Cabane de la Val Pousane

Cabane de la Val Pousane is a non-staffed backcountry refuge in the French Alps at 1,812 m. Use is on a first-come, first-served basis, and it’s set up for people to sleep on mattresses in a large section with a mezzanine area plus additional space in an equipment/ground area.

Bring your own cooking setup, and plan to melt or treat water from the nearby sources in the valley/vicinity. The refuge has poor insulation against wind and cold, so thermal layers and a cold-ready sleep system matter.

Sleeping capacity is roughly 18 mattresses on the mezzanine, with a little extra space for additional sleepers on the ground/equipment area; one part is used during the estive season and another remains available as the refuge area. There are also some basic covers/blankets, but conditions can be chilly.

For approach, one common access is a hike from Le Vernet to the hut via a section that ends on tracks near the col de Mariaud (about 1 hour on foot). Another approach starts from La Javie, taking the D107 toward Prads Haute Bleone and continuing by road until you reach the track at Saume Longue, then hiking up (also about 1 hour on foot), with extra attention around river crossings after rain/flooding potential.