Maison Forestière de la Servette

Maison Forestière de la Servette sits at 1,193m in the Vallée de Montjoie, a quiet corner of Haute-Savoie east of Chamonix. Reach it from the village of Montjoie in 2.5 hours on foot, following the GR5 trail upstream along the Bon Nant river. The approach is steady, forested walking with minimal elevation gain—ideal for warming up legs before alpine days. A vehicle track serves the hut, so it's accessible by car if you're using it as a base rather than an overnight stop.

This is a simple refuge run by FFCAM, not a mountain hut in the high Alpine sense. It sleeps around 40 people in dorm rooms and has a caretaker in summer who provides meals. The building has basic heating, running water, and toilets. No WiFi. The season runs June to September. It functions as a support base for walkers exploring the Vallée de Montjoie—a less-crowded alternative to the Chamonix valley with solid day hikes into the Parc National des Écrins.

Book directly with the caretaker by phone ahead of arrival. July and August fill weekends, but mid-week availability is usually solid. Half-board (demi-pension) is standard, with simple but filling food. The hut makes sense as a launching point for 2–3 days of walking rather than a single-night stop—the setting is gentle and forested, not dramatic.