Rifugio Zamboni-Zappa

Rifugio Zamboni-Zappa is a historic alpine hut (rifugio) in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, situated at 2,070 metres above sea level on the grassy basin of Alpe Pedriola in the Anzasca Valley, within the municipality of Macugnaga. It sits at the foot of the east face of Monte Rosa (4,635 m), in a landscape shaped by the moraines of the Belvedere Glacier and dotted with large erratic boulders. The hut is owned and managed by the Milanese section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI SEM Milano) and is open during the summer season. The original Rifugio Zamboni was built in 1925 by the Società Escursionisti Milanesi (SEM). As the number of alpinists and hikers grew, a second structure, the Rifugio Zappa, was added alongside it in 1954, creating the present combined hut named after Rodolfo Zamboni and Mario Zappa. The summer facility offers 72 beds across two floors, with small rooms for four or six people, each with a washbasin, plus hot showers and shared sanitary facilities on each floor. The hut provides full hospitality services: a bar, a restaurant with a panoramic terrace overlooking the Monte Rosa peaks, home-style cooking and local specialities, and overnight accommodation with half-board or full-board options. It serves as a base for CAI groups, mountaineering schools and other associations, and is a popular stop on trekking routes. It is also a starting point for serious alpine climbs and for easier family walks in the surrounding area. The broad meadow and alpine pasture are natural play areas for children, and the surrounding boulders are well suited to bouldering. Access is typically from the Pecetto hamlet of Macugnaga, passing Alpe Burki and the Rifugio CAI Saronno to the top station of the Belvedere chairlift (1,914 m, about 2 hours), then following the moraine of the Belvedere Glacier to Alpe Pedriola and the hut (45 minutes). An alternative route crosses the stream before Alpe Burki and climbs via Alpe Rosareccio and the upper Rosareccio plains (about 2 hours). The hut is also a staging point for traverses such as the Bivacco Lanti in Val Quarazza via the Terzaghi route (6–7 hours, EE/F) and for ascents including Pizzo Bianco (3,215 m), Punta Battisti (2,754 m), Punta Grober (3,467 m), Punta Gnifetti (4,554 m) and Punta Tre Amici (3,620 m). Nearby, the ephemeral lake on the Monte Rosa glacier, formed in 2000, is a notable natural feature of the area. The hut remains an active summer destination for hikers, climbers and families visiting the Monte Rosa region.

The Rifugio Zamboni was built in 1925 by the Società Escursionisti Milanesi (SEM), a Milanese hiking association. It was originally a small building. To accommodate the growing number of alpinists and hikers, a second structure, the Rifugio Zappa, was added alongside it in 1954. The combined facility became the present Rifugio Zamboni-Zappa, named in honour of Rodolfo Zamboni and Mario Zappa. The hut is owned and operated by the Milanese section of the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI SEM Milano) and has served as a summer base in the Anzasca Valley for generations of mountaineers and excursionists. It remains an active summer refuge at 2,070 metres on the Alpe Pedriola, offering 72 beds and full hospitality services.

• 2000

  The ephemeral lake on the Monte Rosa glacier formed near the hut.

• 1954

  Rifugio Zappa added alongside the Zamboni hut, creating the combined Rifugio Zamboni-Zappa.

• 1925

  Rifugio Zamboni built by the Società Escursionisti Milanesi (SEM).

A historic, family-friendly CAI alpine hut at the foot of Monte Rosa's east face, serving hikers, climbers and families in the Anzasca Valley.

• Summer alpine hut accommodation (72 beds)

• Restaurant with panoramic terrace

• Bar service

• Half-board and full-board packages

• Base for mountaineering and trekking

1. 1Rifugio Zamboni-Zappa: Rifugio Monte Rosa, Macugnagarifugiozamboni.com
2. 2Rifugio Zamboni-Zappa - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Rifugio Zamboni-Zappa - Wikipedia (Italian)it.wikipedia.org