Travelers detail their treacherous journey to reach one of the most remote hotels in the world – perched on a mountaintop at 14,941ft
If you want to stay in one of the highest hotels in the world, you need to be fit and not afraid of heights, as a breathtaking video tour shows.
Thomas Brag and Ammar Kandil from the YouTube channel Yes Theory set out to spend a night at the Margherita Hut, which is located at an altitude of 4,500 meters on a mountain in Italy.
In a short film documenting their adventure, the duo explain that reaching the refuge is “no easy feat” and that it is a “treacherous and dangerous journey over several days that requires patience, expertise and athleticism.”
They enlist the help of experienced mountaineer Jules Pession to reach the sky high hotel and first take the cable car to a place called Punta Indren, where the uphill trek begins.
Thomas tells viewers the following about the history of the hotel: ‘The construction of this hut was led by the Italian Alpine Club as early as 1889, long before anyone had access to expensive climbing equipment.
Thomas Brag and Ammar Kandil, from the YouTube channel Yes Theory, set out to spend a night at the Margherita Hut
Getting there is ‘no easy task’ and will require a ‘treacherous, multi-day journey’
It once served as a major research center for high-altitude medicine
Before setting off, the Yes Theory team explained that two of the biggest dangers associated with reaching the Margherita Hut are altitude sickness and hidden crevasses
‘[It] was opened in 1893 in the presence of Queen Margarita of Italy, to whom the hut was dedicated.
‘[This was] the same Queen Margarita for whom the Margarita pizza was invented and named after.
Funnily enough, the Margarita Hut at the very top also serves margarita pizza.
The hut served as an important research center for high-altitude medicine and was restored to its current form in 1977.
‘Today [it serves] as a refuge and bucket list destination for many mountaineers around the world.’
Before setting off, the Yes Theory team explains that the two biggest dangers you’ll encounter when reaching the Margherita Hut are altitude sickness and hidden crevasses.
Thomas explains that the crevasses are “big holes in the ice that you can fall deep into.”
He continues: ‘Just a few years ago, on this climb, a son stepped a few feet away from his father to pee on the mountain. He fell down and never made it out alive.’
Thomas gives viewers a tour of the hotel, including a large kitchen where the famous pizza is prepared
The hotel bathroom has a simple squat toilet
They quickly enter the hut to take shelter from the bad weather and feast on the hut’s famous pizzas.
To make the climb more accessible, Thomas, Ammar and Jules divide the tour over two days.
On the first day they hike to the Gnifetti hut, where they spend the night, then get up and climb to their final destination.
Although it is already June, locals say that there has been a lot of snow this year and conditions are still very wintry.
At one point they have to walk through dense fog and the path ahead of them is barely visible.
Thomas explains that walking at such an altitude is very difficult and ‘because of the lack of oxygen it seems like no matter how much we breathe we never get enough air into our lungs.’
After a grueling five-hour trek on the second day, the team reaches their final destination and is left speechless by the unique surroundings.
They quickly enter the hut to take shelter from the bad weather and feast on the famous pizzas served in the hut.
The high-rise hotel is located directly on the Swiss-Italian border
Thomas explains that the staff at the Margherita Hut work 10 to 14 days in a row, with a few days off in between.
Thomas says that walking at such an altitude is very difficult ‘and the lack of oxygen makes it feel like no matter how much we breathe, we never get enough air into our lungs’
In the morning, the team is greeted by one of the ‘craziest’ sunrises they say they have ever seen
Thomas gives viewers a tour of the hotel, which includes a communal dining room, a bathroom with a basic squat toilet, a large kitchen and bedrooms with sleeping accommodations for about 20 people.
He explains that the staff at the Margherita Hut work there for 10 to 14 days in a row, with a few days off in between.
They have to make the arduous journey up the mountain every time and sometimes they are taken to work by helicopter.
In the morning, the team is greeted by one of the ‘craziest’ sunrises they have ever seen.
And with that they go back down, using their skis for a quick descent.
Thomas sums up the trip as follows: ‘I have never suffered as much from the altitude as during this trip.
‘But the headache and the pain were easily overshadowed by the absolute excitement of the majestic and enchanting experience of spending a night at the highest point in Europe.’