Bivouac de la Fourche, Mountain shelter in Courmayeur, Italy
Bivouac de la Fourche was a mountain shelter located on the Kuffner Ridge of Mont Maudit at 3,674 meters elevation. It provided protection from harsh weather and served as a stopping point for mountaineers attempting routes on Mont Blanc.
The shelter was built in 1935 and served mountaineers approaching Mont Blanc's Brenva slope. It collapsed in 2022 and slid onto a glacier.
The shelter witnessed numerous international climbing expeditions, including the notable 1961 attempt by French and Italian mountaineers on the Frêney central pillar.
Access required mountaineering experience and specialized equipment for extreme alpine conditions. Visitors had to bring their own supplies since no provisions were available on-site.
The shelter sat where French and Italian climbing routes met, creating a gathering point for mountaineers from different countries. It served as a base for tackling the demanding Frêney central pillar, one of the region's most difficult climbing challenges.
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