Mountain Hut in Rockfall Danger to Move
For over 50 years the Carrel Hut has sheltered climbers on the Lion's Ridge, it will now close until next year
A large hut on the Matterhorn, one of Switzerland’s most iconic peaks, will be closed and moved to a safer location. The Refuge Jean-Antoine Carrel sits at an altitude of 3,830 metres on the southwest ridge, also known as the Lion’s Ridge.
The hut was opened in 1969 and named after Jean-Antoine Carrel, who made the first ascent of the southwest ridge in 1865, three days after the first ascent of the mountain by Ed Whmper’s team. The hut has 50 beds and is open year-round. The Lion’s Ridge is the most popular route up the Matterhorn.
Luciano Caveri, councillor for national mountain policies, announced the hut is closing to be moved out of the way of rockfall. “The decision was based on a series of geological surveys carried out with the help of specific software,” he said, “including a simulation of the falling rocks, which forces us to move the refuge.”
The hut will only be moved 10 metres away from its current location but will cost more than $2 million. In 2022, Canada lost one of its most famous mountain huts after it was deemed by Parks Canada to no longer be safe – read about it here.
A Night in the Carrel Hut
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