Refuge de la Dent Parrachée, Mountain shelter in Vanoise National Park, France
The Refuge de la Dent Parrachée sits at 2511 meters elevation within Vanoise National Park and provides overnight lodging and meals for mountaineers and hikers. The building offers 42 beds during staffed seasons and maintains a smaller winter shelter with 24 spaces for colder periods.
Founded by Club Alpin Français, this shelter has served generations of mountaineers accessing Vanoise glaciers and surrounding summits. Over time it expanded to accommodate more visitors and added facilities to better support alpine expeditions in the region.
The shelter embodies alpine traditions through communal dining and shared dormitory spaces where hikers and mountaineers exchange experiences. Guests spend evenings together eating regional mountain dishes and sharing stories of their journeys across the peaks.
The shelter operates year-round but has full staffing and meal service from June through September and December through April. Visitors should expect steep mountain trails to this high-altitude location, requiring good fitness and proper gear for safe travel.
The shelter sits directly on the GR5 hiking route and the Tour des Glaciers de la Vanoise, connecting two major alpine long-distance trails. This placement makes it a key junction point for trekkers attempting longer routes through the Alps and national park.
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