Refuge des Lacs de Vens
© FFCAM
The place
A staffed hut of the French Alpine Club at 2380 metres above Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, perched in the upper Tinée valley at the heart of the Mercantour National Park. Forty-five beds in season, twenty-six places in the winter shelter outside staffed periods. Holder of the Esprit Parc label for its commitment to responsible tourism. Wardens Claire Lesens and Antoine Arnaud.
Getting there
Approach from Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée or Auron. A base for traverses towards the Ténibre (3031 m), the Lacs de Morgon, and the neighbouring Mercantour huts. A classic stage of the GR5 and of the Mercantour traverse.
The setting
One of the most prestigious sites in the Mercantour: a former glacial cirque dotted with natural lakes and waterfalls, flower-filled alpine meadows, abundant wildlife (mouflon, chamois, eagles). A mineral, light-filled setting at 2380 metres.
