Tour of Monte Rosa. Hilary Sharp

      The marvellous trail leading down from Colle del Turlo on Stage 5

      However, it is important to bear in mind that the lifts have a very limited open season in the summer. Typically this may be from the first week or even the second week of July to the first week of September, so if these are an integral part of your trek planning you need to be absolutely sure they will be running. If they are just an option this is less crucial, though once you’ve decided to take a lift, finding it closed can be a very traumatic experience! It’s worth knowing that some lifts have a timetable in the summer (rather than running continuously) and they tend to close for lunch or close early afternoon to fit in with summer skiing requirements.

      Buses are a useful means of escape if you have to abandon the trek for some reason, or if you only plan to do a part of it. Most of the bus services mentioned in this guide are year-round regular services, but the frequency can change radically outside the high summer season. Tourist offices will have details.

Accommodation

      There are a host of accommodation possibilities for your stay, ranging from hotels of all standards to an auberge or albergo (a basic hotel usually offering dormitory accommodation and maybe small rooms) to huts to campsites. In the summer season – July and August – there is a huge demand for accommodation, so advance booking is highly recommended (see Appendix C for hut contact information and Appendix D for other contacts).

      Hotels

      These range from 4-star luxury to no-star basic. Major towns such as Zermatt, Breuil-Cervinia and Saas Fee have many to choose from, whereas the smaller villages like St Jacques and Grächen have just a handful, usually in the 2-star category or below. In addition to rooms, some hotels also have a dormitory; this is particularly common in Switzerland. The local tourist offices will provide a list of hotels and may even make bookings for you. Note that some hotels in the Italian towns do not open before early July – this can be the case where there is a cable car (the opening time of the cable car dictates the season for the hotels).

      Campsites

      There are sites in most Alpine towns. Camping is generally not allowed in the valley outside campsites or (sometimes) near to the huts. Ask the tourist office for details.

      Huts or refuges

      Mountain huts vary greatly in the facilities they offer, from quite luxurious with showers and even small bedrooms to the most basic with just a dormitory and a dining room. There are always toilets, and running cold water is almost guaranteed, although exceptionally hot summers can lead to isolated cases of dried-up supplies. Huts high in the mountains may not have running water early in the morning when the source could be frozen, so at such huts it’s wise to fill water bottles the previous evening. Most huts are open from late June/early July to early September, and there will be a guardian in residence. Usually the guardian cooks an evening meal and provides breakfast. At a few huts you can take your own food, but you must make sure the guardian is happy with this. Quite frankly it is hardly worth the effort of carrying up food when a very good meal will be on offer for a reasonable price. Drinks – alcoholic and otherwise – are also sold.

      In Italy there are strict laws about public water supplies and in some huts you may be told that the tap water is not controlled – this means they cannot guarantee that it is clean. If in doubt it’s always better to buy water than to risk being ill and unable to hike the next day.

      Hut etiquette