Hi everyone, I've done a couple of trips to the Alps and Dolomites and am planning a third. I don't climb much on these trips as I'm usually with my wife and/or kids but I was wondering if you have any suggestions for us. To give you an idea of where we've been here are my highlights from previous trips, I love big glaciers and big views

-Refuge du Couvercle in Chamonix, great hiking on the balcons returning on the Mer de Glace and unbelievable views from the refuge
-Refuge D'Argentiere in Chamonix, great glacier views on the approach and great views from the hut
-Gornergrat Station in Zermatt. Incredible glaciated panorama, unfortunately it's not a hike but a train station with a thousand people
-Cabane des Grand Mountet near Grimentz. Even better than Zermatt, and no people Truly impressive panorama of peaks and glaciers
-Aletsch Glacier, from Eggishorn all the way down and around, probably the most picturesque glacier I've ever seen
-Cabane de Moiry, short hike but impressive hut location overlooking a massive icefall
-Diavolezza, cable car up, beautiful glacier views, nice hike down the Morteratsch glacier
-Shreckhornhutte, beautiful approach to the hut, in a stunning part of the alps

On this trip I'd like to get up to Cabane des Grand Mulets in Chamonix but I'm not sure if it's possible to get there without ropes, etc.. or if it's a straightforward walk on bare glacier with avoidable crevasses. That's all I've come up with.. there are 1000+ huts and many of them are plopped near a glacier of some kind, but I'm really looking to narrows things down and find the best of the best as my time is limited. I want to be wowed

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, and not just glacier views, if there's another hike or hut you find particularly beautiful please share. For example I really enjoyed my overnight hike from Kandersteg to Murren, the views looking down on Lake Oeschinen were incredible.. so please share whatever you feel like, Thanks!

PS. This forum is very north america centric, is there a forum that is more europe centric? English or french speaking.

Other boards:
ukclimbing.com perhaps. At trekkingforum.com (german board) they usually don't mind if someone writes in english.

Other huts -- most of them are in Switzerland:
Grand Mountet already is one of the best...
My first -next- choice would be:
Konkordiahütte from Fiesch/Kühboden

Blümlisalphütte from Kandersteg is not to lonesome... you've already visited?
Schönbielhütte from Zermatt
Cabane Bertol (Arolla)
Quintino Sella nell' Lyskamm
Dossenhütte
Lauteraarhütte
Rif. Gonella (Courmayeur Val Veni)

Thanks! I've been to Blumlisaphutte, Schonbielhutte, Cabane de Bertol and Konkordiahutte. Though I preferred the views of Aletsch from Eggishorn and Bettmerhorn than from down low at Konkordia. It's a wonderful setting nevertheless. I will check out your other suggestions! Never heard of them, this is great

Regarding Gonella, is travelling on the glacier very straightforward, no need for ropes from what I can see? It looks like it is covered in rubble the entire time one would be walking on it? Also, summitpost page for it says there is some scrambling and ladders once off the glacier, do you know how long/difficult these sections are? Is it like the ladders getting down to Mer de Glace or up to Couvercle?

There is another hut I know of that looks like it would have great glacier views but haven't I been to it myself: Oberaletschhutte

Flachlandtiroler wrote:Other boards:
ukclimbing.com perhaps. At trekkingforum.com (german board) they usually don't mind if someone writes in english.

Other huts -- most of them are in Switzerland:
Grand Mountet already is one of the best...
My first -next- choice would be:
Konkordiahütte from Fiesch/Kühboden

Blümlisalphütte from Kandersteg is not to lonesome... you've already visited?
Schönbielhütte from Zermatt
Cabane Bertol (Arolla)
Quintino Sella nell' Lyskamm
Dossenhütte
Lauteraarhütte
Rif. Gonella (Courmayeur Val Veni)

Gonella:
Been there twice, +/- ten years ago, in early (!) season.
Long scramble on rubble, quite tiring and longer than you might think.

Before reaching the socket of the ag. grises (i.e. at about 2500m), the last some hundreds of meters were on "white" glacier and one or two crevasses had to be circumvented.
IIRC we had not roped up there...
Today and anyway always in late season this section might be aper (i.e. crevasses open visible, no problem).

On the socket of the ag. grises the path is assisted with some ladders and chains, another snow field is to be crossed. All easy and short passages IMHO.
The last chains lead up a longer, steep slab and without proper steps were somewhat strenous.

Oberaletschhütte:
Yes, very rewarding and due to the length (quite far for a daytrip) not too crowded.
The work of the warden, who himself (!) broke the long path below the Fusshörner, is very amazing!
There is no glacier contact during the whole way to the hut but most of the time you have very impressing views across the Oberaletschgletscher.
To enter the glacier, you have to descend (and re-ascend on the way back, of course) about 150...200 meters *behind* the hut. I don't know if you can get across the glacier unroped e.g. to Beichpass. Did the Aletschhorn, extremly rewarding climb but looooong...

Flachlandtiroler wrote:Gonella:
Been there twice, +/- ten years ago, in early (!) season.
Long scramble on rubble, quite tiring and longer than you might think.

Before reaching the socket of the ag. grises (i.e. at about 2500m), the last some hundreds of meters were on "white" glacier and one or two crevasses had to be circumvented.
IIRC we had not roped up there...
Today and anyway always in late season this section might be aper (i.e. crevasses open visible, no problem).

On the socket of the ag. grises the path is assisted with some ladders and chains, another snow field is to be crossed. All easy and short passages IMHO.
The last chains lead up a longer, steep slab and without proper steps were somewhat strenous.

Oberaletschhütte:
Yes, very rewarding and due to the length (quite far for a daytrip) not too crowded.
The work of the warden, who himself (!) broke the long path below the Fusshörner, is very amazing!
There is no glacier contact during the whole way to the hut but most of the time you have very impressing views across the Oberaletschgletscher.
To enter the glacier, you have to descend (and re-ascend on the way back, of course) about 150...200 meters *behind* the hut. I don't know if you can get across the glacier unroped e.g. to Beichpass. Did the Aletschhorn, extremly rewarding climb but looooong...

Wonderful thanks for the information! I guess Gonella requires an overnight, would be too long to do a there and back in a day like is possible with Couvercle?

marving wrote:I guess Gonella requires an overnight, would be too long to do a there and back in a day like is possible with Couvercle?

It's possible in a long daytrip. One the one hand this limits your stay at the hut down to a short lunch break. On the other hand there is not much else to do there, as above the hut you immediately would enter a heavyly crevassed glacier.

I took a look into my notices: First time, with heavy burden (tent, food...) we needed 5h from Lac de Combal to Gonella hut. Second attempt was much faster, around 4h.
From the road end at La Visaille / Chalet du Miage you have to add +3/4h...1h. In Season this road is closed and you have to start further down the valley or pass a bus (don't know about actual conditions).

Btw., same holds for Oberaletsch hut: As there are very long, horizontal distances the descent takes nearly the same time than the ascent; that is, 4-5h each way.
Taken from the hut webpage: Starting at Belalb cable car station, it will be 9.77km with 960m ascent and 406m descent.

OT:
Continuing to Aletschhorn means a loss of 150m and 1700m ascent. So returning from summit to the valley same day amounts in -150/+1700/-1700/+150/-960/+400m, that is +2250m ascent and -2800m descend. Distance covered roughly 30-35km...

Thanks! If anyone else has any suggestions please feel free to share