UKC

Mont Blanc Range Bivouac Hut Goes Space Age

© LEAPfactory.it
The 1948 Gervasutti bivouac hut, situated close to the Fréboudze Glacier on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif, has recently been replaced with a "modular, comfortable, technologically sophisticated shelter".

The New 'space-age' hut  © LEAPfactory.it
The New 'space-age' hut
© LEAPfactory.it

The New 'space-age' hut  © LEAPfactory.it
The New 'space-age' hut
© LEAPfactory.it
The new shelter, designed and built by LEAPfactory, cost €250,000, has solar panels and an in-built internet connection. The 'pod' has a floor space of 30 square metres and sleeps 12. It weighs 2500kg and produces 2.5 Kw of solar energy.

The original hut was an unmanned basic shelter and was for emergency use only. The new hut has been installed and will be officially open for use in the spring of 2012, and although it will still be unmanned, it will require online booking prior to a stay.

However, the hut has met with a lot of local criticism and is reportedly far from an ideal mountain haven. Points raised about the shelter have been; the internet connection doesn't work (this may change by the time the hut is officially opened in summer 2012), you need a ladder to access the hut (see photos) as the door hangs precariously above a large drop (this also may change by next summer), the location itself is exposed to avalanches (the old hut was "huddled" against the rock because of this), the placement of the solar panels flat on the roof means that they're most likely unusable for all the snowy part of the year and the air exchanger below the hut is very delicate, yet is vital to airflow when the doors and windows are closed.

How will the space-age hut perform? Time will tell, but we welcome any reports from UKC readers who go and experience it first hand.

More details:

The old Gervasutti hut  © Andrea.it
The old Gervasutti hut
© Andrea.it

More photos of the new hut:

The New 'space-age' hut  © LEAPfactory.it
The New 'space-age' hut
© LEAPfactory.it
The New 'space-age' hut  © LEAPfactory.it
The New 'space-age' hut
© LEAPfactory.it
The New 'space-age' hut - with internet access  © LEAPfactory.it
The New 'space-age' hut - with internet access
© LEAPfactory.it

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27 Jan, 2012
Is it the start of April already?
27 Jan, 2012
This looks horrible! I always liked the old hut. Long may the internet access fail to work - I thought people went to the mountains to escape such things!
27 Jan, 2012
What a waste of money, all you want is a shelter that's sturdy and with plenty of space!
27 Jan, 2012
Have to say I don't like the idea of the on-line booking bit - does that mean if you showed up without a booking you wouldn't be able to get in? Would you need some sort of key or code? Wouldn't be very good for emergency situations!
am I the only one who's noticed the death defying drop when you walk out of the door?
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