Refuge Albert 1er — Local services in Bonneville

Food ok||Kit room doesn't dry boots even in summer so as long as it isn't raining then get them out on the terrace as soon as you arrive. ||Weird hut shoes-like cut off welly things||Cold running water available but no showers. Separate cubicles with locked door available for strip washing if you don't mind cold water-note the sinks are high up though for some reason making getting your feet up there and in the sink a bit of an effort-the main 'trough' sink outside of the cubicles is lower down though so if you are shorter than 5ft 6ins then this would work for feet!||Lots of flushable toilet cubicles with seats available plus 2 separate urinals. ||Staff were nice and friendly||The bathrooms were cleaner than any other (French) hut I had seen-the girl was working hard the next morning after most people had left-not a very nice job for her but she did it well! Why do some guests have to leave poo all over the seat and toilet pan etc? Disgusting and shows a lack of very very basic manners and etiquette. Maybe if they had to do the cleaning themselves they wouldn't behave in this way. I suspect the person doing the cleaning also wonders why some people behave like pigs!||Dorm room had duvet and pillow no blankets. ||Comfortable bed. ||Bunks were 2 by 2 or 3 by 3. Room absolutely roasting all night with only a small window you couldn't reach from the floor-not ideal really and the other larger window was...

A superb location, with beautiful views ... Well it is the Alps! The team were mostly young, trendy, friendly and dynamic. The Chef, however, was cut from more traditional cloth, and certainly made superb food.

The advise given on routes was not what I would have expected, more limited and less accurate than other huts I have visited, maybe a reflection on the new generation that are beginning to take on responsibility. There is a different atmosphere to this as a result, less of the quintessential French hut experience, gone are the 4am wake up calls! The early morning breakfast was perfectly adequate, but we were not graced with any staff appearances. They had, however, left a giant tower of plastic cups that they had built overnight to remind us of their presence.

The routes are well worth doing in the area, accessible, although with a good bit of glacier travel. During our stay there, one gentleman was reminiscing about his visit 40 years ago. Then he was able to step out of the old hut and straight onto the glacier. It is a good 40m lower now, quite a shocking...

Hiking only, didn't sleep there. Beautiful hike, not too long if taken from the top of the télésiège de Balme, a couple of hours up. The way is well marked and the view from the top is extremely rewarding especially if you find a quiet spot to sit down and wonder away from the crowds like I did :-) The refuge itself is very nice, food is good (no table service) and can be very busy. !!cash only!!

They say on the website that it’s « easily » feasible with kids, I would say be very careful as the last bit of the ascent is on a very steep moraine with slippery rocks, and some sections of the path are quite exposed. So take kids only if they are really fit and good walkers, and watch their steps both up and down. Don’t let them wander around freely on the paths or around the refuge.

The Tour glacier itself can be accessed by scrambling down around the last section of the path, or from the refuge. However, be careful with hidden crevasses and slippery ice, don't let kids do it alone (I've seen one slip under his dad's nose and nearly fall into a...