Browse Mountain Refuge Holidays

What is a Mountain Refuge?

Each country has it’s own version of mountain refuges, ranging from very basic wooden huts with no facilities to fully blown catered ‘mini hotels’ in the mountains! There are the refuges of the Alps, the hytter of Norway and the lodges of the Himalayas, all of which feature in a range of walking, activity and cross country skiing holidays with Undiscovered Mountains!

They are usually run by the mountaineering and alpinism clubs of each country, but some are also privately owned.

The aim of a mountain refuge is to provide a stop over and refuge to walkers, climbers, skiers and mountaineers as they embark upon their adventures in the mountains which can be 2 or 3 or more days away from civilization.

The existence of refuges in the mountains has opened up access to the some of the most beautiful and otherwise, inaccessible mountains in the world.

There is a general etiquette to follow in mountain refuges which differs depending on where you go so be sure to read up on the refuges you are visiting to make sureyou don’t commit a refuge social gaffe!

Winter Refuge Holidays & Experiences:

If you love skiing and ski touring and the mountains, then you will love our refuge to refuge ski touring holiday in the Queyras on the Italian and French Alpine border. This is one of the best destinations for ski touring in the Alps and you stay in well run guarded refuges with full catering services and even hot showers!

Nature lovers will love our wolf tracking adventure staying in a rather unique winter refuge in a renovated Alpine church.

For cross country skiers and nordic skiers, we have a unique cross country skiing holiday in Norway with an overnight in a hytte on the last night.

If you would like to experience the night in a really rustic refuge, then a night in a winter mountain shelter is an amazing experience that you can try on our winter multi activity holiday or our winter wilderness adventure.

Summer Refuge Holidays & Experiences:

There are many walking holidays staying overnight in refuges in the Alps and our flagship refuge to refuge walking holiday is the Tour du Vieux Chaillol tour which takes you through the Ecrins National park and can be done as a self guided walking holiday or a guided walking holiday. The refuges on this trip are all fully staffed with evening meals, breakfast and picnics provided.

Another unique guided walking holiday which is popular with nature and wildlife lovers is our trek through the foothills of the Alpsstaying in renovated forestry commission refuges made exclusively available for these trips with full catering.

If you are keen to try just a one off experience in a refuge, you will love our night in a refuge experience which you can do as part of any summer multi activity holiday. This is a fabulous experience for families wanting to inspire children and teenagers to go for a walk in the mountains with the ultimate carrot of finding a refuge to stay in at the end! These tend to be guarded refuges with evening meals and breakfast provided.