The montagnettes of Planay

From the pylon near the car park, admire the mountain standing before you. This is the Dent du Villard. Its ridge is remarkable for its gentle profile, its constituent uniform white-coloured rocks, its very particularly detailed relief, deeply ravined on on its side and lunar on its crest with deep depressions. These characteristics owe to the fact that this mountain is made up almost exclusively of Triassic gypsum.

Upon arriving under the hamlet of Le Mollard, you are greeted with an attractive view of a hamlet with temporary housing, inhabited in the summer and winter by the mountain dwellers of times past. A spring, gardens, cowsheds, barns and coladz (building for storing fresh milk) served all the needs of everyday life over the changing seasons. Notice here the oratory of the Sacré-Cœur, attesting to the faith of the mountain dwellers. It came back to life after the long winter months, when the inhabitants prayed there once again to invoke the protection of the saints.

Ÿou are at the foot of the Fontaine Froide pasture. This cellar has been transformed into a shelter for shepherds, hunters and hikers. Feel free to push open the door, but don’t forget to close it on the way out. This cellar was once used to store the cheeses produced during the summer, before they were taken down to the village. During that time, the family returned to the village to work in the fields and at haymaking.

"We are here at the foot of the western slope of the Pointe de Méribel (2,830 m in altitude). It dœsn’t owe its name to the ski resort located two valleys away! It is most likely named after the mountain of the same name located on the slope of Champagny. Méribel or Miri-bel means “beautiful look” or “beautiful view”. Think of the Latin “mirare”, which means to “admire”. This name was used to describe places which had a ""spectacular” view. To the north, the Rochers Rouges (2,250 m in altitude) are inhabited by the ibex and chamois who find protected and well exposed slopes there."

The forest in which you stand is called a spruce forest. The spruce is the main tree in the mountain zones of Vanoise and is the dominant species of all the forest massifs of Planay. The spruce forest plantations bring together a great diversity of small passerine birds. Hence the European crested tit, the coal tit, the common redpoll, the goldcrest and the Eurasian bullfinch are the species typically found in this environment. With a strong, sharp beak, the woodpeckers vigorously strike the trunks of the trees in search of their food, consisting of xylophagous insects (wood-eating) and to hollow out their nests. They play a vital role for other forest animals who are unable to bore holes. Sit awhile under a tree and listen and observe; you may be lucky enough to hear or see a black woodpecker or a great spotted woodpecker.

Each family climbed to settle on its montagnette towards the end of May. This hamlet was an intermediate step, both on the ascent and the descent, for the herds en route to the alpine pastures of Gallinettes, Fontaine Froide and Vuzelle. The meadows were grazed on by the animals as they ascended, then as they descended they grazed on the second growth called the regrowth. Plots were also mowed on the montagnettes. This intermediate pasture was often gained by deforestation and clearing. It remained there until 22nd June, the date of departure for the upper pasture where the cows remained all summer.

The descent path is bordered by the remains of dry stone walls. This was a very important development for the inhabitants of Planay. At the beginning of October, men and animals returned to the village for the regrowth at the bottom of the valley. On All Saints´ Day, they would go back up to the montagnette for a period of three months. The animals were fed with the hay reaped on site. The return to the village was made in February. The date depended on the reserves of fodder. The lean years precipitated this return. The descent was made in thick snow. Before leaving, the father recited De Profundis (Out of the Depths) to preserve the animals during the return and to protect the house during their absence.