Rifugio Achille Papa, Mountain hut in Valli del Pasubio, Italy.
Rifugio Achille Papa is a mountain hut in the Pasubio massif, sitting at around 1930 meters, and it offers beds and meals to hikers and climbers passing through the area. The hut is built into the rocky terrain on the southern side of the massif, with trails branching out in several directions from its entrance.
The hut was built in 1921 on the site of a former Italian military camp from World War I and takes its name from an officer who died in the war. The Pasubio massif was one of the fiercest battlegrounds between Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces during the conflict.
The refuge sits in an area where traces of World War I are still visible on the surrounding trails, and many visitors come as much for that history as for the hiking. Old trenches, gun emplacements, and memorial markers dot the landscape around the hut.
The hut is open through the main summer season and on some weekends in autumn, so it is worth checking ahead if you plan to visit outside of July and August. The terrain around the hut is rocky and uneven, so sturdy footwear is a good idea regardless of the trail you choose.
To reach the hut, walkers pass through a network of tunnels cut into the rock during World War I, originally dug by soldiers for shelter and supply movement under fire. These passages were never intended for hikers but now form a regular part of the approach route.
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