Ski Huts in the Alps: The Complete Guide to Winter Hut Stays

Which Huts Open in Winter — By Country

Austria

Austria has the deepest tradition of winter hut use in the Alps. The Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV) and German Alpine Club (DAV) between them manage hundreds of huts, and many remain open through the ski season. The Zillertal Alps, Ötztal, Stubai, and Silvretta are the core ski touring regions, each with chains of staffed winter huts. Austrian huts excel at drying rooms, hearty Tyrolean food, and comfortable mixed dormitories.

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Switzerland

The Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) operates an extensive network across the Swiss Alps, and a significant number remain staffed in winter — particularly on the Haute Route, Bernese Oberland circuits, and Monte Rosa approaches. SAC huts are consistently well-maintained and well-stocked. Some of the most dramatic winter hut positions in the Alps are in Switzerland: the Monte Rosa Hütte at 2,883 metres and the Konkordiahütte on the Grosser Aletschgletscher are genuinely extraordinary.

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Italy

Italian rifugios in the Dolomites largely operate a summer-only season, but exceptions exist — several huts with cable car access stay open through the ski season. The Aosta Valley is home to some of Italy's most significant winter huts, including those on approaches to Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso. Further north, Alto Adige/South Tyrol has a strong ski touring culture with huts operating on the Texel Group and Ortler circuits.

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France

The Chamonix valley is home to some of the most storied winter mountain huts in the world. Several Chamonix-area refuges operate through the ski season for tourers and alpinists. The French Alpine Club (CAF) and private operators run huts across the Écrins and Vanoise massifs, many of which have defined winter seasons.

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Top 10 Ski Huts in the Alps

1. Rifugio Lagazuoi — Dolomites, Italy

Perched at 2,752 metres above Passo Falzarego, Rifugio Lagazuoi is one of the few Dolomites refuges accessible in winter without touring skis — a cable car from the pass runs year-round. The views from the terrace across the Dolomites to the Marmolada glacier are as dramatic in February frost as in August sunshine. The rifugio is also the starting point of the Armentarola ski safari, a celebrated piste descent through the Dolomites ski circuit, and maintains a Winterraum for emergency use.

Elevation: 2,752 m · Access: cable car from Passo Falzarego · Season: year-round

2. Olperer Hütte — Zillertal Alps, Austria

The Olperer Hütte at 2,389 metres is well-known in summer for its photo deck over the Schlegeis reservoir. In winter it becomes a ski touring hub, with the Olperer (3,476 m) and surrounding peaks drawing ski mountaineers. The hut operates a winter season catering to tourers on the Zamsergrund approach and awards OeAV members a significant accommodation discount.

Elevation: 2,389 m · Access: ski tour from Schlegeis (summer road closed in winter, add 2 hours) · Season: winter season (dates vary)

3. Monte Rosa Hütte — Valais, Switzerland

The Monte Rosa Hütte (2,883 m) is one of the architectural landmarks of the Swiss Alps — a gleaming, energy-self-sufficient structure built by the SAC and ETH Zürich. It operates year-round and is a key staging post for ski mountaineering ascents of the Dufourspitze (4,634 m). In winter, the approach on skis from Zermatt via the Findeln glacier requires crevasse awareness, but for competent ski tourers the setting is outstanding.

Elevation: 2,883 m · Access: 5–6 hour ski tour from Zermatt · Season: year-round (staffed)

4. Refuge du Plan de l'Aiguille — Chamonix, France

Accessible from the first stage of the Aiguille du Midi cable car, Refuge du Plan de l'Aiguille sits at 2,207 metres above Chamonix and opens through the winter season. It is an ideal base for exploring Chamonix backcountry without committing to a full Vallée Blanche descent. Snowshoers can reach it from the cable car station in poor visibility without technical terrain, and the terrace view of the Bossons glacier rewards any level of ambition.

Elevation: 2,207 m · Access: cable car from Chamonix + 10-minute walk · Season: winter season

5. Similaunhütte — Ötztal Alps, Austria/Italy border

At 3,019 metres on the Austria-Italy border, the Similaunhütte is one of the highest staffed winter huts in the Central Alps, standing in the same high snowfield where Ötzi the Iceman was discovered in 1991. The ski touring circuit connecting it to the Martin-Busch-Hütte below is a classic Ötztal day tour, and the hut runs a winter season catering to tourers crossing the high snowfields below Similaun (3,607 m).

Elevation: 3,019 m · Access: ski tour from Vent (Austria) or Schnalstal (Italy) · Season: winter season

6. Jamtalhütte — Silvretta, Austria

The Jamtalhütte (2,165 m) near Galtür is one of Austria's premier ski touring bases. The Silvretta traverse — a 3–4 day ski circuit across a series of high huts — is one of the classic Alpine ski tours, comparable in reputation to the Haute Route. The Jamtalhütte opens specifically for the touring season and fills quickly during peak periods. Pre-booking months in advance is advisable.

Elevation: 2,165 m · Access: 2-hour approach from Galtür on skis · Season: winter season (Dec–Apr)

7. Bertolini / Casati Hütte — Ortler, Italy

The Rifugio Casati (3,254 m) stands at the foot of Ortler (3,905 m), Italy's highest peak outside the Mont Blanc massif. It operates a winter season for ski mountaineers and is accessible by a long ski approach from Sulden/Solda or, in good snow years, a traverse from the Stelvio pass area. The Ortler ski touring circuit is one of Italy's best-kept secrets.

