Andorra Completes €1.12M Renovation of Comapedrosa Refuge for Year-Round Use
Upgrades include energy-efficient heating, reconfigured interiors, and reduced emissions to enable pilot winter operations at the high-altitude site in Parc Natural Comunal de les Valls del Comapedrosa.
Key Points
- €1.12M project over five years equips 48-person refuge at 2,260m with thermal insulation, pellet stoves, and fire protection.
- Swapped diesel for propane generator, cutting CO₂ by 50%; added solar panels, batteries, and triple-glazed windows.
- Park sees 45,000 annual visitors; pilot winter openings planned amid rising hiker and ski mountaineering demand.
- Ministers hail sustainable upgrades supporting natural heritage and local guides' winter access needs.
The Andorran government has completed a €1.12 million renovation of the Comapedrosa guarded refuge, situated at 2,260 metres in the Parc Natural Comunal de les Valls del Comapedrosa and on the Coronallacs route. The project, spanning five years since 2021, equips the 48-person facility for year-round use, including a pilot winter opening in targeted periods this season.
Ministers Guillem Casal (Environment, Agriculture and Livestock) and Raul Ferré (Territory and Urbanism) visited the site on Monday with their teams to review the final phase, executed in 2025 and completed this year. This most extensive stage featured enhanced thermal insulation on floors, ceilings and main levels with advanced materials; three pellet stoves with hot air systems; interior reconfiguration for improved layout; relocated showers and sanitary facilities from the basement to the upper floor; and a new fire protection system. These upgrades boost comfort and energy efficiency to support winter operations amid rising hiker demand and ski mountaineering growth.
Previous stages built the foundation. In 2021, workers added two dry toilets to limit water consumption and waste processing, swapped the diesel generator for a propane unit cutting CO₂ emissions by 50%, and installed a rooftop lifeline for maintenance safety, such as snow removal. From 2023 to 2024, the kitchen received updates, propane boilers were replaced, a 1,000-litre drinking water tank and pressure system improved supply management, original windows gave way to PVC triple-glazed units, and the photovoltaic array plus lithium storage batteries expanded to reduce generator reliance.
The refuge typically logs 2,000 summer overnight stays and draws 45,000 annual visitors to the park, per ecocounter data. Minister Casal said the work demonstrates the government's dedication to natural heritage through modern, sustainable infrastructure suited to mountaineers. He added that the changes allow a trial winter programme, likely in specific dates rather than continuously, with details to be set by the government and operator soon.
La Massana's lesser consul, Roger Fité, praised the project for meeting local mountain guides' calls for winter access to enable snow activities in the park.
Related Articles
Other articles from Catalan-language sources about the same story: