In reply to OwenM:
> The question is "why" would you go to all that trouble to dig a snow hole at the Col du Midi. There's a great big hut there.
Completely agree. Kind of misses half the fun of climbing in the Alps for me if you're going to sleep in tents / snow holes and all the associated cooking / dampness / educed comfort etc that goes with it.
Save the camping for when you need to in the Alps, i.e. not 200m away from a hut!
No doubt someone will be on in a moment to tell me that they get the best sleep they've ever had in a snow hole, huts are for wankers and I'm doing it wrong if 7 months in the Alps costs me more than £9 including getting there and a new pair of ronhills...