Rifugio Ottorino Mezzalama

The place

Capacity: 40 A wooden cabin of a kind rarely seen anymore, built in 1934. It appears to have been extended and modernised. Winter room for 16 people. A website is under construction, but you can get an idea by looking at this page on inalto.org, an otherwise very well done and comprehensive site covering the whole Aosta Valley. I did not go any higher. The surrounding glaciers, fairly broken up, require excellent visibility to tackle the available routes. Most climbers now go up via the [->2330] From St Jacques (1700 m) at the head of the Ayas valley, a stony track heads north. It is in principle reserved for alpine herders and other local residents... But principles and reality are as elastic as everything else. In short, at the first hairpin bend, a mule track branches off (signposted) to the left, crosses the stream (Blanchard bridge) and climbs to the Fiery alpine pasture, then bears right and rejoins the small road at the lower Plan de Verra pastures; at the end of the plan, a bridge (2088 m) crosses back to the opposite bank of the stream coming from the Grand Glacier de Verra. Follow this path in switchbacks then along the right bank of the stream coming from the Petit Glacier de Verra, up to the upper Plan de Verra (2382 m). Another bridge, then the road ends, turning after a further bridge into a footpath, which reaches the large moraine separating the two glaciers, climbs along its crest and arrives at the flat area where the cabin stands. From St Jacques it takes 5 hours. You can get an idea of the route by looking at this page. CAI, Turin section Refuge phone: 00.39.0125 307 226