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A research project by Eurac Research is looking for healthy volunteers to live for four weeks in a refuge in the Italian Alps at 2,300 meters altitude, with free accommodation and meals and a stipend of 400 euros, in exchange for participation in a study on the effects of altitude on health.
Imagine spending an entire month living for free in a mountain refuge in the Italian Alps, with all meals paid, the freedom to work remotely, and still receiving 400 euros for it. Scientists from Eurac Research are recruiting healthy volunteers for exactly this experience, which will take place between August and September 2026 at the Nino Corsi refuge, within the Stelvio National Park, one of the largest protected areas in Italy. The study is called Mahe (Healthy Exposure at Moderate Altitudes) and aims to investigate how the human body adapts to living at 2,300 meters altitude.
According to Daily Galaxy, the proposal seems too good to be true, but there is a concrete trade-off. Volunteers in the Italian Alps will need to undergo regular physiological monitoring throughout the month, with data collection on heart and lung function, metabolism, sleep patterns, appetite, and physical endurance. This is not a vacation. It’s science. But science with a view of the snow-capped peaks of one of the most stunning landscapes in Europe.
What the study in the Italian Alps aims to discover about the human body
The project fills a surprising gap in medical research. About 200 million people worldwide live permanently above 2,000 meters altitude, and millions more visit these regions for tourism or leisure.
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Even so, almost all existing research on the effects of altitude on the human body focuses on extreme elevations, above 3,000 or 4,000 meters, where the risks are more evident and the physiological reactions more dramatic.
At moderate altitudes, such as the 2,300 meters of the refuge in the Italian Alps, the changes in the body are more subtle. Respiratory rate increases, cardiac output rises, and red blood cell production grows, but less intensely than at extreme altitudes.
Researchers want to understand if these changes can be beneficial for certain health conditions. The Mahe study aims to produce the first baseline data on the effects of moderate altitude on ordinary people, something that simply does not yet exist in the scientific literature.
Who can apply to live for free in the Italian Alps
The profile of the volunteers is quite specific. The study accepts healthy men and women aged between 18 and 40, with no chronic diseases, who do not smoke, do not use drugs, do not consume excessive alcohol, and do not train intensively more than twice a week.
This last restriction is intentional: researchers want results that represent the general population, not endurance athletes or mountain sports practitioners.
Additionally, candidates must not have stayed above 1,500 meters for at least one month prior to the start of the project in the Italian Alps. This requirement ensures that each volunteer’s body starts from a low altitude baseline before being exposed to the mountain environment.
Any prior adaptation would compromise the quality of the data collected by the scientists at Eurac Research.
How the stay at the refuge works and what volunteers receive
The study has three well-defined phases. In the first week, volunteers stay in Silandro, a town at 720 meters altitude in the Italian Alps, where scientists conduct initial measurements.
Next comes the main period: four weeks at the Nino Corsi refuge, at 2,300 meters altitude within the Stelvio National Park. Finally, participants spend another week in Bolzano for follow-up medical examinations.
During the month at the refuge, volunteers receive free accommodation and all meals, plus a stipend of 400 euros to cover extra expenses. Free time can be used as each person prefers: remote work, study, or simply enjoying the alpine environment.
The refuge is located within a national park that extends across the border between Lombardy and Trentino-Alto Adige, with landscapes ranging from valley forests to permanent snow fields. It is not a luxury hotel, but it is a setting that most people only see on postcards.
Why this study in the Italian Alps matters for the health of millions of people
The relevance goes far beyond the individual experience of the volunteers. The data collected at the refuge in the Italian Alps will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, which means that the findings could influence medical recommendations for the millions of people who live or visit regions of moderate altitude worldwide.
Understanding how the body adapts to four weeks at 2,300 meters can have implications for mountain tourism, sports medicine, and even rehabilitation treatments.
The human body reacts to altitude in ways that science has not yet fully mapped at moderate elevations. The physiological adjustments that occur at 2,300 meters are different from those that occur above 4,000 meters and may reveal benefits that are currently only hypotheses.
The Mahe study in the Italian Alps is the first to attempt to produce controlled and comprehensive data on this specific topic, using ordinary people as a reference instead of climbers or professional athletes.
How to apply for the study at the refuge in the Italian Alps
Applications for the August to September 2026 session are now open. Interested parties should contact Eurac Research directly, as the official project page has recently recorded a high volume of traffic.
The experiment will be conducted only once, with a fixed number of spots, which means that selection is likely to be competitive.
For those who have thought about spending an extended period in the Italian Alps, this study removes the usual barriers of cost for accommodation and meals. The trade-off is participation in regular scientific monitoring throughout the month, which requires commitment to the researchers’ schedule.
It’s not for everyone. But for those who fit the profile and have availability, it’s a rare opportunity to contribute to science while living an experience that most people only dream of having.
Would you be willing to spend a month living for free in the Italian Alps in exchange for participating in a scientific study? Do you think the stipend of 400 euros is sufficient or should it be higher? Share your thoughts in the comments. This is one of those opportunities that sparks conversation because everyone has an opinion about living in the mountains.
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