Refuge de la Balme

Refuge de la Balme is a mountain hut in Les Contamines-Montjoie (Val Montjoie), set at 1,706 m. It sits on the paths that pass in front of the hut on the way to Col du Bonhomme, making it a key stop for long-distance hikers moving through this area.

The hut has 40 sleeping places. It offers full board (dinner and breakfast) and also meal service for lunch or goûter. A bivouac area is set up about a hundred meters northwest of the refuge. Opened only for the summer period, it runs from mid-June to mid-September (no winter hut).

For day trips, use the hut as a base toward nearby objectives and passes in the Val Montjoie/Beaufortain side: the lakes Jovet, the Col de la Fenêtre, and the Tête Nord des Fours. The hut is also used as a stop along major long routes such as GR 5 (including the GTA section), Tour du Mont-Blanc, GRP Tour du Pays du Mont-Blanc, and GR E2 (passing on the track in front of the refuge).