Rifugio 3A
The place
High-altitude bivouac/hut at 2,912 m in the municipality of Formazza (Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piedmont), managed by the CAI Omegna rifugi in Val Formazza, at the heart of the Lepontine Alps on the Swiss border. A demanding high-altitude location. No verifiable detailed information on the exact capacity; official website hard to access.
Getting there
Staffed rifugio run by Operazione Mato Grosso (OMG) (rifugi-omg-formazza.it). Stone/masonry, 2 floors: indoor running water, indoor bathrooms, hot showers, heating. Summer skiing possible (ski lift on the Siedel glacier). Themed weeks: trekking, skiing, mountaineering, mineralogy.
The setting
Upper Val Formazza, Arbola group, Lepontine Alps (province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Piedmont), 46.42°N 8.33°E, 2912 m. Near Lake Sabbione and the Siedel glacier, Swiss border. Views over Lake Sabbioni and the Arbola glacier.
A bit of history
Inaugurated in 1979 by volunteers of Operazione Mato Grosso (OMG). Dedicated to three volunteers, "Anna, Attilio, Alessandro" (hence the name 3A), who died in a car accident. Proceeds from the hut fund OMG's social work in Latin America.
