What is hut hiking?
It’s simply a combination of the standard walk in the woods with nights spent in backcountry shelters, far from roads or cars. The huts range from rustic shacks to grand lodges, but even buildings on the low end offer more comfort and fewer headaches than camping. “They save you the weight of a tent and other gear,” says John Harlin, editor of the American Alpine Journal, “and offer safe haven in the mountains, where weather can turn truly foul in a few hours.” Inside the huts, there’s a camaraderie and neighborly feel not unlike the atmosphere in hostels (only without the all-night partying). Also like hostels, there’s generally some sharing of space with other guests in communal kitchens, bathrooms, and bunkhouses. Where can I find hike-in huts and lodges? Almost everywhere there are big mountains. Some regions have highly evolved hut systems, like the cabanes in France, the hütten in Switzerland and Germany, and the rifugios in Italy, which are spread out in the Alps within walking
