Mountain refuge Refuge de Graydon (ou Graidon)

In this sector of the Vallée d'Aulps , several hiking routes converge around Graydon and make it a useful point of support for those who travel the area without limited to a single itinerary. The passage of Tour des Portes du Soleil , the routes that approach the Roc de Tavaneuse or the half and long-day turns by nearby reliefs fit well with a shelter that works more as a link and mountain pause than as a simple isolated destination. Its location, at the end of Saint-Jean-d 'Aulps , helps to understand that hinging function between itineraries of the Chablais massif.

At 1,336 metres, the Graydon Refuge is still in a transition between forest, pasture and more open slopes, but already within a land where weather can change quickly and condition the day. The next relief gains alpine character towards the crest of the Roc d'Enfer , a mountain known for its stony, pending and delicate terrain when the rock is wet. This proximity does not automatically turn the shelter into a technical ascension, but it does place it in an environment where it is appropriate to assess well the orientation, the state of the soil and the exposure to storms before continuing to higher levels or more aerial steps.

By use profile, it fits especially with mountaineers who seek to divide routes, link the Chablais slopes or have intermediate support on long trips and excursions in the area. It can also make sense as a reference for hiking days with an accumulated level, rather than for a service-focused stay, since here it is reasonable to propose the exit with autonomy. There is a cartographed source about 1.7 km away, sufficient distance not to take the water for granted in the shelter itself or in its vicinity. In this type of land it is necessary to go out with water, coat and margin in the face of time changes, especially if the route is to win crest or link several cords.