Refuge-bivouac de Chalin
© sac-cas.ch
The place
Refuge-bivouac of the Swiss Alpine Club (Chaussy section) at the heart of the Dents du Midi massif (Valais, Switzerland). Open year-round, accessibility depending on conditions. No warden, no booking. Equipment: wood stove with wood supplied, dishes and pots, stove, fondue set, blankets and cushions. Cooking possible on the stove or with your own gas burner. Magnificent viewpoint accessible to all, but priority given to mountaineers engaged on the summits of the Dents du Midi. Access in 3h from Chindonne via the Dent de Valère, in 5h from Val-d'Illiez via the Chalin pasture and the Crête du Dardeu, in 2h from the Chalin pasture, or in 5h from Vérossaz (reserved for experienced hikers). Rates: 18 CHF adult CAS members, 10 CHF youth 6-22, 27 CHF non-members 18+, 15 CHF youth under 18, free for certified guides, 2 CHF day tax. Payment by transfer to Raiffeisen Alpes Chablais Vaudois. Custodian Olivier Amiguet, +41 79 440 35 80, olamiguet@bluewin.ch.
Getting there
4 itinéraires : depuis Chindonne via la Dent-de-Valère (3h) ; depuis Val-d'Illiez via les alpages de Chalin puis la Crête-du-Dardeu (5h) ; depuis les alpages de Chalin via la Crête-de-Dardeu (2h) ; depuis Vérossaz (5h, réservé aux randonneurs expérimentés).
The setting
La Tête de Chalin, sur laquelle repose le refuge, offre un point de vue accessible à tous, et sert de camp de base pour les ascensions des Dents du Midi.
What you'll find
Good to know
- No warden so no booking available. - Cabin custodian: Olivier Amiguet - Warning: access difficulty T4, caution in winter! Beds planned: 8 Beds on mattresses: 8 Shelter built in 1958 located practically right next to the Dent de Chalin. -No water nearby (snow patches), -mattresses with blankets There's a stove and plenty of wood behind the cabin. The refuge is equipped with pots, fondue pots, glasses, and kitchen utensils. However, there are no toilets. An info page on the CAS Chaussy website http://www.cas-chaussy.ch/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=1 From Chindonne (from Massongex or Monthey) - (inn) - a path marked yellow/red climbs via Valerette (1702 m), then steeply to Valère d'en Haut (1880 m) where you head S, passing (col 2019 m) between the Pte de l'Erse and the Dent de Valère, which you go around; then following steep grassy slopes, along a ridge that turns into a rocky arête, up to the shelter. Allow a good 3h/3h30. CAS, Chaussy section
