Refuge des Conscrits

Refuge des Conscrits is a mountain hut (refuge de montagne) in the French Alps, situated at an altitude of 2,614 metres above the right bank of the Tré-la-Tête glacier in the commune of Les Contamines-Montjoie, in the Mont-Blanc massif of the Haute-Savoie department. It is operated by the Fédération Française des Clubs Alpins et de Montagne (FFCAM), the French federation of alpine and mountain clubs, and serves as a base for mountaineers, ski tourers and hikers exploring the Tré-la-Tête glacier basin and surrounding peaks. The name of the refuge commemorates an ascent made in 1910 by three young conscripts from the village of Les Contamines-Montjoie on the eve of their call-up for military service. The current building has been open since 1997 and replaced a series of earlier, more rudimentary shelters erected on the site from 1943 onwards. The previous refuge, now destroyed, stood higher up to the north-east, near the Pointe des Conscrits (3,226 m) and the Aiguille de la Bérangère (3,425 m). The hut is equipped with solar panels, a drying room for wet clothing, heating and hot showers. It offers overnight accommodation and catering during its guarded seasons, which in the 2026 season run from 21 March to 2 May in winter and from 29 May to 27 September in summer, under the wardenship of Christine Mattel. Outside these periods the refuge remains accessible but unguarded, and visitors can pay for their night's stay afterwards. Access is normally gained from Le Cugnon at Les Contamines-Montjoie, passing by the Refuge de Tré la Tête and then across the Tré-la-Tête glacier. It is also possible to reach the hut without crossing the glacier by keeping to its right bank and crossing a suspension bridge located about 45 minutes from the refuge. In autumn 2025 the winter access route was significantly modified and secured because the Tré la Grande gorge, previously crossed via a glacial tongue, had become dangerously impassable as the ice retreated; the new route takes the upper part of the Tré la Grande cliff at the site of the former Tré la Grande serac. From the refuge, the most practicable climbs around the Tré-la-Tête glacier include the Dômes de Miage (3,673 m), the Aiguille de la Bérangère (3,425 m), the Aiguille de la Lex Blanche (3,697 m) and the Col Infranchissable (3,349 m). The refuge is listed among the mountain huts of the Alps and is a recognised feature of sport in the Pays de Savoie.

The Refuge des Conscrits takes its name from an ascent made in 1910 by three young conscripts from the village of Les Contamines-Montjoie, on the eve of their departure for military service. The site has hosted shelters since 1943, when the first rudimentary refuge was erected. That earlier refuge, now destroyed, stood higher up to the north-east, near the Pointe des Conscrits (3,226 m) and the Aiguille de la Bérangère (3,425 m). The current building has been open since 1997 and replaced the various shelters built on the site since 1943. It is operated by the Fédération Française des Clubs Alpins et de Montagne (FFCAM), the French federation of alpine and mountain clubs, and forms part of its network of mountain huts. The refuge is equipped with solar panels, a drying room for wet clothing, heating and hot showers. In autumn 2025 the winter access route was significantly modified and secured: the old itinerary through the Tré la Grande gorge, which relied on a glacial tongue to cross the enclosed zone, had become dangerously impassable as the ice retreated, and the new route takes the upper part of the Tré la Grande cliff at the site of the former Tré la Grande serac.

• 2025

  Winter access route modified and secured after the Tré la Grande gorge becomes impassable.

• 1997

  The current refuge opens, replacing the earlier shelters.

• 1943

  First rudimentary shelters are erected on the site.

• 1910

  Three young conscripts from Les Contamines-Montjoie make the ascent that gives the refuge its name.

A high-altitude FFCAM mountain hut in the Mont-Blanc massif serving alpinists, ski tourers and hikers in the Tré-la-Tête glacier area.

• Guarded overnight stays

• Catering and meals

• Hot showers and drying room

• Route and access information

1. 1Accueil, Refuge des Conscritsrefugedesconscrits.ffcam.fr
2. 2Refuge des Conscritswikidata.org
3. 3Refuge des Conscritsfr.wikipedia.org