The excellent Alpine hut system provides comfortable accommodation in the mountains during the touring season, but outside of the guardianed period there is usually a part of the hut left open for intrepid tourers - the infamous "Winter Room". Carry and cook your own food, melt snow for water - and enjoy skiing the mountains without the usual traffic.
We started the week looking at a dismal forecast, but skied the Monts Rouges in Arolla to warm up the legs in some character-building snow. Much of the bad weather didn't actually happen, but we had just enough fresh snow to enjoy the big descent from Pointe de Vouasson - not quite the promised 20cm, but enough to hide the crust!
Next day we went up to Bouquetins with fingers crossed for Friday and another 20cm of fresh snow promised. We were rewarded instead with a fraught night wondering if the hut would blow away! It's due to be demolished and replaced soon but it was so windy during the night we genuinely thought the roof might disappear. Getting back to Arolla became a challenge but the final descent below Mont Collon was the best skiing of the week in excellent snow - some very well-earned turns.
If you're tempted to use the hut Winter rooms please leave them clean and tidy and remember to pay for your overnight. The guardian foots the bill for wood, fuel and bedding. Frequent abuse of the system means some huts are now completely locked up in Winter or just have an emergency shelter - it would be a real shame to lose this service for good.
