Hike to the Bertol hut (Cabane Bertol) via Plan-Bertol from Arolla

I already told you about the winter ski tour up to the Bertol hut, so now it’s time to tell you about the summer hike up to the same hut from Arolla, which in my humble opinion is more difficult than its winter version.

The Bertol Hut (3,311 m) is an iconic hut in Valais (and Switzerland in general) due to its situation on legendary routes such as the Haute Route between Chamonix and Zermatt and the Patrouille des Glaciers. It is literally perched on a rocky outcrop (the Bertol rock) between Pointe de Bertol and Dents de Bertol… it makes you wonder how people came up with the idea of building a hut in this location back in 1898! (Here is a small photo of what the hut looked like at that time 😉 )

But for those who have the courage to climb up there, you will be rewarded with absolutely spectacular views of the Dent-Blanche (4,357 m), the Matterhorn (4,478 m), and the Mont-Miné and Ferpècle glaciers. It is without a doubt my favorite terrace with a view for a coffee, in winter and summer alike. The hut keepers, Florence and Stéphane, are very friendly and serve excellent French press coffee with delicious homemade cakes. The best!

Route to Bertol Hut in summer

From Arolla to Plan-Bertol

The hike starts at the Arolla ski lift parking lot (bus stop: Arolla Magine) and begins gently on the trail towards the Arolla power plant. The trail continues towards the impressive Mont Collon (3637m) on the banks of the Borgne d’Arolla, crossing the river and ending on a flat area above a water intake.

Since the exceptional storms of June 2024, the usual route up to the hut has been changed. The path used to climb under the Douves Rousses to cross the torrent that descends from Bertol and reach the plateau of Notre Dame des Hauts d’Arolla. However, during the floods, the torrent swept everything away and carved out a trench that is no longer passable. It is therefore necessary to stay at the bottom of the Arolla valley, following the blue signs (the path is now easy to see with the passage), to climb up to the plateau on the other side.

After a well-deserved break, we set off again and tackle a steeper section climbing towards Plan-Bertol. We take the left fork (the right-hand trail leads to the upper Arolla glacier and the Collon pass… we discuss this section in more detail in this article) as indicated towards the hut.

After a few switchbacks, you arrive at a flat area called Plan-Bertol.

From Plan-Bertol to the Bertol hut via the ladders

This is where the real challenge begins! The trail gradually disappears, giving way to rocks and snowfields melting in the sun. To make the hike easier, the route has been marked by the hut keepers with small red flags that make it much easier to follow (and which change location from year to year).

Nevertheless, with the altitude making itself felt and the nature of the terrain, we are still moving much slower than before. There are quite a few loose rocks, which requires more concentration (for me, the T4 rating is justified in this section).

But what an environment! To our left is the beautiful ridge of Les Douves Blanches, to our right is Le Plan, and at the bottom of the valley, the Bertol hut stands proudly on its rock.

After all this “rock climbing,“ we arrive at the place that many hikers dread when climbing up to the Bertol hut: the famous Bertol ladders. The first set of ladders allows you to cross the rocky outcrop just below the hut (which you can bypass on the left in winter when the rocks are covered with snow).

I won’t lie to you, if you’re prone to vertigo, this part can be daunting. In this case, we recommend that you wear a harness and use via ferrata equipment for safety (but this isn’t usually necessary).

This is followed by a short, less aerial section to reach the foot of the hut, where two long ladders await you to take you to your destination 🙂 . Well, if you made it through the first set of ladders, there’s no reason why the second set should be a problem 😉 . Once again, the view is spectacular… and yet you haven’t seen anything compared to what awaits you on the other side.

A night at the Bertol Hut

The first thing that should strike you when you arrive is the incredible panorama that unfolds before you. The Bertol hut is literally a balcony overlooking the Mont-Miné and Ferpècle glaciers, which cover the entire high plateau up to the imposing Dent-Blanche. A little further away, you can see the Matterhorn and the Dent d’Hérens rising above the glaciers… between the two is Tête Blanche (the white head) that marks the highest point of the Glacier Patrol.

You will be welcomed by Florence and Stéphane, who have been managing the hut since 2021. They will explain how the place is organized, show you to your room and your table for dinner (served at 6:30 p.m.), and ask you what time you would like to have breakfast the next morning (usually no later than 7 a.m. 😉 ).

To stay overnight in Bertol, you will need:

• to have booked your night in advance (they prefer credit card payment)
• to have a sleeping bag liner (a silk sleeping bag liner)
• a headlamp (for going outside to the bathroom in the middle of the night)

And a few common-sense rules that generally apply in all mountain huts:

• You take off your shoes at the entrance and put on slippers, which are usually provided.
• Leave the dormitory exactly as you found it.
• we put our things in order
• We prepare our things the night before if we have to leave early so as not to wake up the whole dormitory.
• you take your own trash with you
• we bring the plates and cutlery back to the kitchen after the meal
• we keep quiet after 9 or 10 p.m. (some climbers get up very early)

On our side, as we arrived fairly early in the afternoon, some of us did crevasse rescue exercises on the glacier (to train for the Aiguille de la Tsa climb the next day, which I will tell you about in a future article), while others played games at the hut or simply admired the view.

After a delicious dinner indoors, we all went outside to admire the magnificent evening colors on the peaks. Luckily, it was also a full moon, and we had a magnificent moonrise between the Matterhorn and the Dent d’Hérens. Magical! We didn’t hang around too long, as some of our group had to get up early to continue on to the Aiguille de la Tsa (and the others also had to descend all the way to Arolla, which is no mean feat 😉 ).

There you have it, now you know everything there is to know about climbing up to Bertol’s hut in summer. I hope that the information and photos in this article will help you get a better idea of how difficult this hike is. The T4-T5 rating seems fair to me, as the terrain is initially very rocky and then very exposed with ladders. But it’s definitely worth the effort, as the scenery up there is so beautiful!

So, when are you going up to Bertol hut?

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