Ref. des Cosmiques/
Abri Simond Bivouac Hut
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Ref. des Cosmiques/Abri Simond Bivouac Hut

11,811 feet (3,600 meters)
Haute-Savoie (Mont Blanc), France, Europe

Last update: April 14th, 2002
   © Copyright by Rahel Maria Liu

Abri Simond  
Abri Simond
Abri Simond

(Pictures of the Abri Simond Bivouac hut credit to: © Jean-Marie Malherbe )
Overview

1. Ref. des Cosmiques (3593 m)

The Ref. des Cosmiques is situated on a shoulder between the Col du Midi and the SW-ridge of the Aig. du Midi (Cosmiques-ridge).

    according to Eberlein :
  • 140 beds
  • guarded from February till october
  • phone: ++33(0)450544016
  • prices: ??
  • internet: Rif. Cosmiques
2. Abri Simond Bivouac Hut (3600m)

The Abri Simond Bivouac is situated just a few meters northern of the Ref. des Cosmiques, just at the beginning of the Arête des Cosmiques/South-South-West Ridge to the Aiguille du Midi.
  • 18 beds
  • no fee for staying there overnight
  • open in winter, when Ref. des Cosmiques is closed
  • The Abri Simond Bivouac hut does not exist anymore "officially", i.e. no current guide book, as far as I know, names this bivouac hut anymore. In an old edition of Eberlein, one could read already about 15 years ago, that this bivouac hut is NOT useable anymore .... so it is only insider-knowledge, that this bivuoac hut is open in winter when the Ref. Cosmiques is closed. The true reason (according to insider knowledge) why this bivouac hut still exists and is open in winter (and even the garbage cans of which are removed "officially" by the order of Chamonix or the Ref. Cosmiques) is that mountain guides use this bivouac hut in winter when they bring up their clients for winter ice climbing. Obviously, it is more comfortable for them to stay in the bivouac hut than to camp (although I am myself not totally convinced that the stuffy hut is better than a tent with fresh air if you stay only one or two nights overthere).
    •


Getting There (To Chamonix)
 
1. You reach the Ref. des Cosmiques and the Abri Simond Bivouac Hut from Chamonix.

2. You reach Chamonix by train :
  • a. From Martigny (Switzerland) via Vallorcine.
  • b. From Geneva (airport) via Anncey (TGV till here) and St. Gervais.
    •
3. You reach Chamonix by bus:
  • From/via Annecy, Geneva, Grenoble, Courmayeur, Aoste and Turin
    •
4. You reach Chamonix by car:
  • a. From Geneva (from the NW) on the A40 till St. Gervais and from here on the N205.
  • b. From Martigny (from the NE, Switzerland) via Vallorcine and the Col des Montets on the road no. N506.
  • c. From Courmayeur through the Mont Blanc Tunnel.
    •

Approach to the Ref. des Cosmiques/Abri Simond Bivouac Hut from Chamonix
  • In order to reach Ref. des Cosmiques and the Abri Simon bivouac hut, you need about 1/2 h from the Aig. du Midi. If you leave the cable car station via the bridge, you go to the Southsummit. On the firn ridge, you go down with SE-direction to an even ridgeplatform; then turn right to the S and SW-direction below the S-face of the Aig. du Midi. Pay attention to crevasses!
  • You reach the Aig. du Midi with cable car from Chamonix.

    •
    Staying on the Géant Glacier overnight
    Info from Ivano Ghirardini: You are allowed to camp one night everywhere in the Mont Blanc Massif, but only one night in the same place. If you leave your tent for further nights while you climb, the gendamerie might take it away by helicopter.

    In case of emergency (which could happen very quickly) you can maybe stay overnight on the very nice earth closet of the Aig. du Midi. You can read more in the section "Experiences".  
    Related Village and City
    1. The nearest village to the Ref. des Cosmiques and the Abri Simond Bivouac Hut is Chamonix in the Chamonix-valley. You find infos on Chamonix:
  • Office de Tourisme in Chamonix : 0033/450530024

    2. The next bigger city to the Ref. d' Argentière with an airport is Geneva. You find infos on Geneva here:
  • Geneva

    • Cable Car
    You find infos concerning the cable car from Chamonix to the Aig. du Midi here:
  • http://www.aiguilledumidi.com/

    You can make reservations, but you do not have to do it. If you go up to the Aig. du Midi with the cable car, you automatically get a number when you buy the tickets. This number shows you which cable car you have to take. I myself have never made a reservation for this cable car, neither for going up nor for going down with it, neither in summer nor in winter.

    • Map
    1. The Ref. des Cosmiques is marked on the following map:
  • Institut Géographique National
      1:25000 no. 3630 OT (Chamonix)
      to order at
    DAV Service
    cordee.co.uk 
    http://www.swisstopo.ch/
    http://www.ign.fr
    2. The Abri Simond Bivouac Hut is not really marked on any current map as fas as I know. On the current french map (3630 OT), there is only written the name "Abri Simond" as summit station of the old material cable car. But the bivouac hut is located just at this point.
    •

    Related Mountains
    The Ref. des Cosmiques and the Abri Simond Bivouac hut can be the starting point and "basecamp" for an climbing ascent of the following mountains of the Mont Blanc MASSIF :
    Books
    1. The following books provide further information on the Ref. des Cosmiques :

  • Damilano/Perroux, Neige, Glace Et Mixte: Mont Blanc.Editions Ice 1996.
    ISBN 2950986803
    (to order at cordee.co.uk )

  • Helmut Dumler /Willi P. Burkhardt, Viertausender der Alpen. 11th ed. Munich 1998.
    ISBN 3-7633-7427-2
    (to order at amazon.de )

  • Hartmut Eberlein: Mont-Blanc-Gruppe. DAV-Gebietsführer. 9th ed. Munich 2000.
    ISBN 3-7633-2414-3
    (to order at amazon.de )

    2. As far as I know, there is no book in print available in which you can read any information on the Abri Simond Bivouac Hut.

    • Experiences
    1. Abri Simond Bivouac Hut, 28. Jan. - 3. Febr. 2001

    I can highly recommend this little bivouac hut of about 30 qm!!! I have stayed there for 1 week in winter (January/February). I promise you: Never in life, you will forget this experience ... when it is -30°C outside, and stormy with 120 km/h, without toilette, of course, without heating, without light, without water, of course, the hut never been cleaned, you almost poisoned with the vapours of the many gasoline stoves burning hours and hours .... well you must experience it by yourself .... one just cannot describe it!!!

    2. Earth closet of the Aig. du Midi, 3./4. February 2001

    In February 2001, we were just being stucked on the Aig. du Midi because of a storm with 120 km/h so that no cable car went down anymore. We begged the janitor to open it for us for one night. And I can really recommend this earth closet: it was wonderful, especially after having stayed for 1 week on the Abri Simond Bivouac in winter ... so this earth closet was really like a *****Hotel: with hot water, with heating, with electricity, with light, with soap (so that the whole earth closet had a very good smell because of this soap), heated closet, a very big window with a wonderful panorama to the Geant-glacier, I used the hand-dryer as hair-dryer ...;o)) .. all things which we did not have in the bivouac hut for 1 week ... well, it was really a great experience!!!