the Crew
Welcome aboard the Cosmiques ship!
At the helm: two hut guardians and a golden crew, ready to welcome you at any hour of the day — and night.
Good vibes and motivation are always on deck. Our priority is to offer you warmth, good food and some well-earned rest. At this altitude, fatigue can sometimes sneak up on us… and we apologise in advance for that. To keep smiling in all conditions, we rotate the guardianship: the crew changes with the weeks and seasons. So expect a bit of surprise when you come to visit — will you recognise us all?
Anna
Mountain huts in France and on the other side of the world — she’s seen plenty of them. Neighbours’ snoring, the unmistakable taste of celery soup, mice as roommates in some shelters, alarms ringing all night long… nothing fazes her anymore.
She discovered hut life in the Écrins, where she spent three formative seasons as an assistant guardian alongside Damien.
She then continued the adventure at the Cosmiques, enjoyed a dream summer with Mel and Noé, and finally decided to take the helm herself.
Coline
Between seasons and travels over the past few years, she chose a life paced by mountains, huts and backpacks that are always too heavy. After wandering from countries to valleys, she decided to set her base camp at the Cosmiques hut, between sky and glacier — a place where sharing and mutual support matter just as much as a solid belay. She’ll do her very best to welcome you the way one shares a rope team: with care, good humour, comforting meals and maybe even a small drink to warm you up.
Julie
After a summer season aboard the beautiful cosmic ship, I’m back on board to ensure everyone stays well hydrated. You’ll often find me on the terrace (after it’s been cleared of snow, of course), camera in hand, ready to capture every detail of the landscapes around us… before heading to the kitchen to stir the polenta and crack a few jokes with my colleagues. Here, we don’t take ourselves too seriously, except when it comes to the weather forecast (in theory). Queen of pastry cream, stop by and share your adventures over a delicious coffee and dessert.
Maria
From the Pyrenees to the Alps, sometimes a veterinarian, sometimes an assistant hut warden, it was at the Glacier Blanc that I discovered life in a mountain hut. And once you’ve tasted it, all you want is to come back — because life is good up there!
Meet the southern accent of the Cosmiques, always happy to read you the weather forecast with a cheerful sing-song tone.
David
I, a shaggy-bearded fellow, grew up between the Giffre and Eau Noire valleys. Having fallen in love with stories of mountain refuges when I was a child in Bérard, I was quickly drawn to the sparkling rocks! I used to be a geologist, but I decided to change careers and return to my homeland for moral reasons… Today, I divide my time between the Poya ski lifts in winter and the Refuge des Cosmiques in summer, enjoying a happy life filled with snow shovelling, helicopter transport and various electromechanical repairs. If you see me at 1 a.m. armed with a large knife, don’t panic, cooking at night is part of my routine to prepare delicious meals for you!
Ps: ‘Passion is riding.’
Mahé
Born and raised in the mountain world, I have always wanted to keep working in this environment while broadening my experience in unusual high-mountain places After several years working in mountain huts and currently training to become a hut guardian, the Refuge des Cosmiques opened its doors to me for the spring season. I can’t wait to share some great moments with you up there!
Karen
An American living in France for several years and passionate about the mountains, I work as a ski patroller and mountain rescuer in winter and as an assistant hut warden at the Refuge des Grands Mulets for the past four years.
I love life and work in mountain huts so much that, when the season ends at the Grands Mulets, I continue the adventure at the Refuge des Cosmiques, happy to welcome you and share a moment up there with you.
Alexandre
Originally from Belgium, each year I go a little higher. After three years of acclimatizing in Chamonix, I’m boarding the Cosmiques “ship” for a season at high altitude.
Far from my flat homeland, I’ll try to bring a small touch of Belgian spirit up to the mountains… This will be my first experience working in a mountain hut, and I can’t wait to welcome you there!
Mathilde
Born in the valley and at first not very comfortable on hikes with my grandparents, I eventually fell in love with the mountains, the outdoors, and skiing. I’ve got serious wanderlust, which is why I retrained as a baker after far too many years studying engineering.
After a winter season at the Requin Hut and a stint at the Cosmiques last summer, I’m thrilled to be joining the adventure at 3,600 meters — to take a break from life down below, share this special moment with the team, and welcome you into the lovely cocoon of the hut.
See you very soon!
Antoine
Having grown up in the vineyards of Beaujolais, I arrived a year ago at the foot of these mountains visible from my hills.
A specialized educator by trade and a long-distance hiker, I roam the trails, guitar strapped to my backpack, in search of peace and encounters.
For my first experience in a mountain hut, I hope to help prepare good meals, listen to your mountaineering experiences, and who knows, call out tomorrow’s weather forecast for you.