Casa Alpina Lidia Occhetti

Casa Alpina Lidia Occhetti sits at 2,267m on the south face of Monte Rosa, in the Val d'Ayas of Piedmont. Reach it from Champoluc in around 3.5 hours on foot via the Sentiero 3 trail, climbing steadily through larch forest before emerging onto open terrain. The hut is also accessible from Gressoney-La-Trinité on the east side—expect 4 hours from the valley floor. Winter access requires skis or snowshoes depending on conditions.

The hut has 60 beds across multiple rooms and serves hearty mountain food from breakfast through evening meals. Hot showers are available. The season runs late May to late September, with weekends open in June and September and daily service July through August. It operates as a proper base for hikers tackling the Monte Rosa circuit or heading toward the high passes: Colle d'Olen, Colle del Gabiet, and Colle Gnifetti are all within striking distance. Experienced alpinists use it as a staging point for technical routes on the mountain itself.

Book directly by phone or email as soon as you know your dates. July and August weekends fill 8–10 weeks ahead. Contact the hut management for the current booking system—they manage reservations independently rather than through CAI or the main rifugio networks.