Submitted by ChamonixNews on
On the 1st of August 2019, a section of the Périades bivouac collapsed, as a result of climate change.
In spite of the fact that a recovery operation took place mid-August, the bivouac is not stable yet, and a call for donations has been launched to sustain the structure.
The bivouac, which was built in 1925 and renovated in 1966, could accommodate three people on mattresses.
But because of global warming, the mountains crumbled and this historic hut situated at 3,421 m (11,223 ft) altitude collapsed.
However, the local authorities are not ready to give up on it.
In mid-August, a recovery operation was carried out by Christophe Lelièvre (keeper of the Couvercle refuge), Christopher Baud (guide) and Sebastien Khayati (crystalline).
But further works are required. "Currently the cabin is not secured and the risk of collapse is still present. It is therefore strongly discouraged to go there", says Jean-Sebastien Knoertzer, mountain guide and teacher at Ensa.
It seems like almost everyone mobilized itself to help recover the Périades bivouac: the town hall of Chamonix, the FFCAM, the Chamonix Mont-Blanc helicopters, the Compagnie des guides de Chamonix, Ludovic Ravanel (researcher at CNRS) and many mountain guides.
After a precise study, the hut will either have to be moved a little to rest on a solid base or, momentarily, come down again in the valley in order to be consolidated.
A call for donations has been launched to allow partial financing of helicopter rotations, the renovation of the cabin and the strengthening of the platform via equipment that will secure the cabin. So far, around 5,000 euros have been collected.
You can help the recovery of the Périades bivouac by donating on www.leetchi.com.
