Mountain refuge La ferme du Danay

Before having water in the construction itself, it is necessary to plan it as an external resource: there is a source at about 480 meters and another one at less than 800, a useful reference to organize the day with a certain autonomy. La ferme du Danay , in the surroundings of Saint-Jean-de-Sixt and 1561 meters, it fits better in a well thought out mountain than in an improvised stop, especially if weather changes or you want to link medium and high mountain terrain in the Alta Savoy.

Its position places it in a very useful transition area between inhabited valleys and more marked reliefs of the Aravis sector. It does not appear isolated from the itineraries, but it does not work only as a local point of passage: this is where we cross wide-ranging senderist references such as the GR 96 and the circuit of Massif de Tournette-Aravis as well as paths of the immediate environment. This allows both a link stage and a base to explore the area without the need to close a short circular itinerary.

If the idea is to use it as a support to gain height, the interest is in the proximity of peaks and crest of the massif. Names like Pointe des Aravis o Mont Lachat de Châtillon help to understand the character of the terrain: prealpine mountain with already serious relief, where the orientation, the state of the path and the evolution of time can weigh more than the distance in a straight line. In this sense, the shelter serves to divide efforts or to bring the beginning of an ascension closer.

To decide between using it as a basis or as a simple step, the key is in the goal of the day. Anyone who seeks continuity in the journey here has a reference connected to long-distance routes; who prefers a day focused on summits or cords finds a reasonable position to approach the massif. In both cases, it is appropriate to leave with margin, intended water and prudent reading of the mountain terrain.