Sugestions for improvement...
Add some detailed info on prices, facilities, food, and opening times. That's the kind of info I'd look for in this page. My lasting memory of Cosmiques was being charged €3.50 for a bowl of hot water when all I wanted it for was to thaw frozen fingers!
Also, no offense, but some of the photos of the views aren't great and I think you'd do better to use some photos from other pages to illustrate the views. I've got an album here which includes a lot of photos taken from near the hut if it's any help otherwise there are plenty of others out there.
Lastly, I'd generalise more about the areas that can be climbed from the hut (e.g. Tacul Triangle, NE Face of Tacul, Three Monts, routes on Aiguille du Midi, etc), rather than naming specific routes (A lot of people including myself won't have any interest in PD climbs).
Hope that's some help.
Lee
Thanks for your ideas.
But I think it´s difficult to add prices at this page as the prices could change every season. And are prices (f.e. for a bowl of hot water) a reason not to go to the hut?
I´ll try to add more routes which can be climbed from the hut.
But I think that the routes which can be climbed should be detailed under the mountain or the area. But for an overview it would be good at the hut side. I´ll look for more routes at the weekend and add them next week. Have a look then again. I´ll give you the info then.
Cheers, Thomas
Hi BigLee,
Thanks for offering these tips and sharing your pictures. While I agree the price of water alone may not play a crucial role in someone's decision to visit a hut, it certainly helps in planning (I carried 3 litres of water, so didn't have to buy until third day)
The current price for lodging, dinner and b/f is 53 Euros. A 1.5 litre of water costs 5 Euros which is quite normal for huts at this altitude IMO.
The toilets have flush and there is a running water tap/wash basin (this is often a crucial factor for me. E.g. in Gandegg hut Zermatt, you are given 100ml of water to brush your teeth, and absolutely no other water for other basic needs, except of course buying environmentally costly bottled water, so I won't go there again).
It is a crowded hut, fully booked when I spent 3 nights there, yet I found the staff friendly and efficient (E.g. I have read and experienced pretty lousy service at Monch hut, so I won't go there again. yes, these small things collectively can influence where you spend your weekend when there are dozens of options).
Food is good and given in generous quantities. be sure to stick to the dinner time (was 6:30 when we went in Aug 11)
Breakfast times: You can choose 1am, 3am, 5am or 7 am. This is a very nice offer, I think. However be sure to go there bang on time. If you go in between, you will find the dining hall locked!
There is no free 1 litre of tea which is standard offer in Swiss huts.
No charging points in the rooms for your mobiles etc., just 1-2 in the corridors. Remember that, as sometimes there are 150 other people in the hut. Cell coverage was good though.
Something wrong with the times to MB from the hut. About 5-6 hrs is right - certainly not 10+! Also it is not 60 degrees at any point, even up to Col du Mont Maudit, maybe 45-50
I wrote 10+ hours for the traverse via MB du Tacul and Mont Maudit. For the directe ascent without those other 2 summits you need less time. When you check guide books there is one passage with about 60 degrees of about 30 m, the rest is surely less steep. When I was there this short part has a steepness of 60°.
Thanks for your comment. Cheers, Thomas
BigLee - Oct 18, 2007 5:35 pm - Voted 7/10
CosmiquesSugestions for improvement...
Add some detailed info on prices, facilities, food, and opening times. That's the kind of info I'd look for in this page. My lasting memory of Cosmiques was being charged €3.50 for a bowl of hot water when all I wanted it for was to thaw frozen fingers!
Also, no offense, but some of the photos of the views aren't great and I think you'd do better to use some photos from other pages to illustrate the views. I've got an album here which includes a lot of photos taken from near the hut if it's any help otherwise there are plenty of others out there.
Lastly, I'd generalise more about the areas that can be climbed from the hut (e.g. Tacul Triangle, NE Face of Tacul, Three Monts, routes on Aiguille du Midi, etc), rather than naming specific routes (A lot of people including myself won't have any interest in PD climbs).
Hope that's some help.
Lee
schmid_th - Oct 19, 2007 3:25 am - Hasn't voted
Re: CosmiquesThanks for your ideas.
But I think it´s difficult to add prices at this page as the prices could change every season. And are prices (f.e. for a bowl of hot water) a reason not to go to the hut?
I´ll try to add more routes which can be climbed from the hut.
But I think that the routes which can be climbed should be detailed under the mountain or the area. But for an overview it would be good at the hut side. I´ll look for more routes at the weekend and add them next week. Have a look then again. I´ll give you the info then.
Cheers, Thomas
LoneRanger - Aug 26, 2011 11:30 am - Hasn't voted
Re: CosmiquesHi BigLee,
Thanks for offering these tips and sharing your pictures. While I agree the price of water alone may not play a crucial role in someone's decision to visit a hut, it certainly helps in planning (I carried 3 litres of water, so didn't have to buy until third day)
The current price for lodging, dinner and b/f is 53 Euros. A 1.5 litre of water costs 5 Euros which is quite normal for huts at this altitude IMO.
The toilets have flush and there is a running water tap/wash basin (this is often a crucial factor for me. E.g. in Gandegg hut Zermatt, you are given 100ml of water to brush your teeth, and absolutely no other water for other basic needs, except of course buying environmentally costly bottled water, so I won't go there again).
It is a crowded hut, fully booked when I spent 3 nights there, yet I found the staff friendly and efficient (E.g. I have read and experienced pretty lousy service at Monch hut, so I won't go there again. yes, these small things collectively can influence where you spend your weekend when there are dozens of options).
Food is good and given in generous quantities. be sure to stick to the dinner time (was 6:30 when we went in Aug 11)
Breakfast times: You can choose 1am, 3am, 5am or 7 am. This is a very nice offer, I think. However be sure to go there bang on time. If you go in between, you will find the dining hall locked!
There is no free 1 litre of tea which is standard offer in Swiss huts.
No charging points in the rooms for your mobiles etc., just 1-2 in the corridors. Remember that, as sometimes there are 150 other people in the hut. Cell coverage was good though.
mgillie - Apr 23, 2009 11:54 am - Hasn't voted
TimesSomething wrong with the times to MB from the hut. About 5-6 hrs is right - certainly not 10+! Also it is not 60 degrees at any point, even up to Col du Mont Maudit, maybe 45-50
schmid_th - Apr 24, 2009 4:20 am - Hasn't voted
Re: TimesI wrote 10+ hours for the traverse via MB du Tacul and Mont Maudit. For the directe ascent without those other 2 summits you need less time. When you check guide books there is one passage with about 60 degrees of about 30 m, the rest is surely less steep. When I was there this short part has a steepness of 60°.
Thanks for your comment. Cheers, Thomas