An isolated refuge built into a sheer rock face on a mountain peak in the Italian Dolomites is a sight to behold. Accessible only by hiking a perilous path on foot or helicopter, the refuge was once a military supply store and shelter from the elements during World War I and has been recently restored, putting this unique building back on the map.
The Buffa di Perrero refuge on the massif Mount Cristallo, in the midst of the Dolomite Mountains, was originally a refuge for the Alpini who fought against Austrian troops in the First World War.
The refuge, named after Colonel Carlo Buffa di Perrero, who commanded the Cadore battalion, is perfectly embedded into the mountainside at 2,760 meters altitude, well camouflaged and visible only from the front….