Mountain refuge Refuge des Mottets

In this upper part of Savoy, by the route of the Ville des Glaciers and in the surroundings of Bourg-Saint-Maurice, the dominant feeling is that of being in a very mountainous sector of passage and quite exposed to the changes of time. At 1,870 meters, Refuge des Mottets fits well in long days where it is appropriate to fail effort before or after winning hills and linking valleys. Its position is particularly useful within the Tour du Mont Blanc both in the main itinerary and in the variant of the Col des Fours , and it can also make sense to support those who move through broad tracks such as the Tour du Beaufortain . More than an isolated destination, it works as a point of continuity in an area where the relief forces the whole stage to think.

The immediate environment reinforces this alpine character. Next summits like the Aiguille des Glaciers or Mont Tondu place the shelter in a high mountain framework where orientation, meteorology and autonomy weigh more than the simple distance on the map. In order to plan the day, it is necessary to have a margin and not to rely on water in the vicinity: the registered sources are several kilometres away, so it is reasonable to leave with sufficient supply and to review conditions before crossing the area. It also interests mountaineers who seek to divide demanding traverses, not only those who follow a classic route, because it allows better to order the effort in a border sector and very long-run routes.