Mountain refuge Refuge-bivouac de Marinet

Between needles and chords in the Chambeyron sector

Over 3,000 meters are aligned here very close references like the Aiguille de Chambeyron , Brec de l'Homme , Tête de la Frema or Tête de Cialancion . This set places the Refuge-bivouac de Marinet in a clearly alpine environment, at 2,560 meters, within the term of Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye , in the high header of the valley of l'Ubaye and near the border strip of the coca Alps. More than a shelter associated with a single itinerary indicated in the available data, it works as a support point in a high circus where the main references are the summits, the hills and the cords that close the sector.

The reading of the ground suggests a useful location for those who move on high mountain and need to break the day or to be located near ascending goals. The proximity of the Aiguille de Chambeyron, less than two kilometres in a straight line, gives a good measure of the character of the environment: abrupt relief, important orientation and terrain where the meteorology can make the activity very difficult. It also fits into the geographical context of the massif where the Mongioia or Bric de Rubren rises, another reference of three thousand in this part of the French-Italian border.

Access is located in the area of chemin des militaires , I assume that it helps to locate the approach sector, although with the available data it is not appropriate to deduct specific routes, times or links. Precisely because of this lack of detailed itineraries, it is interesting to propose the arrival with cartography, prior layout and scope for changes of time or visibility. In this type of location, altitude and exposure weigh more than pure distance.

From a logistical point of view, isolation is a real factor. The registered sources are far from the shelter, with the nearest ones around 4 km, so it is not appropriate to have immediate water in the bivouac environment without having checked it before. For a night or long day in the area, it is reasonable to provide sufficient autonomy in water and material, especially if the intention is to use it as a basis for moving towards the nearby summits.

Overall, this free shelter fits better as high mountain support than as a simple walking destination. Its interest is in the position: a high level, within the Chambeyron sector, from which the organization of the relief between needles, shoulders and divisives is well understood, and from which several nearby ascension goes from a long approach to a more direct approach.