At the foot of the Vanoise glaciers

"At the foot of La Leisse and La Rocheure valleys, the tarentaise and abondance dairy cows and the Thônes and Marthod sheep graze on the slopes, at first gentle and then very steep, of the “Para” pasturelands. The local alpine farmers transform the milk from the cows on the pastures into two types of cheese: the Termignon blue, a rare product which is thinly veined and crumbly, as well as the Beaufort, a pressed-cooked raw milk cheese. Originally from Beaufortain, from which it takes its name, the production of the ""prince of the Gruyères"" is now widespread in the valley of Maurienne. As for the sheep and their lambs, they follow the snowfall cycle from spring to autumn to enjoy the full benefits of the richness of the high-altitude pastures."

A little under the spot height 2,329 m, when you take the GR®5 Sentier Balcon (terraced path), you will discover an engraved stone dating from the Neolithic (3000 years BC). These were the first agropastoral communities that made these engravings by staking out erratic blocks or rock outcrops. The Maurienne valley conserves nearly a thousand highly diversified engraved rocks (engraved feet, battle or hunting scenes, abstract representations, roundels, names of shepherds, etc). They testify to the populations present in the high mountain in remote periods. The erosion and human induced degradations have weakened these stones over time. To testify to their history in the centuries to come, they deserve your attention.

"The track merges between the natural lakes of Lozières. These depressions were originally formed by the hollowing of glaciers or moraine deposits, such as the ""glacial lakes"" of Roche Ferrran and Pelve which are located upstream. But as they are older and lower in altitude than their neighbours, the “grassy lakes” of Lozières vegetate. Ÿou will therefore find aquatic vegetation, such as the bur-reed, a flowering plant which forms long filaments on the surface of the water. Ÿou can also see curious pompoms on an erect stem, the Eriophorum scheuchzeri. This plant species dœs not tolerate competition, it colonises only the lake shores on siliceous ground."

At this point you go along the lateral moraine of Mont Pelve. This mass of rocky debris was torn from the mountain by friction from the glacier and freezing/thawing. As it retreated, the glacier revealed this moraine which is evidence of the ancient glacial area. The glacial ice cap of the Vanoise domes extends over 13 km in length and covers an area of 32 km². In the 20th century, it retracted by 420 metres in 50 years. It continues today at a rate of one metre per year. A climb of up to 2,700 m in altitude is now required to reach the glacier.

Built in two sections by the National Park in the early 1970s, it was deemed to be a benchmark for integration in the site. With the systematic use of stone, implemented by Maurienne firm Molinaro, the architectural language assumes the fundamental elements of local traditional architecture while adapting them to the constraints of accommodating the public in volumes much more substantial than those of traditional alpine chalets. This firmly modern extension delivered in 2014 preserves the historic building and gives us an indication of the various modifying steps that shaped the aesthetics of this former sheepfold given to the Park in the mid-1960s.The new building, in reference to Savoyard military architecture, is integrated into the extension of the moraine to provide protection against the blast of an avalanche that can fall from the pass located under the Chasseforêt rocks. Built on two levels, this extension is wedged below the existing buildings, at an altimetry in keeping with the natural slope of the morainic cord and forms a semi-buried base for the existing refuge. Take the time to stop at the shelter and enjoy a good “bière des guides” while relaxing in the large panoramic room.