Gonella Hut

The Gonella Hut (French: Refuge Francesco Gonella; Italian: Rifugio Francesco Gonella and sometimes called Rifugio del Dôme; or Refuge du Dôme) is a high elevation mountain hut in the Aosta Valley in the Mont Blanc massif area of the Alps. It lies at an elevation of 3071 metres, above Val Veny near Courmayeur in Italy. The refuge is located on the Italian 'normal route' to Mont Blanc.

History
The hut was rebuilt between August 2006 and July 2011, and offers accommodation for 60 people, and is wardened between  mid-July and mid-September. The old winter hut remains open all year round.

Access
The Refuge Gonella is situated on the Aiguilles Grises ridge that separates the Dôme glacier from the Glacier de Bionnassay Italien.

The climb to the refuge starts at La Visaille / plan Lognan (1,670 m) and follows the track towards Plan Combal (1,990 m). Not far away lies the Lake Miage. Near the Ghiacciaio del Miage glacier is the trailhead S15 leading to the hut at 3071 m.

At 2,500 m flows on the Dôme du Goûter result in the Ghiacciaio del Dome glacier (Fr. Glacier du Dome) of the Miage. At about 2,400 m, the Mont Blanc glacier (French: Glacier du Mont Blanc) is reached, which is fed from the southwest slopes of Mont Blanc.

At an elevation of 2,650 m the trail finally leaves the Miage glaciers and rises over steep rocks to the hut. It takes approximately 5 ½ hours reach the Gonella Refuge from La Visaille, graded at F

Summit ascents
The following peaks can be reached from the Gonella Refuge:


 * Aiguille Grises - (3,837 m)
 * Dôme du Goûter - (4,304 m)
 * Aiguille de Bionnassay - (4052 m)
 * Mont Blanc (4,810 m)

Hut to hut
Reaching any other hut from the Gonella Refuge involves serious mountaineering on glacial terrain at elevations above 4,000 metres.
 * Grands Mulets Hut (3,050 m) on the Col du Dôme (4,237 m).
 * Goûter Hut (3,817 m) on the Col du Dôme.
 * Tête Rousse Hut (3,197 m) over the Col de Bionassay (3892 m).
 * Durier Hut (3,349 m) over the Aiguille de Bionnassay to the Col de Miage (3,356 m).