Mountain refuge Monte Leone

Above the environment of the Simón passage, in clearly alpine and open terrain, this shelter is located in a strip where the orientation and reading of the relief weigh as much as the physical effort. The height of 2848 meters places it in an environment exposed to rapid changes of time, with snow or ice possible according to the time and with a very marked high mountain sensation. In this sector of Ried-Brig, within the Valais, the shelter is linked to the massif of the Monte Leone and the border division between Switzerland and Italy.

Its position helps to understand it more as a reference of passage and basic support than as a simple isolated destination. Summits like Wasenhorn o Punta di Terrarossa, less than a kilometer in a straight line, in addition to Mäderhorn and the Breithorn in the same high environment. This lace makes it a useful point for fractionating crossing days or for ordering an approach in an area where the cords, hills and stony slopes can complicate navigation if visibility gets worse.

It also makes sense within wider routes of the area of the Simplon. The network of nearby roads includes links to Bistinenpass, Simplonpass, Simplon Dorf, Saflischpass or Rosswald, in addition to the route of the ViaStockholm . It is not appropriate to interpret these routes as direct or uniform access to the shelter, but it is a clear track of their role in the cross and mountain links in this sector of the Valais.

Logistics requires foresight. The registered sources are more than 3.5 km away, so it is not reasonable to have immediate water in the vicinity. On such a level, with exposed terrain and limited data on additional support, it is appropriate to propose the exit with autonomy, map or track reliable and sufficient margin to adapt the day to the state of time and to the conditions of the itinerary.