Rifugio Colle le Cese

The refuge has a hot shower, kitchen, fridge, induction burners, pots and dishes, so I packed a lot for my mountain trek that I ended up not needing. Towels and sheets are provided too, and the larger bedroom has air conditioning. Breakfast was included. I stayed one night and shared it with a group of astronomy enthusiasts who said the site is great because it's far from light sources. My only gripe was the drinking water, which isn't like water from mountain springs. Still, I had a great stay!

Colle le Cese is heaven, and I hope the refuge gets rebuilt soon. The prefab shelters feel a bit dated now, though, and a couple of appliances don't work: the fridge barely cools and the TV is out of order. The price may be a little high for the shelter's quality.

It's a lovely, quiet, secluded spot, right at the last turnoff on the road that was cut off by the earthquake. You can drive right up to the prefab units. The original refuge can't be used, so three prefabs now host guests: one sleeps up to 6, and the other two up to 4. In the six-person unit there's a double bedroom, a small bathroom with a shower, and a living area with a kitchenette, sofa bed, and bunk bed. I think the four-person units don't have bunks. I only dealt with the managers by phone or email, and the keys are in a combination lockbox. Breakfast is available, and if requested, they can leave dinner bags too. I heard they're generous portions. The units have plenty of kitchen gear, but I had to sort through it to find what I needed, and found a few dead bugs between a little cup and the salt.

What a magical place, it felt like another world. A friend and I hiked the Grande Anello dei Monti Sibillini, and Andrea was a huge help at both the Cupi refuge and Colle le Cese. The cheese and ricotta Andrea always brought us were delicious. Thanks for everything!!!