Russell Caves

The Russell Caves are a group of seven caves that Count Henry Russell, a renowned Pyrenean mountaineer, had dug into the Vignemale massif in the French department of Hautes-Pyrénées, to serve as a shelter and holiday resort.

Exploring the Pyrenees since 1858, Count Russell spent many nights on the peaks he climbed. In the early 1880s, he decided to settle on a mountain and build a natural shelter for long stays at high altitudes during the summer. He chose the Vignemale, the highest peak in the French Pyrenees. In 1881, a contractor from Gèdre drilled his first cave near the Cerbillona pass, the "Villa Russell", at an altitude of 3,205 meters. Six other caves were created up to 1893, at altitudes varying between 2,400 and 3,280 meters: the "Grotte des Guides", the "Grotte des Dames", the three "Bellevue caves" and the "Grotte Paradis".

In his caves, Henry Russell hosted meals and welcomed numerous guests, all of whom praised the quality of his hospitality. By the end of the 19th century, the caves had become a must for Pyrenean visitors to the region, who left a testimonial in the visitors' book at the top of the Pique Longue. At the beginning of the 21st century, the retreat of the Ossoue glacier rendered some of these caves inaccessible.