Shelter keeperLouison Brunet

INSPIRE

Louison Brunet

lost in the mountains

Louison rhymes with vocation. His? To make people happy by welcoming them to the fabulous Tinderets refuge. Lost in the heights of Abondance, in the Portes du Soleil, meet this woman with an atypical profession.

Published on 7 November 2024

Follow the Inspire series

Louison Brunet

It's in the commune of Abondance that you can meet refuge keeper Louison. A stopover for many a hiker, the Tindérêts refuge offers refreshments and overnight accommodation.

We speak of

Mountain refuge

At once a place to stay, a meeting point, and sometimes a place to eat, refuges enable mountain enthusiasts to prolong their immersion in these grandiose landscapes, while guaranteeing their safety against the vagaries of the weather. The wardens, the true souls of these places, play an essential role: they warmly welcome visitors, share their invaluable knowledge of the area, ensure the safety of the premises and prepare comforting mountain meals. In the Portes du Soleil, the Tindérêts refuge perpetuates this noble tradition of high-altitude hospitality, inviting hikers to take a magical break in the heart of the mountains.

Episode 15

Louison Brunet

Inspire by Les Portes du Soleil

The refuge keeper… in Abondance at the foot of Mont de Grange, at an altitude of 1500 metres, Louison has been the keeper of the Tindérêts refuge for 5 years, and she wouldn’t give up this privilege for anything in the world. In becoming a refuge warden, she has chosen an atypical and highly demanding profession. Up there, there’s no room for boredom or monotony. Each day is different, but all are punctuated by a variety of tasks that you have to perform with the means at hand, often a little more rudimentary than elsewhere. As you can see, Louison is driven by passion. Being a refuge warden is certainly not for everyone, but for her, it’s an obvious vocation.

THE INSPIRED

Louison Brunet

the portrait

At the foot of Mont de Grange, at an altitude of 1500 metres, it’s a short hour’s walk from Lac des Plagnes to visit Louison. For the past 5 years, Louison has been the janitor of the Tindérêts refuge, and she wouldn’t give up this privilege for anything in the world. In this haven of peace well known to hikers and ski tourers, she works and lives most of her time in the heart of one of the most beautiful natural sites in the Northern Alps, the Vallée d’Abondance.

Even if she never really has time to breathe, even after all her chores are done, she only has to take a deep breath and look up to realize how lucky she is to be here. Faced with the silence of the mountains, her senses are awakened, the magic works and her fatigue is completely forgotten. This is how Louison replenishes her energy.

Life in a

mountain refuge

the Tindérêts

Each day is different, but all are punctuated by a variety of tasks that have to be carried out with the means at hand, often a little more rudimentary than elsewhere: preparing meals, cleaning, washing up, welcoming families and serving groups, organizing entertainment, etc… She must also know how to deal with the unexpected and remain available for her guests, informing them about itineraries, the weather or the conditions they might encounter at altitude. In short, Louison’s job is a full-time one, requiring both the ability to adapt to the isolation and ruggedness of the mountains, and the ability to get used to living in close quarters and communities. Despite this, even if the mountains sometimes impose a few small sacrifices, inconveniences or discomforts, these are only a detail compared to the richness of the experience at Les Tinderets.