Bivacco Gervasutti: enjoying the third generation shelter
A memorable shelter for alpinists and mountain lovers
Bivacco Gervasutti is a common resource located up the Grandes and Petites Jorasses, close to Courmayeur. Its main purpose is the one of working as a shelter for all mountains lovers and it was first established in 1949 by SUCAI (a subsection of the Italian Alpine Club, CAI) in 1949.
The young founders decided to dedicate it to Giusto Gervasutti, a great Italian alpinist, considered as a model by all fellow alpinists. In the beginning, the Bivacco was a mere wooden cabin, changed into a mixed metal and wooden structure in 1961.
In 2011, CAI, SUCAI and SUCAI National School of Ski and Alpinism decided to upgrade the Bivacco to celebrate its 60th birthday after last renovation. New Bivacco was projected by the experts of LEAPFactory, famous for building "zero impact dwelling" mostly on mountains, where extreme conditions work as the best setting for their innovative construction systems. In the specific case of Bivacco, it is based on a modular sandwich body, internally divided in four main spaces, i.e. the entrance, kitchen and two dormitories with 12 beds.
Guests are not required to pay but they are strongly encouraged to make a donation to keep the Bivacco functioning and efficient as it is after last renovation.
The eco-friendly character of the building is also evident in the choice of energy sources. In fact, photovoltaic units and very new accumulators provide internal lightening, along with the heating of electric stoves to cook.
The Bivacco stands out as a good chance to evade from urban jungle without losing contact with the external world. In fact, the structure has a trip computer connected to internet via satellite, which also ensures a continuous monitoring of the building.
Guests willing to experience the Bivacco can find an accurate online guide (in Italian) on how to use the building and the facilities provided by clicking on the Bivacco Gervasutti website.
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