Altiport du Couvercle FCOV

Altitude: 8524 ft / 2598 m QFU: 03(landing)-21(takeoff) Dimensions: 400 m × 18 m Surface: Snow, ice, dirt, rocks Helipads: 1 at the apron and 1 at the famous shelter with an awesome view Notes: Altisurface located on a snow-covered glacier, usable with skis during the winter season. Landing on runway 04, take-off on runway 22. Situated below the Refuge du Couvercle (2687 m at 45.910254° N, 6.965457° E), to the east between the slopes of the Aiguille du Moine and the moraine of the Glacier de Talèfre. Aeroplanes: Mountain rating required. Microlights (ULM): Free access. It is recommended to have previously completed the mountain flying training course offered by the PNVM. ULM pilots: For information specific to each mountain massif, you may contact PNVM-labelled instructors. The Refuge du Couvercle is a mountain hut located in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Haute-Savoie, France, in the Mont Blanc massif at an altitude of 2,687 m. Its geographic coordinates are 45°54′37″ N, 6°57′55″ E (45.910254° N, 6.965457° E). It is owned by the Chamonix section of the French Alpine Club (CAF). The refuge is open from early April to the end of September. Summer capacity is 64 beds; winter capacity is 22 beds. The original refuge was built in 1904 as a simple wooden hut and enlarged in 1911 to 26 places. The current building, located about 70 m from the old one, was inaugurated on 29 August 1932 thanks to funding from a private donor. It was enlarged and fully renovated in 1952. Between 2020 and 2022 it underwent a major renovation driven by climate-change impacts on the Mont Blanc massif. As part of that work, capacity was deliberately halved from 128 to 64 beds to match current and expected future use. The name “Couvercle” comes from a large rock that once served as a natural bivouac shelter and still overhangs the site of the old hut. Access is normally via the Montenvers rack railway from Chamonix, followed by a walk across the Mer de Glace.