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Serviced Hut · Bornes Alps · 1,826 m
Fédération Francaise des Clubs Alpins et de Montagne (FFCAM)

Refuge du Parmelan

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The Shelter of Parmelan
Photo: J PIETU

The Refuge du Parmelan is located at 1825 m above Dingy-Saint-Clair in the Massif des Bornes. The rustic CAF hut is a popular base for family and multi-day tours.

The Refuge du Parmelan, also known as the Refuge Camille Dunant, stands at 1825 m on the edge of the Parmelan plateau high above Dingy-Saint-Clair in the Bornes Alps. The hut belongs to the Annecy section of the Club Alpin Français or FFCAM and is a simple, historic base with magnificent views of Lac d'Annecy, Mont Blanc, Aravis, Bauges and as far as the Jura. During the manned summer season from around mid-May to the end of September/beginning of October, the house is run as a classic mountain hut with overnight accommodation, breakfast, lunch, cakes, dinner and picnics if booked in advance. The catering is deliberately kept simple; there is warm mountain cuisine and desserts, theme evenings with Nepalese dishes on some days and regularly organized astronomy evenings, where the starry sky above the plateau is explained. Access is exclusively on foot. The shortest ascent is from the parking lot at Chalet de l'Anglettaz above Aviernoz, with an elevation gain of around 380 m in around 1¼-1½ hours on a good mountain trail. Longer ascents start at Villaz (Bois Brûlé) via the Petit or Grand Montoir with an ascent of around 717 m and a 1¾-2¼ hour walk or from La Blonnière/Saugy via Chalet Chappuis or the Col du Pertuis with a good 800 m difference in altitude and up to around 3 hours walk. The refuge is a stop-off point on multi-day crossings of the Bornes and Aravis mountains, for example towards the Plateau des Glières, Lac de Lessy and Refuge de Gramusset. Summer is the main season; recommended months for hiking are generally June to September, depending on snow conditions from mid-May. A small, very simple winter room is available in the outbuilding when the hut is not in use, but its use may be restricted or temporarily impossible during the upcoming renovation work. Due to the karst plateau, there is no tap water or showers, only a little electricity from solar panels and simple dry toilets. Water, gas and food are flown in by helicopter and reservations are advisable due to the popularity of the house. Current opening times, construction phases, trail and avalanche conditions and the weather forecast should be checked before each tour.

Opening times

Closed today

Author

Fabio Staiti

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Outdooractive Editors

Rooms

The Refuge du Parmelan is a simple CAF hut from 1883 with a total of around 49 beds in seven dormitories with bat flancs for around 2 to 18 people. There are only multi-bed dormitories; the dormitories are simple, but equipped with mattresses, blankets or couettes and pillows. The hut operator expressly requests that you bring your own hut sleeping bag or ticking. During the season, you sleep in the main building; outside the season, there is a very simple winter room in an outbuilding with a few mattresses and no heating. Electricity is only generated to a limited extent via solar panels and is mainly used for lighting and the kitchen; there are generally no sockets for guests. There is no piped water: drinking water and water for the kitchen are mainly brought up by helicopter in canisters, which is why no free carafes and no routine refilling of drinking bottles are offered. The sanitary facilities are limited to dry toilets, showers are not available. Overnight stays are organized via the FFCAM reservation system or by calling the hut warden Philippe Graham; due to the great popularity - especially at weekends and during the vacations - early reservations are important. Payment is made on site in cash, by check or cheque-vacances, bank cards are not accepted. Guests are asked to take their garbage back down to the valley and to respect the simple rules of the hut.

Food and drink

During the season, the hut offers simple but carefully prepared mountain cuisine during the day with hot meals, soups, cakes, breakfast and picnic packages if ordered in advance. Special evening offers are organized from time to time, such as Nepalese theme evenings with dishes prepared by a local Nepalese chef; there are also classic, filling mountain dishes and regional drinks, which are deliberately calculated sparingly due to the costly helicopter supply.

Sleeping beds

Number of beds in dorm

Winter room

General

Year built 1883
family friendly
hiker friendly

Payment options

Cash

Prices

from €8.00
According to the official FFCAM price list for 2025, a night in the serviced refuge costs around €20 for adults at the public rate; half board with dinner and breakfast is roughly between around €33 for small children and a good €60 for adults, depending on age and membership. The night in the unattended winter room is quoted at €8, plus local tourist tax. More detailed scales (membership, youth rates, groups) can be found in the hut operator's tariff table.

Awards

hiker friendly

Address

Refuge du Parmelan
La Blonnière
74230 Dingy-Saint-Clair
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Public transport

By train to Annecy, from there by regional bus (SIBRA) e.g. to Naves-Parmelan, Villaz or Dingy-Saint-Clair and then on foot to the respective starting parking lots (Anglettaz, Bois Brûlé, La Blonnière). Connections and timetables must be checked in advance, especially for the return journey after a multi-day crossing.

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Refuge du Parmelan

Directions

From the parking lot at the Chalet de l'Anglettaz above Aviernoz, the shortest approach leads directly up to the refuge in around 1¼-1½ hours via marked mountain trails with an elevation gain of around 380 m. From Villaz (Bois Brûlé parking lot), you can climb to the plateau via the Petit Montoir in around 2¼ hours or via the Grand Montoir, which is exposed in places, in around 1¾ hours (each ascent approx. 717 m). From La Blonnière or the Saugy parking lot above Dingy-Saint-Clair, you can reach the hut via Chalet Chappuis and Grand or Petit Montoir or via the scenically varied Col du Pertuis in around 2-3 hours with a good 800 m difference in altitude.

Parking

As a rule, get there by car to one of the official parking lots: to the Chalet de l'Anglettaz via a 6 km forest road from Aviernoz, to the Bois Brûlé parking lot above Villaz or to the Saugy parking lot above the hamlet of La Blonnière near Dingy-Saint-Clair. From there, marked mountain trails lead to the Refuge du Parmelan in 1¼-3 hours. Depending on the time of year, the forest roads to the Anglettaz and Chappuis side may be closed by barriers during the thaw period or when there is snow; up-to-date information should be obtained before setting off.

Coordinates

45.946456, 6.240050

DMS

45°56'47.2"N 6°14'24.2"E

UTM

32T 286087 5091802

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Parts of this content were machine translated from German.

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