Refuge Chalet de l'épée

Refuge Chalet de l'épée (also written Rifugio Chalet de l'Epée) is a mountain refuge and hospitality operation located at 2,370 metres above sea level at the locality Épée-de-Plontains in Valgrisenche, in the Italian Aosta Valley, within the Graian Alps. It sits near Lake Beauregard, at the entrance to the Bouc valley, along the Haute Route no. 2, and is reached in about 50 minutes on foot from the Beauregard dam. The refuge is operated commercially by Chalet Epée des Frères Gerbelle SAS, a private company registered in Valgrisenche (P.IVA 00190980078), and it presents itself as a full-service alpine lodge rather than a simple shelter. The brand's offer combines accommodation, food and mountain guiding infrastructure. The structure has a capacity of 80 beds, with family rooms of 3, 4 or 6 places and large dormitories for groups. Each bed comes with blankets or duvets and disposable sheets at a small per-unit cost. Shared bathrooms, hot shower water and hairdryers are highlighted as appreciated comforts. The refuge also runs a bar and small hotel service, with traditional and genuine cooking, tastings of typical Aosta Valley wines and grappas, and a menu built around local products: mixed Valdostan cured-meat boards, polenta (both concia and plain), meat, sausage, ratatouille, tartiflette, fontina cheese and homemade desserts. Infrastructure is a distinctive part of the proposition. The chalet has its own small hydroelectric plant for electricity generation, a centralised heating system with gas radiators and a wood stove, and a controlled drinking-water spring captured from an aquifer above the refuge. Dogs are not allowed inside. Reservations are mandatory for both lunch and overnight stays, and the refuge communicates season opening dates and contact details through its official website and email. As a destination, the refuge serves hikers on the Haute Route no. 2 and mountaineers heading for peaks such as Grande Rousse (3,607 m), Pointe de Rabuigne (3,261 m), Mont Forclaz (3,244 m), Pic de Tey (3,186 m) and Cime du Bouc (3,107 m). It is also a crossing point toward the bivouac Ravelli (2,860 m) and the Mario Bezzi refuge (2,284 m). In brand terms, Refuge Chalet de l'épée is a small, place-based hospitality trademark whose value rests on its altitude, its traditional Valdostan kitchen and its self-sufficient mountain infrastructure.

The Refuge Chalet de l'épée is a mountain building and hospitality operation in the Valgrisenche valley of the Italian Aosta Valley. It stands at 2,370 metres at the locality known as Épée-de-Plontains, near Lake Beauregard and at the entrance to the Bouc valley, along the route known as Haute Route no. 2. The site is part of the Graian Alps and belongs to the network of Valdostan refuges that support hiking, mountaineering and alpine tourism in the region. Its commercial identity is tied to the operating company Chalet Epée des Frères Gerbelle SAS, registered in Valgrisenche with VAT number 00190980078. The name references the Gerbelle brothers, indicating a family-run hospitality business, although the exact founding date is not established in the available evidence. Over time the refuge has developed from a basic mountain shelter into a full-service lodge with 80 beds, family rooms, group dormitories, a bar, a restaurant and small-hotel services. A notable feature of its development is technical self-sufficiency. The chalet operates a small hydroelectric plant for electricity generation, a centralised heating system using gas radiators and a wood stove, and a controlled drinking-water spring captured from an aquifer above the refuge. These systems allow the operation to function in a high, remote setting while offering comforts such as hot showers and hairdryers. The refuge's culinary identity is built on traditional and genuine Aosta Valley cooking. Its menu includes mixed Valdostan cured meats, polenta in both concia and plain versions, meat, sausage, ratatouille, tartiflette, fontina cheese and homemade desserts, alongside tastings of typical local wines and grappas. This emphasis on regional products positions the chalet within the Valdostan refuge tradition, where food and shelter are central to the mountain experience. As a destination, the refuge is reached in about 50 minutes from the Beauregard dam and serves as a base or crossing point for the Haute Route no. 2. It is used by hikers and climbers heading to peaks including Grande Rousse (3,607 m), Pointe de Rabuigne (3,261 m), Mont Forclaz (3,244 m), Pic de Tey (3,186 m) and Cime du Bouc (3,107 m), and it connects with the bivouac Ravelli (2,860 m) and the Mario Bezzi refuge (2,284 m). In the present day, the refuge communicates through its official website, where it announces seasonal opening dates, mandatory reservations for lunch and overnight stays, contact details and house rules such as the prohibition of dogs inside. The brand remains an active, privately operated mountain hospitality business in Valgrisenche.

• Refuge established at 2,370 m at Épée-de-Plontains in Valgrisenche, Aosta Valley.

• Operating company Chalet Epée des Frères Gerbelle SAS registered in Valgrisenche.

• Refuge developed to a capacity of 80 beds with family rooms and group dormitories.

• Small hydroelectric plant, centralised heating and controlled drinking-water spring installed.

• Seasonal opening announced for Saturday 20 June, with mandatory reservations for lunch and overnight stays.

A high-altitude, family-friendly alpine refuge and restaurant offering traditional Aosta Valley hospitality with self-sufficient mountain infrastructure.

• Overnight accommodation (80 beds)

  Family rooms of 3, 4 or 6 places and large dormitories for groups; blankets or duvets and disposable sheets provided at 4 euros each.

• Traditional Aosta Valley restaurant

  Menu featuring mixed Valdostan cured meats, polenta concia and plain, meat, sausage, ratatouille, tartiflette, fontina and homemade desserts.

• Bar and small hotel service

  Bar service with tastings of typical Aosta Valley wines and grappas.

• Mountain infrastructure

  Hydroelectric plant, centralised gas and wood heating, and a controlled drinking-water spring.

1. 1Rifugio Epee official websiterifugioepee.com
2. 2Wikidata: Refuge Chalet de l'épéewikidata.org
3. 3Wikipédia: Refuge chalet de l'Épéefr.wikipedia.org