The film ‘Shelter’ from Picture Organic Clothing & briefly featuring Jeremy Jones is currently doing the pre-season rounds here in the Alps. It follows the story of a group of 5 splitboarders (including local Champery legend Mat Schaer) travelling across the Valais and Chamonix region to ride lines and use mountain refuges as accommodation. The main message is an eco one and their idea is to use only human powered (splitboard) & public transportation to minimise their carbon footprint.
The film is great so do try and catch it if you can. The incredible scenery, big line riding and sending it off some nuts backcountry natural features make it worth watching alone.
The message is an eco one for sure but as the title of the film suggests it is also very much about the amazing hut system in place across the Alps and it was particularly cool to see a few of the places we sometimes use on our own trips featured.
The Jeremy Jones segment saw them visit the Hospice in the St Grand Bernard and ride the Tête de Ferret. Just after that was a trip to the Cabane des Vignettes in Arolla situated on the side of a cliff at 3160 metres. It’s an incredible place and a must visit refuge.
The whole reason for mentioning all of this is that we have been toying with the idea of running our Hut to Hut trips again next April. We will run either a 2 night and 3 day trip or, for the more experienced perhaps a 4 night and 5 day trip.
More details to follow soon, in the meantime here are a few pictures of just a few of the refuges we have used on our trips in the past.
