Bivacco Tsan

Bivacco Tsan sits at 2,489m in the Vallée de la Clarée, a remote valley in the Hautes-Alpes that straddles the French-Italian border. Reach it from the hamlet of Névache (1,600m) via the Cirque du Tsan, a rough 4–5 hour approach gaining 900m. The route follows the Torrent de Tsan upstream through alpine meadows and scree, finishing with a steep scramble. This is a serious walk, not a hiking trail. The landscape is austere: bare ridges, loose rock, and few other people.
Bivacco Tsan is a small, unstaffed refuge offering basic shelter for 8–10 people. You'll find a locked hut with sleeping platforms, a wood stove, and water from a nearby spring. Bring your own food, fuel, and sleeping bag. There are no meals, no guardien, and no services—this is genuine mountain bivouac territory. The hut operates year-round but is realistically accessible only June through September; winter access demands serious alpinism skills.
Check with the FFCAM Briancon section before heading up—they manage the valley's facilities and can confirm current conditions and key access. Bring a stove and fuel rather than relying on the wood stove. The isolation makes this hut ideal for small parties planning early starts to peaks like Mont Thabor or Pic de Cabarfigue, or for mountaineers basing a multiday traverse. Expect to be self-sufficient.