Refuge de l'Aigle

Refuge de l'Aigle is an alpine refuge in the French Alps, located in the Vallée de la Romanche above La Grave in the Hautes-Alpes department, within the Écrins massif. It sits at an altitude of 3,440 metres, making it one of the higher staffed mountain huts in the French Alps. The refuge is owned and operated by the Fédération Française des Clubs Alpins et de Montagne (FFCAM), the French federation of alpine and mountain clubs, and forms part of the federation's nationwide network of mountain refuges. The refuge opened in 1910 and has served generations of mountaineers, climbers and hikers exploring the Écrins. It underwent a major renovation during the summer of 2014, which required it to close between September 2013 and August 2014. Today it operates on a seasonal basis: a guarded period in spring (typically late March to early May, conditions permitting) and in summer (early June to early September), with a winter room remaining accessible outside the guarded season as part of the FFCAM's safety and shelter mission. As a commercial and membership-based mountain hospitality offering, the refuge provides dormitory accommodation, meals and guardian services during the guarded season, and reservations are recommended. Its operation is closely tied to the FFCAM's broader mission of promoting mountain sports, safety and access to the high mountains. The refuge is a well-known waypoint for routes in the Écrins, and its official website provides booking, access, pricing and guardian information.

Refuge de l'Aigle opened in 1910, making it one of the older mountain refuges in the French Alps. It was built to serve mountaineers and travellers in the Écrins massif, in the Vallée de la Romanche above La Grave. For much of the 20th century it functioned as a traditional alpine hut, offering basic shelter and hospitality at high altitude. In the early 2010s the refuge was scheduled for a significant renovation. As a result, it closed between September 2013 and August 2014, with the renovation work carried out during the summer of 2014. The refurbished refuge reopened in August 2014, continuing its role within the FFCAM network. Today the refuge operates under the Fédération Française des Clubs Alpins et de Montagne (FFCAM). It maintains a guarded season in spring and summer, with guardians Béatrice Leitner and Florent Barbier listed on the official site. Outside the guarded period, like other FFCAM refuges, it keeps a winter room accessible to serve as a shelter and rescue point, and reservations are recommended to manage visitor numbers. The refuge's official website provides booking, access, pricing and guardian information, reflecting its dual character as a commercial mountain hospitality service and a public-interest safety facility.

• 2014

  Renovation takes place during summer; the refuge reopens in August.

• 2013

  The refuge closes in September for renovation.

• 1910

  Refuge de l'Aigle opens in the French Alps.

A historic, high-altitude FFCAM mountain refuge in the Écrins, positioned as a base for mountaineering and hiking with seasonal guardian services and a winter shelter function.

• Guarded-season accommodation

  Dormitory-style lodging during the spring and summer guarded periods.

• Winter room

  An accessible unguarded shelter maintained outside the guarded season.

• Meals and guardian services

  Food and on-site guardian services during the guarded season.

1. 1Accueil, Refuge de l'Aiglerefugedelaigle.ffcam.fr
2. 2Refuge de l'Aigleen.wikipedia.org
3. 3Refuge de l'Aiglewikidata.org