Bivacco Andreotti, Mountain bivouac hut in Pontechianale, Italy
Bivacco Andreotti is a metal shelter at the foot of Monviso's south face, in the Cottian Alps near Pontechianale, below the Sella glacier. It has six metal bunks and stays open all year without reservation.
The shelter was built in 1981 by the Sci Club Savigliano and named after Lino Andreotti, the mayor of Savigliano who founded the club. In January 2012, a rock avalanche destroyed the roof and the wall facing the valley, forcing a full reconstruction.
The Bivacco Andreotti follows the Italian alpine tradition of placing emergency shelters in remote spots where climbers would otherwise have no protection. Inside, the metal bunks and bare walls give a clear sense of what the place is for: a stop between a difficult ascent and a safe return.
Reaching the shelter requires solid alpine experience and proper mountain gear, as the approach involves technical terrain. There is no drinking water supply on site, so it must be collected from the Sella glacier nearby.
The 2014 reconstruction was carried out entirely by nine volunteers, with no professional construction crew, at high altitude and in alpine conditions. Every material and tool had to be brought up to the site by the team itself.
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