol (7 miles there-and-back).
Cabane forestière de Chapuzieux, Jura (pictured)
A tiny hut amidst the trees with a fireplace and space for two to three people to sleep on wooden benches. It’s a little over an hour’s walk from La Pesse (5 miles there-and-back).
Refuge de Cuchet, Vanoise
Not only does this refuge have incredible mountain views, but there are 24 bunk beds, a wood-burning stove, and even real toilets—positively luxurious. The trail climbs steeply from Lanslevillard; allow for three to four hours of hiking (7 miles there-and-back).
As Refuge de Cuchet is in a national park, no dogs are allowed, and there’s an honor-system charge of about $5.50 (€5) to pay online.
Equipment to bring
Bring what you need to start a fire, and take a gas stove to make yourself a hot meal after a long day outside in the snow. What you bring to start the fire depends on preference and skill level, but I like to bring both firestarters and a lighter. If you’ve got a Nalgene, you can fill it with boiling water and use it as a hot water bottle heater at night.
You’ll need a sleeping mat and a sleeping bag for sub-zero conditions (recommended R value of 5 or higher). Insulated snow boots are better than hiking boots, and depending on snow depth, take snowshoes or microspikes. Snowshoes are best in deep snow; microspikes are good for icy patches or hardpack. Pretty much every French town offering downhill, Nordic, or cross-country skiing will also rent snowshoes, usually for around $11 (€10) or so.
It gets dark early in the mountains in winter, so bring a headlamp and a fully charged power bank. Most smartphones lose their charge faster in cold weather; store them inside your jacket for better battery life. Dry socks and sliders for the evening are a good idea as unstaffed refuges aren’t always particularly clean. It can also be nice to have a set of warm, comfortable, clean hut clothes to change into after hiking.
And of course, always bring a paper map and a compass in case technology lets you down.
The last word
Staying in an unstaffed refuge in winter is a unique adventure you can plan without blowing your rent for the year. It might not be the most luxurious night of your life, but these mountain huts can be cozy, and they offer access to some really amazing alpine terrain. It’s well worth sacrificing some creature comforts to make the first snowy footprints on the trail in the morning.
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