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The Swiss Alps Hut System

A climber lays in the fountain at the Sciora Hut drinking a beer and laughing. Switzerland

Like most every American visiting the Alps for the first time, I simply could not believe the Swiss hut system.

“Let me get this straight… I don’t have to carry a tent,  sleeping bag, stove, pots, food, etc…?”

“Correct.”

“That doesn’t leave much to carry.”

“Correct again.”

This is usually followed by a slow transition into “day packs” for “multi-day” tours. After a trip or two it’s all sorted out, or, sorted and left behind. A 30 liter pack will be plenty big enough for a week long tour through the mountains.

But it’s not just about convenience. Behind the mountains themselves the huts are the very foundation of the Alps experience. Sure they are a place to sleep, to eat, to take shelter, to bivouac in, and to enjoy with friends. But they offer something more; opportunity and potential.

For the mountain sport enthusiast or hiker, they are going to offer you the ability to move light through the mountains, to not have to think about what you take, just what you’ll do. Camping and tents can be great, no doubt, but I have yet to see anyone bummed about not carrying a heavy pack up massive passes. And then there are the trail running opportunities… imagine what you could do in the mountains if you always had aid stations.

But now that I live in the Alps, another form of opportunity has come up in the form of what the huts mean to me. I remember when I first started visiting the huts and would often notice locals coming up to visit their friends at work. They’d bring a newspaper, something fresh to eat, and maybe some important delivery. But it was the scene in the kitchens that stayed with me. There the friends would gather in the realm of the hut keeper and share stories and laughs over a glass or three of the local schnapps. I envied this component of the Alp’s mountain culture and tried to imagine being so familiar with this place that I too could be a part of it, not just a visitor.

We use the Swiss hut system for spring ski tours, then all summer and fall, spending about 30 nights a year in them. Back before we lived in the Alps, we literally stayed in the huts all summer, it was cheaper than anything else, and we got to be in the mountains. They are open for everyone and are the key piece of any Alps tour, be it hiking, trail running, ski touring, biking, or alpine climbing trips. The Swiss Alpine Club manages most of the primary huts through Switzerland while the SwissTopo site shows all the huts on their maps.

Now, after 16 years in the Alps, I’ve been honored with more than a few schnapps in the kitchens. But better still, I have made some great friends at the huts, and even volunteered at the Lobhorn Hut. It all came together a couple of weeks ago as I skinned through deep snow through the forest, with a large print strapped on my back – destination… hut delivery, a gift for the wardens.

