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The Cabane Mont Fort, revisited
A little piece of Alpine paradise
Of the 153 Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) cabins located in Valais, Mont Fort is one of the most iconic; celebrated for its warm welcome, delicious food, and spectacular view of the Grand Combin and Mont Blanc massifs. This spring, after 40 years of loyal service, the Bruchez couple will be retiring. We sat down with the new guardians, Audrey Galas and Fabien Navilloux.
“It’s much harder to leave than it is to access,” say the regulars… Poised atop the alpine hill of La Chaux at 2,457 m (only 1.5 hrs from the gondola), with one of the most incredible panoramic views of the Alps, the Cabane Mont Fort is getting ready to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2025. The first in the region, it opened a relatively unknown section of the Valais Alps to hikers and mountain lovers alike. While there are no 4,000 m summits nearby, there are an abundance of sparkling mountain peaks, soon-to-be easily accessible along the Haute Route Chamonix-Zermatt and the Sentier des Chamois trail.
The Bruchez era
In 1983, high-altitude mountain guide Daniel Bruchez and his wife Frances moved into the cabin, kicking off the start of a 40-year love story. It was all built on the back of a man — “and a woman!” specified the couple, in reference to the 50-100 kilos of food and supplies they carried to the cabin every day to survive so remotely. They had gas, but no electricity and no sewage system. The couple’s three children grew up in rustic, mountain conditions, with occasional baths being taken in the sink. In 2001, the cabin was split, and private rooms with heating and showers were added to the existing dormitory accommodations. What luxury! As time passed, the cabin grew in popularity, and now attracts almost 600 visitors a day.
A cabin fit for the 21st
century
Knowing their retirement approached, the SAC put out a call for new guardians. Fabien Navilloux, who was a regular, and his companion Audrey Galas, applied with few expectations. He works for Téléverbier helping produce artificial snow and she is a culinary school graduate — which is actually the perfectly paired profile for the job — along with their two young children (ages 4 and 4 months) who will bring the cabin to life.
Their first task is to bring the cabin up to modern (and sustainability-forward) standards, which is the perfect opportunity for a host of improvements, including a brand-new kitchen and bar, renovated private rooms, new bedding all around, a replacement terrace, and the installation of a system for treating and using mountain water.
The highest-baked bread in Switzerland
Restaurant and dining concepts have also evolved over time. To avoid the long wait time that’s typical of service counter orders, the young couple have decided to shift to table service. The counter window will now be dedicated to snack and to-go orders, with tables on the side of the cabin available for dining. The sit-down options will include all the expected and iconic classics, like fondues, rösti, and croûtes au fromage, but the menu also takes on a new homemade approach, featuring local ingredients, new signature dishes, pastas, lasagnes, and — even more surprisingly — breads and pastries made onsite by a real pastry chef! “It might be the highest-baked bread in Switzerland,” laughed Audrey… along with the mouth-watering promise of freshly baked croissants for breakfast!
In parallel, Audrey (who’s a long-time supporter of touring artists) plans to animate the cabin with special events, parties, and themed dinners. Everything’s still being discussed, but there’s rumours of astronomers, storytellers, and musicians. Some may even be there for the official inauguration in March 2024… even if the cabin will already be open as of December 2023 (until mid-May 2024).
