Mountain refuge Cabane d'Uls

Between a timely base and a safe passage

More than a shelter designed only to attack a concrete top, Cabane d'Uls it fits well in support of a crossing through this border sector between the French High Garona and the surroundings of the Val d'Aran. At the end of Melles, at 1,870 meters, it appears in a mountain strip where the cords easily link long-distance routes and steps between sides. That position makes sense within such routes as the GR 10 and, somewhat further south, the great circular of the Val d'Aran by the GR 211 , rather than as a simple isolated destination.

The surrounding land has a clearly mountainous character, with open relief, high slopes and relatively close summits that help to read the area: Cap de Gauch is very close, and the Pic du Crabere strengthens the border and divisive environment. In this context, the shelter can serve to start a day, link valleys or resolve an intermediate stage on a long journey. It is not appropriate, however, to put it with a minimum logistics. The invented sources are not next to the building: the nearest ones are more than 2.5 km away, so the water should be previewed and not taken for granted when arriving.

It is also interesting to take into account the relative isolation of the place. Although the area connects with known routes, it remains a mountain site where weather and orientation can make the day very much conditioned. If used Cabane d'Uls As a step-by-step refuge on a long-distance journey, it is reasonable to arrive with sufficient autonomy and with the well-prepared itinerary, especially if it is intended to link with the orange side or to continue on the cords and hills of the area.