Swiss Hut System Tips & Etiquette

  • Book reservations ahead of time
  • Do not wear your shoes in the hut – look for the hut shoe rack and neatly put your own on the shelf.
  • Listen to the hut keepers instructions – they will give you a tour of the hut.
  • Do not make a mess, keep all your gear in your pack, or what needs to dry on the hooks in your room. Keep track of your gear, a lot of people may arrive and things get chaotic.
  • Do not take any climbing or ski gear to your room.
  • Do not snore! But do take earplugs in case someone else does.
  • If you are a vegetarian, tell them when you call for reservations, or immediately upon arrival.
  • Be neat, clean, quiet and respectful of others – all the things you have heard about Switzerland get magnified in the huts. Be warned…
  • Carry hand sanitizer. Huts are probably not the cleanest places and there is no soap available.
  • Do not crinkle plastic bags – especially if I’m at the hut, it’s my pet peeve!
  • Pay with cash.
  • Consider carrying an external battery to charge your devices, don’t rely on the huts to provide charging.
  • If you have the chance – take the hut keeper a fresh piece of fruit. Or, after dinner, volunteer to help with the dishes (this is your chance for that schnapps).
Finally, I’m a local! Making my own delivery to a hut in the form of a custom wall print.
Relaxing on the deck of the Konkordia Hut and looking out to the Aletschgletscher, Europe's largest glacier. Bernese Alps, Switzerland
My very first Swiss hut , the Konkordia Hut during an alpine climbing trip in the Berner Oberland in 2001
Woman at the Cabane d' Ar Pitteta on a sunny day in the Swiss Alps above Zinal
The Cabane d’Arpitettaz above Zinal
The Windegghütte near the Trift Bridge in Switzerland's Bernese Alps
Not all huts are in alpine settings. The Windegghütte in the central Alps
One man standing outside the Aarbiwak watching the sunrise on the surrounding glaciers, Switzerland
Standing outside the Aarbiwak watching the sunrise on the surrounding glaciers, Switzerland
A hiker stands in the entrance to the Cabane d'Orny looking out at the weather on the second day of the Chamonix to Zermatt Glacier Haute Route
Brendan Leonard stands in the entrance to the Cabane d’Orny looking out at the weather on the second day of the Chamonix to Zermatt Glacier Haute Route
A trekker stands at the breakfast counter at the Vignette Hut during a hike of the Chamonix to Zermatt Glacier Haute Route
Seriously……?? The breakfast counter at the Vignette Hut during a hike of the Chamonix to Zermatt Glacier Haute Route
The visitors to the Salbit Hut are treated with a special meal, wine and fireworks for the August 1 Swiss National Day party
The visitors to the Salbit Hut are treated with a special meal, wine and fireworks for the August 1 Swiss National Day party
Two women mountain biking up to the Bella Tola Hut while on a mountain bike tour from Bella Tola in the Val d'Anniviers, Switzerland
Two women mountain biking up to the Bella Tola Hut while on a mountain bike tour from Bella Tola in the Val d’Anniviers, Switzerland
A Swiss wanderweg trail sign with notice of a hut and the menu with ice cream
A Swiss wanderweg sign with all the destinations and reminder that ice cream is only minutes away
The Blüemlisalp Hut, Switzerland
The Blüemlisalp Hut, Switzerland
A group of friends having dinner inside the Sciora Hut, Switzerland
Dinner time at the Sciora Hut, Switzerland
Guests eating in the Sasc Fura Hut dining room, Switzerland
Breakfast time at the Sasc Fura Hut, Switzerland
Huts in the Swiss Alps receive their supplies by helicopter transport, here a helicopter drops off food for the Lobhorn Hut, Berner Oberland, Switzerland
Huts in the Swiss Alps receive their supplies by helicopter transport, here a helicopter drops off food for the Lobhorn Hut, Berner Oberland, Switzerland
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During Ueli Steck’s 82 Summits project, he strategically utilized the hut system for each day’s itinerary
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Dish duty!

By Dan Patitucci

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Comments 14

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  1. Thanks Dan,

    Good story, I like the way you tell a lot of your posts visually. Not sure I made it clear the dead link is in the text above in case you want to fix it.

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  2. Looking for pricing on a trip with the Swiss hut is there a link with prices and dates?

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      Almost all the huts have websites where you can book and see rates. Also, the Swiss Alpine Club site is helpful.

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            Some trails will be open but probably quite limited due to snow. It depends on the winter and how much snow fell. Overall, it’s not a great time to hike unless you stay very low.

  3. This is such a great page – I’ve been to a few of the mountain huts and now have a few more to add to my list, thank you!

    Do you have any thoughts for people who do wish to go camping rather than staying in an alpine hut? The campsites I’ve found online primarily seem to be more geared towards families with children and/or RVs (e.g. have playground, restaurants, etc.) whereas I’m looking for more of the US-style campground with more secluded campsites, less infrastructure, the ability to cook over a fire, etc.

    Any thoughts? Thank you!

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      There really aren’t that sort of campground here, or at least I have never seen them. Campsites are mostly just really nice…. wifi, kitchen, spotless bathrooms, etc… camping isn’t really part of the culture here unless it’s high end. Kind of an oxymoron, but true. 😉

  4. If we’re traveling through Switzerland and want to stay at the huts, where do you recommend we keep our luggage? Are there places to lock it up in the towns? We would likely be trail running/hiking to the huts with less luggage, but I’m just not sure what to do with it while we’re in the mountains. Thanks!

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      Bag storage is probably best at hotels where you stayed or will be staying, also train stations have lockers. You can use the Swiss train system to send your bags to the town you will end up, and then you can pick them at the train station when you arrive. Some bus lines also offer this. If you go from valley to valley, where there is no train service, and need your bags when you arrive to the finish, speak to the hotels and see if they have a service. All this varies based on where you are. I hope it works out for you.

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