Tour to The St Bernard Monastery

Tour to The St Bernard Monastery

On our Italian Trips we try and have an overnight at a mountain hut as a highlight of the week. One of our favourite and most popular trips is to the St Bernard Hospice high on the border between  Italy and Switzerland. Not a hut or a simple refuge, but a fantastic small Hospice community perched high on the pilgrim route to Italy and Rome. Bernard of Aosta built a monastery there to protect pilgrims who were subject to attacks by Celtic tribes and from Avalanche in the winter. It is the origin of the iconic St Bernard dogs, unfortunately no longer bred there but further down in Switzerland. The monks who resided there were also mountain guides. The Hospice still welcomes travellers, pilgrims and ski tourers to stay in this peaceful place

The route begins by going through the St Bernard Tunnel into Switzerland. Before exiting the tunnel take a hard left into the car park of the now disused Super St Bernard ski centre. Park as close as you can to the start of the summer road to the Hospice. If you are in luck you can begin skinning almost immediately. We travelled there in January with 3 clients Heather, Chinthika and Freya

We skinned up in bright sunshine for a couple of kilometeres following the snow poles which mark the side of the route. it isnt too steep and is an easy skin allow time to settle into an easy rythm.

e route goes goes off the summer road and goes through the Combe de Mort! Scene of many fatalities to people over the centuries. Our team was fine though,  enjoying the bright sunshine and good snow. We journeyed on and came to the half way refuge, a little solid halfway refuge perfect for eating lunch and sheltering from any bad weather, perfect for travellers and ski tourers.

We then moved on through the Combe de Mort to first sight of the Monastery.

We skinned up the last part of the Coomb de Mort staying away from the avalanche prone slopes on skiers left and arrived at the Monastery.

This is view to the Italian side of the border: A great day out and a fantastic overnight with a very warm welcome from the Hospice staff.

Inside the Historic Hospice its a scene of peace and quiet in a fabulous historic building, combined with a very warm welcome. After a great meal with local wine and  a comfortable sleep, we woke to heavy snow and a real winter scene. We slid down to the St Bernard Monument before skinning back to the monastery and the long slide back to the Super St Bernard on some fresh powder! Great skiing with a spectacular background

This is a trip that every ski tourer should try. The Hospice runs on the best principles of a mountain hut and it’s a place of calm and peace which is almost tangible. Well worth a visit and to use as a base for many challenging tours around the Hospice. Do it this season or as Warren Miller says “Do it this year or you will be another year older when you do”https://www.saint-bernard.ch/en/activities/great-st-bernard-hospice