Elevation: 3,254 m · Access: ski tour from Sulden/Solda · Season: winter season

8. Georgy-Hütte — Bernina, Switzerland

At 3,186 metres in the Bernina range, the Georgy-Hütte is a base for ski mountaineering on the approaches to Piz Bernina (4,049 m). The Bernina Haute Route — a ski traverse connecting Pontresina to Livigno — passes through this area, and the hut provides shelter on one of the most dramatic high-altitude ski circuits in the Eastern Alps.

Elevation: 3,186 m · Access: ski tour from Pontresina · Season: winter season (staffed)

9. Rifugio Torino — Aosta Valley, Italy

At 3,375 metres, Rifugio Torino is one of the highest staffed huts in the Alps and operates year-round. Accessible via the Hellbronner cable car from Courmayeur, it sits on the French-Italian border above the Géant glacier. In ski season it serves as base for the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif touring routes and draws off-piste skiers from the Courmayeur ski area.

Elevation: 3,375 m · Access: Hellbronner cable car from Courmayeur · Season: year-round

10. Warnsdorfer Hütte — Hohe Tauern, Austria

The Warnsdorfer Hütte (2,336 m) provides winter access to the ski touring routes of the Granatspitz group in the Hohe Tauern National Park. Remote by Austrian standards, it attracts experienced tourers seeking quieter terrain away from the Ötztal and Zillertal crowds. The approach from the Kalser valley offers outstanding views of Großglockner (3,798 m), Austria's highest peak, on clear days.

Elevation: 2,336 m · Access: ski tour from Kals am Großglockner · Season: limited winter season

Winterraum: The Unmanned Emergency Shelters

Separate from staffed ski huts is the network of Winterraum (winter room) shelters embedded within the Alpine hut system. These are not hotels — they are emergency refuges, typically a single room within a larger summer hut left unlocked through winter for parties caught in deteriorating conditions.

A typical Winterraum holds 8–15 people on basic mattresses or wooden platforms. There is usually a wood stove or kerosene heater, a small stock of emergency food (tinned goods, biscuits, instant soup), and basic first aid. There is no warden, no linen, and no meals service. Use is intended for genuine emergencies — though ski tourers sometimes use them on planned tours when no staffed alternative exists.

If you use a Winterraum, leave it in the same or better condition: replace any emergency supplies you use if you can, leave the stove loaded with wood, and note your visit in the logbook if one is present. It is considered poor etiquette across Austria and Switzerland to use a Winterraum as a cheap alternative when a staffed hut is available nearby.

Safety on Winter Hut Approaches

Winter approaches to ski huts carry hazards absent in summer. Avalanche risk is the primary concern, but disorientation in whiteout conditions, cold injury, and gear failure all play a role. Follow these principles:

• Check the avalanche bulletin every morning. Avalanche.report and the national services in each country publish daily bulletins with regional risk ratings. Do not travel on avalanche-exposed terrain above Level 1 (Low) without specialist training and equipment.
• Carry avalanche rescue equipment. Every member of a ski touring or winter hiking group should carry an avalanche transceiver (beacon), probe, and shovel — and know how to use all three before leaving the valley. Take a course if you have not.
• Space out on steep terrain. When crossing avalanche-exposed slopes, one person moves at a time while others wait at a safe point.
• Set a turnaround time and keep it. In winter, darkness comes early. Late afternoon on an exposed approach with no shelter ahead is a serious situation. Decide on a turnaround time before you leave and honour it regardless of summit temptation.
• Leave a route plan. Tell someone reliable where you are going and your expected return time. Many hut wardens will also note your stated destination.

What to Pack for a Winter Hut Stay

Winter hut packing builds on the summer base with several additional layers:

• Avalanche safety equipment — beacon, probe, shovel — mandatory for any ski touring or snowshoeing in avalanche terrain
• Warm merino base layers — merino wool outperforms synthetic at sustained low temperatures
• Packable down jacket — essential for hut evenings and cold starts
• Ski or snowshoe-specific boots — check whether the hut has a drying room (most staffed winter huts do) to plan your hut shoe situation accordingly
• Ski crampons and ice axe if your route crosses iced-over terrain
• Extra emergency rations — winter weather can extend a stay unexpectedly
• Sleeping bag liner at minimum — staffed winter huts usually provide blankets; a Winterraum provides nothing

For the full packing checklist covering both summer and winter hut stays, see our complete Alpine hut packing list.

Booking Winter Hut Stays

Winter mountain huts require more advance planning than summer equivalents. Staffed winter huts run at close to full capacity during peak ski touring weekends and school holidays — February half-term across the UK and Europe is particularly busy.

• Confirm the hut is open. Not all huts publish clear winter season dates online. Email or call directly — most wardens speak German, French, or Italian. Some post winter opening dates on their Facebook page rather than their website.
• Book full-board. Most winter huts serve dinner and breakfast as a package. Arriving without a confirmed dinner reservation is inadvisable — the warden may not have prepared sufficient food.
• Expect stricter cancellation terms. Some winter huts require partial or full payment in advance, particularly for groups. Ask before booking.
• Alpine club discounts apply in winter too. OeAV, SAC, CAI, and DAV memberships give 30–50% off accommodation at affiliated huts year-round. The discount pays for itself within a few nights.

For a full walkthrough of the booking process — including which platforms to use and what to expect on arrival — see our step-by-step hut booking guide.

Browse the full directory of Alpine huts on HutLists to explore winter-open accommodation by country and region.