Green light for a new Dome de Gouter refuge

On the most common route up to Mont Blanc from Chamonix, many a prospective Mont Blanc conqueror has stayed in the Refuge de Gouter – in fact over 7804 overnight stays this year alone – and it's now due to be replaced.

The Departmental Commission has given the initial green light for the plans, but with financial questions ever present, construction on the 140-bed hut isn't expected to start until 2009, with an opening date for sometime in 2011.

Photo credit: Dauphine Libere