The Refuge les Souffles is a Club Alpin Français (CAF) refuge, located at an altitude of 1975 meters in the heart of the Ecrins National Park. It is very popular with walkers and mountaineers who have a choice of rock and mixed routes including the Pic des Souffles, the Cime d'Orgières, the Pic Turbat and the Mont Gardi.
It is a modern refuge with showers (payable as extra: 2,5€) and toilets inside the building, a large sociable dining room and dormitories of varying sizes. Bedding is blankets and sheets but please bring a sleeping bag liner as these can't be washed after every guest!
Jean-Claude and his team are there from mid June to mid September to look after you and provide a bar and restaurant service (all day) with half board for overnighters and picnics available to order.
In the winter there is section left open which can sleep up to 7 people.
Facilities and equipment included:
Blankets
Facilities and equipment at extra charge:
Food Options
It is possible to self cater and there is a kitchen available for 2,5€ per person. However, the guardians and their teams rely on food and drink sales to make their living and wouldn't be there making the refuge as nice as it is if we didn't support them.
It is possible to buy drinks and snacks as well as full meals.
| Breakfast | 7.00€ |
| Evening Meal | 18.00€ |
| Picnic | 13.00€ |
Resources such as water, electricity (solar) and food are hard to come by in a mountain refuge so please respect this and don't waste energy, water or food. Showers are a luxury so please don't empty the water reservoir!
It is possible to charge your electronic devices in the refuge, but don't expect signal or Wi-Fi at this altitude (that is one of the many beauties of being in such places anyway!). As for the landline of the refuge, it is reserved for private use (except in the case of emergencies).
All items brought up to the refuge including any rubbish must be taken back out.
The staff (gardiens) running the refuge run a tight ship to be able to cater for everyone and clean the refuge to a good standard and their timetables and rules must be respected, that's why we kindly ask you to arrive at the Refuge before 18H00, as this is when the gardiens start cooking dinner and it would be inappropriate to ask them to show you your room and the refuge's facilities while they're busy in the kitchen.
At the entrance of the refuge, you will find baskets for you to put your belongings in to keep the refuge tidy. Please do not leave your belongings lying around in the refuge. Outdoor shoes are not permitted inside and slippers, flip flops or Crocs type shoes are provided. Mountaineering hardware such as ice axes, crampons and walking poles, must be left in the locker room or outside and should not be taken into the dormitories.
Any help offered to do the dishes, clear or wipe tables is greatly appreciated in any mountain refuge!
If you are heading up to do a mountaineering summit, you will be woken up in the early morning between 4H00 and 5H00 and served breakfast. Walkers and other guests' breakfast is usually served between 7H00 and 9H00. All dormitories need to be vacated before 9H00 and must be left in a tidy condition with duvets and sheets folded as you found them.
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