Mountain huts are unlike any other place to spend a night. Perched on ridges, tucked into glacier cirques and hidden in remote valleys, they make accessible the kind of terrain most walkers and trekkers could never reach in a single day, and they are places where the sociable spirit of the mountains is felt most strongly. This book is a celebration of the mountain hut experience, from the history and evolution of alpine refuges to the practicalities of using them, the people who run them and the routes that connect them. Entertaining, informative and richly illustrated, it is a book for anyone who wants to understand the mountain hut better, or for those yet to experience them for the first time. The book opens with an exploration of hut life in all its variety, covering huts for walkers, trekkers, climbers and wildlife watchers, alongside the practicalities of sleeping, eating, hut etiquette and what to expect from a hut guardianTen of the author's favourite alpine huts are profiled in detail, among them the Cabane d'Arpitettaz, Refuge de Bellachat, Rifugio Bolzano, Cabane des Dix, Grutten Hut and Totalp Hut, with descriptions that bring them vividly to lifeTen hut-to-hut routes of 3 to 13 days are described, including the Tour du Mont Blanc, Tour of the Vanoise, Rätikon Höhenweg, Stubai High Level Route, Alta Via 2, Tour of the Jungfrau Region and Tour of the Wilder KaiserA history of mountain huts traces their development from the most primitive of shelters to the purpose-built, eco-friendly buildings of today, covering the role of alpine clubs and the challenges of managing huts in a changing climateA final chapter looks beyond the Alps to huts, bothies and lodges in the Pyrenees, Himalaya, Andes, Corsica, Picos de Europa, Canadian Rockies, Atlas Mountains, Appalachians, Caucasus, and Tatras For anyone drawn to the mountains and the remarkable buildings that make them more accessible, this is an essential and thoroughly enjoyable read from one of the world's greatest authorities on mountain and Alpine trekking, Kev Reynolds.
