Tour of Vuzelle

"Ÿou are at the Col de Leschaux, overlooking the eponymous ravine on its south-facing slope. The term ""leschaux"" most likely comes from the pre-Roman ""calmis"" which translates as ""pastureland"", ""meadows"" or even ""alpine pasture""."

The alpine clubmoss (Diaphastrum alpinum) is bound to the short, dry moors, on an area of bare ericaceous shrubland (heather). It is an artico-alpine species, which, as the adjective describes, is native to northern Europe. It found refuge at altitude in the Alps when global warming took place after the last ice age. It is a protected species in France. Other than autumn when its light green reproductive stems are visible, it is barely detectable to the layman’s eyes.

The rock ptarmigan is also an arctic-alpine species. It is beholden to the moraines, screes, and short grasslands at high altitude. It is part of the mountain galliformes such as the black grouse, the hazel grouse or the rock partridge dear to Marcel Pagnol. To adapt to the rigours of winter, it trades its summer grey plumage for an entirely white plumage, has claws covered entirely in feathers and, takes shelter in a snow igloo during intense cold periods.

The Androsace alpina is a species protected at national level. It likes the fine screes and moraines on siliceous soil. Its altitudinal record is 3,350 m in Bessans. The data-gathering carried out by the Vanoise National Park’s rangers has made it possible to localise the species across all potential territories… and to index 50% of the known populations in France.

The alpine mountain pasture of Vuzelle is one of 3 communal mountain pastures of Planay. Historically it welcomed a part of the hamlets’ dairy cows and the cheese was made on site in the summer. Currently, only one herd of heifers occupies the place in summer. A peculiarity of the mountain people is that some towns have mountain pastures over towns at higher altitude, thus the town of Planay has the mountain pastures of Ritort and Nants over that of Pralognan-la-Vanoise.

Ÿou cross a forest boundary! It´s nothing to be alarmed about, it’s an area where the forest gradually colonises the rhododendron moors. This area at the upper limit of the forest is a vital habitat for the black grouse (Tetrao tetrix). Effectively, this concentrated area allows it, by turns, to nest (semi-woody cover), to raise the young (insects, berries and grasses), to feed in autumn (bilberries) or even in winter (tree buds) and to host its courtship displays. The gîte and the cover.

In the spruce trees before you, two birds use the same nest successively. Indeed, in the big spruces, the black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) hollows out its nest, a box, directly in the trunk. After one breeding season, the woodpecker abandons its house. The Tengmalm´s owl follows it the year after, in order to lay its eggs and raise its offspring. So, if there are no old spruces, there are no black woodpeckers; no black woodpeckers and there are no Tengmalm´s owl!

Different environments cœxist along this route: spruce, alder, mixed forest with deciduous trees. Thus, the guild of tits presents a complete spectrum of species such as the great tit (the biggest), the coal tit, the European crested tit or the slender long-tailed tit. It often happens that during the winter, all these species gather together in large flocks (several dozen birds) to protect themselves better from their winged predators (Eurasian pygmy owl or Eurasian Sparrowhawk).

The Vuzelle waterfalls collect the waters of the watershed which gœs from Grand Bec up to the Pointe de Leschaux, via the Pointe du Creux Noir. Advice: in the mountains, do not rely on the freshness and purity of the water for drinking. In effect, the corpse of a wild or domestic ungulate in the watershed can lead to a bacteria proliferation which is invisible to the eye! This being said, the sight of a waterfall is always a moment of inner calmness.

As you descend the valley’s axis, you will see Mont Jovet (2,558 m in altitude), on its right before you, you recognised it, the Aiguille de la Vuzelle (2,573 m in altitude). To the back of the village of Pralognan-la-Vanoise, you can admire the Vanoise glaciers, the largest continental European ice cap covering nearly 1,960 ha, culminating at the Chasseforêt dome at 3586 m. Returning to the west, the Dents de la Portetta and the Crête du Mont Charvet bring you north to the Dent du Villard (hidden).

Here you will find yourself directly above one of the many tunnels piercing the Vanoise mountain range. The “white coal” is the only industrial electrical production in Savoy. The hydrœlectric plant located at the Villard du Planay turbine, in addition to the water of the Champagny-le-Haut valley, part of the waters of the Vanoise and the Doron de Chavière, via a tunnel in the mountain and a pressure pipe-line. And please, no laser sight!

"Ÿou are in the locality of “Les Darbelays”. In local Patois, a darbel is a young spruce plant. Thus, the Darbelays translates to a spruce nursery; the locality of ""Les Darbelots"" in Planay, probably translates to a spruce forest, known as “pessière” in French."