Refuge Vallot

Refuge Vallot is an emergency bivouac run by the Fédération Française des Clubs Alpins et de Montagne on the western flank of Mont Blanc, just below the Bosses ridge at an altitude of over 4300 meters. The small metal shelter is located around two hours below the summit and is intended solely as a shelter for alpinists in distress or in the event of a fall, not as a regular base hut. It offers around 12 simple mattress dormitories without comfort and is unattended all year round. The usual season in which you pass by here on the normal route is the summer from around June to September, parallel to the opening of the Tête Rousse and Goûter huts. Access is high alpine from the Nid d'Aigle terminus via the Tête Rousse and Goûter huts; from Goûter to Refuge Vallot it takes around 2 to 2.5 hours, in total from Nid d'Aigle around 7 to 8 hours ascent with over 2000 meters of altitude, only for experienced alpinists. The bivouac is unmanned and offers no food or service. Anyone seeking shelter here in an emergency must be completely self-sufficient and take their garbage back down to the valley with them. Due to the extreme altitude, there are particular risks such as altitude sickness; a longer stay should be avoided. Current conditions, any closures and the weather forecast should be checked carefully before every tour.