Built in 1912 by the Touring Club de France (TCF) on the initiative of the Saint-Girons tourism group, this refuge-shelter was used by mountaineers for the ascent of Mont Valier and by isard (mountain goat) hunters.
During the Second World War it served as a relay for patriots fleeing Nazi occupation along the now famous “Chemin de la Liberté”.
The refuge was later abandoned and looted. On the verge of ruin, it was taken over and restored by the Saint Girons tourist office in 1976.
Thanks to the remarkable and voluntary work of a team of mountaineers from Saint-Girons, the building was opened to the public in 1978 with the status of a guarded refuge.
In 1996 the Saint-Girons tourist office ceded the refuge to the Communauté des Communes du Castillonnais chaired by Mr Bressou. Renovation and extension work was subsequently undertaken, beginning in October 1997 and completed in November 1999.
The original structure with its dining rooms and kitchens was fully renovated. An extension was also built to include dormitories and toilets.
Inauguration : July 1, 2000.
