Mountain refuge L'Intercommunale

Crossing the Marchairuz

L'Intercommunale it fits better in a passing area than in an isolated corner. It is located in the environment of Le Brassus in the Joux valley, on the route that ascends to the hill of the Marchairuz and near the French border. At 1344 meters, the shelter is left in a half-mountain strip where time can change quickly and where the orientation depends very much on the axis of the road, the forest lights and the nearby loins.

His practical interest appears especially when reading the route map. This way the Swiss variant of E4 , and in the area they come along trails that allow to link days or to introduce detours without the need to raise a concrete ascension. In this context, it works as intermediate support within a longer journey, especially for those who cross the Marchairuz sector or move between the soft but extensive reliefs of the Jura vaudois. Close summits such as Grand Cunay or Crêt de la Neuve help to place it on a ground of dorsal, side changes and less alpine than linear progression, where a turning of orientation can change the exposure to the wind, fog or soil moisture.

How free shelter It should be put forward with a logic of mountain autonomy. There is a source about 800 meters away, reasonable distance on the paper, but it still requires to provide water and not depend on finding it in any condition. The proximity of several paths does not eliminate the need for attention: in days with variable visibility, the crosses, tracks and changes of direction can lose continuity more than the slope. This is why it is more useful as a coat or road link than as a destination in itself.