When is the trekking season in the Alps? Month by month

Of 397 shelters in our table that publish their warden months: 85 are staffed in May, 344 in June, 375 in July, 373 in August, 357 in September and 116 in October.

In winter the count falls to 30 in January and 30 in February. A shelter that publishes no warden season is not counted as closed here but as unknown, which is why each shelter's page says whether its season was published.

In early June passes above 2,500 m are usually still under snow and some huts have not yet opened. Late June is the sensible start for most of the classic routes, and in a big snow year even that is early.

If you walk in June, choose a lower route, or be ready to cross snowfields with the right equipment and to turn back from a pass when you need to.

The days are long, the passes have melted out and almost every hut is open. On the other hand the huts on popular routes are full and valley prices are high. Mid-August, when half of Europe is on holiday, is the busiest week of the year.

Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer. Start early and be over the day's high pass before midday.

After early September the paths empty out, the air is clear and beds are easier to find. On the other hand nights are cold, the first snow can fall, and many huts close between the middle and the end of the month.

Before committing to September dates, check each hut's warden months on its own page.

Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot usually fall between mid-September and early October, just as the Alpine season ends. The holiday break is a convenient time to travel from Israel, but on some routes the huts are already closed on those dates.

If that is your window, choose a route whose huts stay staffed to the end of September, or an area with villages and valley hotels as a fallback. Our planner takes the dates you give it and each hut's warden season into account.