Mountain refuge Cabane Hermann

Between the Vosges and the forest slopes

In this sector of the Vosgos, several long-distance itineraries pass by and turn the area into a space of passage rather than a simple local destination. The presence of GR 5 , along with trace as the GR 531 and GR 532 , Cabane Hermann within a useful network for linked days, changes of plan due to tiredness or an intermediate stop when the weather is complicated. It is in the environment of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines , in the Upper Rhine, on a moderate height of 740 meters that does not correspond to high mountain pirenaica, but to a relief of half mountain with forest, rounded peaks and sustained levels.

His practical interest is in the relationship between the valley and the nearby heights. To the environment are raised tops like Hirzberg , Rehberg , Le Champ du Diable or the Grand Brézouard , which help to understand the character of the ground: progressive ascents, orientation that can be complicated with fog and routes that gain isolation by moving away from the inhabited nuclei. There are also several relatively close sources, with one to about 1.5 km, but it is appropriate not to plan the day by relying on finding usable water. As a mountain shelter, it fits mainly in a prudent planning: late departure, unstable time, need to divide a journey or safety margin before facing higher mountain ranges. In the absence of detailed data on equipment or state, it is reasonable to have basic autonomy and to review the conditions of the route before climbing.