The moutain hut
From a Laboratory to a Refuge …!
Perched at 3,613 meters on a rocky ridge overlooking the Vallée Blanche glacier, the Refuge des Cosmiques is France‘s second-highest staffed mountain hut.
Built in the 1930s at the initiative of physicist Louis Leprince Ringuet, it was originally a scientific laboratory for studying cosmic rays. It was later used as a research center by the CNRS and as a mountain refuge for several years before being accidentally destroyed by a fire in 1984.
The current refuge was rebuilt and inaugurated in 1991.
Accessible in less than an hour from the Aiguille du Midi, it serves as a strategic starting point for iconic climbs such as the Mont Blanc via the Three Monts, the Vallée Blanche, the Cosmiques Ridge, and many others.
To come
- To reach the refuge, the first step is to take the Aiguille du Midi cable car which will take you up to 3,842 meters. (You need to reserve the cable car.)
- Once at the top, you will be able to put on your equipment at the ice cave before going through the gate that marks the high mountain entrance.
- The Aiguille ridge is secured with fixed ropes until mid-May. After that and as the season progresses, the ridge can become narrow and exposed.
You will need to cross the glacier and come up to reach the hut.- Depending on your pace, this section takes less than an hour.
- Security note : If you do not have the necessary knowledge to move safely in high mountain, or if you have any doubts, please hire a mountain guide, your experience will be even more enjoyable staying safe !
Life at 3613 metres high
Reservation
At 3,613 meters, we can’t knock down walls : reservations are therefore mandatory. It allows us to know who is coming and when, but above all to guarantee a bed and enough food to satisfy hungry stomachs.
By booking ahead, you help us to prepare for your arrival properly… and avoid last minute floor bivouacs.
Payment
A deposit is required at the booking process; the balance is charged automatically the day before your arrival.
For small purchases on site, we can charge directly the same card you used for the reservation. We also accept credit cards, cash and cheques.
Electricity comes via cable up here and bad weather loves to interfere with it. Bring a second means of payment (cheque or cash) – just in case you don’t want to end up bargaining a coffee for a carabiner.
(Holiday and meal vouchers are not accepted.)
Access and Equipment
After taking the Aiguille du Midi cable car, access to the hut is via the Glacier de la Vallée Blanche. Yes – a real glacier, with ice and crevasses. Proper high-mountain equipment is therefore essential: crampons, ice axe, rope…
If you have any doubts, do not hesitate to visit or call local guiding offices in the valley and if needed hire a guide: at this altitude, commitment is real and safety is part of a successful ascent.
Supplies
No car access here. Everything, from coffee to pasta, arrives by helicopter.
Our prices therefore reflect this aerial supply system. Thanks for your understanding.. and for savouring every bite.
Water
Water comes from melted snow. Sounds beautiful and natural – but it’s not drinkable!
You can come with your own reserve or buy water bottles at the shelter.
For the same reason, there’re no showers either- every litre counts up here.
Refreshing wipes are available for a quick clean-up.
Timetable
We recommend arriving before 5.30 p.m.
Dinner will be served around 6 / 6.30 p.m. to recharge batteries before the short night comes.
If you are running late, please let us know- we will keep a meal for you.. and avoid worrying while scanning the glacier with binoculars.
Breakfast is served as a buffet so everyone can eat according to their departure time.
The dormitory
Here we share everything, human warmth, headlamps switching on too early… and sometimes a nocturnal concert!
You will sleep side by side on large sleeping platforms; privacy stays down in the valley.. that’s the hut spirit!
Please be quiet at night, even if your neighbour snores like a generator.
To have any hope of sleeping a few hours, earplugs are highly recommended.
