Читать книгу Mountain Adventures in the Maurienne. Summer routes for a multi-activity holiday in the French Alps онлайн

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There is a certain refuge etiquette which should be observed when staying in mountain huts. If you transgress these unwritten rules you can expect scowls and displeasure from the guardian!

First, and probably most important of all, is to pre-book. Turning up on spec means the hut may already be full, although the guardian is unlikely to turn you away it could mean you spend the night on the floor of the dining room with a blanket, in the woodshed (as happened to a friend in Austria) or in a corridor. None of these are particularly appealing options; a simple phone call can avoid such discomfort. It is possible to book huts further in advance via tourist information offices or via email from the CAF website and this is recommended in the height of summer, especially at weekends.

The Vallonbrun Refuge nestled into its hidden valley with Dent Parrachée in the distance (Routes 2 and 49)

On arrival remove your boots in the porch/entrance hall. Put them in a pigeon hole (or whatever storage is present) and put on the clogs or slippers provided (or put on your own if you have decided to carry them). Then report to the guardian. Never enter in your boots – you will be scowled at (or worse) and it will instantly identify you as a novice and foreigner to mountain huts. The guardian and his/her assistants spend a lot of time keeping the refuge clean and will not welcome muddy footprints across their dining room floor.