In a harsh alpine environment, a modest shepherd's hut once could have meant the difference between survival and death for a traveler caught in a sudden storm. Along Europe's pilgrimage routes, such as the famed Pilgrimage to Santiago da Compostela, communal housings attached to churches and inns sprang up to give shelter to travelers. Across the English Channel, mountain travelers in Scotland's Highlands could, and still can, take shelter in a system of bothies, which range from simple huts to more elaborate mountain houses.
In an inhospitable terrain,a tradition of hospitality saved lives, or at least, made travelers' lives easier.
Today's travelers, of course, use trains and highways, so the mountain hut system has evolved to welcome recreational visitors: mountain tourists, hikers, climbers, and cyclists. Information about the location and facilities of mountain huts is found on hiking maps and in hiking guidebooks, and also online. (There are too many sites to list here: Which sites you use will depend on the country in which you are traveling and whether you speak the language; try searching for "refuges + your destination" or "mountain huts + your destination.")
When planning to use the hut system in Europe's mountain, a few tips will make your travels easier:
- "Huts" may range from tiny little ramshackle shelters to full-fledged mountain dormitories holding 100 people or more, complete with blankets, bunks, and fully-stocked dining rooms.
- Unmanned huts are first-come first served, so if you don't have a shelter of your own (or a tent or tarp) be sure to arrive early in the afternoon. The primitive shelters may include huts operated and maintained by hiking clubs, as well as privately owned seasonal shepherd's huts, which, when left unlocked, may be used by hikers. Your guide book will tell you whether camping is permitted.
- Reservations are accepted (indeed, recommended) at larger huts and refuges .The tradition of hospitality (and the demands of safety) means that you won't be turned away if you arrive at a crowded shelter during a storm, but no one will be thrilled to see you, and you may end up sleeping on a hard floor under a dining room table, especially in the crowded tourist month of August. Reservations can be made by phone (most huts have cell phone service or radio-phones). Numbers are found in guidebooks or in the tourist offices of regional towns.
- Check to see if meals are offered. You may not have to carry as much food.
- Camping is sometimes allowed around refuges and huts (so you can buy a meal, then sleep in your own tent). But always make sure camping is permitted, because the rules vary depending on country and environmental issues.
- In the huts, sleeping arrangements are usually dorm style, not separated by gender.
- Gites d'etap are small communal inns, usually found in France, not in the high mountains themselves, but in towns along walking routes. They sometimes contain a limited number of rooms for families or couples. They are used by both cyclists and hikers.
- Gites usually have kitchens with cooking facilities, so you can make your own meal. They are usually also attached to or near a restaurant where you can buy food.
- Unlike youth hostels,. mountain lodgings don't offer lockers. Theft isn't much of a problem in mountain huts, but common sense is always a good idea;. Keep your valuables on you.
- Clean up before you leave.
The system of refuges, gites, and other simple lodgings makes walking or cycling around Europe a friendly proposition. You'll meet other like-minded travelers, and you won't blow too much of a hole in your budget. And you won't have to carry as much stuff, either.
However, a warning: The tradition of mountain hospitality is not limitless, as I learned one night when I inadvertently camped on a shepherd's property in the Pyrenees and woke up with a gun pointed in my face. Private property is private property the world over, so before setting up your tent or making your bed in a shelter, be sure (as much as possible) that camping is indeed permitted.
Karen Berger - Karen Berger is the author of 15 books. Please click on her name to read her full bio.
