Topalihütte

The Topali hut is a modern SAC hut belonging to the Monte Rosa section and is situated at 2674 m above St. Niklaus in the Mattertal valley, directly at the foot of the Distelgrat ridge with unobstructed views of the Nadelgrat, Dom, Täschhorn and as far as the Bernese Oberland. The cubic new building was constructed in 2002 to replace the old hut, which was built in 1926 and burnt down in 1998, and was inaugurated in 2003; today it serves as a base for high-altitude tours on the Barrhörner and Brunegghorn as well as a stage stop on the Tour du Cervin and the Via Valais. The hut is usually only manned in high summer, from around July to mid-September; outside of this period, a simple emergency room is available. Inside, guests can expect a cozy lounge with a large panoramic window front and 38 beds in the dormitory with comforters and pillows, as well as washrooms with running water and dry toilets. Several marked mountain trails lead from St. Niklaus railroad station to the hut in 3.5 to 5 hours and an altitude difference of around 1,600 meters; alternative routes run via the hamlet of Medji or via the cable car to Jungu and up the Jungtal valley to Wasulicke; it is also possible to take the Weisshorn trail from Randa or Herbriggen. The Topali hut is suitable as a starting point for challenging summit destinations and multi-day undertakings; before each tour, current trail conditions, any closures and the weather forecast should be checked.