Refuge du col de la Croix

Refuge du col de la Croix is a backcountry refuge at 2,443 m on the crest near the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme, used as a sleep-over stop on long-distance hiking routes (Tour du Mont-Blanc, GR5, and the Tour du Beaufortain). It sits away from roads and outside water/electricity networks, so you’re operating in full refuge mode rather than a roadside facility.

In the guarded (summer) period it runs from early June to mid-August, while the winter operation is unguarded and unheated from late September through May. Total capacity is 99 beds: 15 in dormitories when it’s unguarded, plus additional dormitory beds in the guarded mode. Evening service requires an arrival by 17:30 in summer, and you’ll need mandatory liner sheets in dormitories; sleeping bags are not used there. Hot water/solar showers are pay-per-use, and showers and wet toilets can be closed if water supply becomes difficult.

For planning access, typical approach times from nearby trailheads are long: about 3 hours from Beaufort (600 m down), about 2.5 hours from Les Chapieux (900 m down), and about 5 hours from Les Contamines (1,230 m down). The refuge sits at the crossover of routes and can also connect toward other refuges via high-altitude paths, making it a practical base for multi-day itinerary planning.