Tour du Rateau d'Aussois

As a result of hunting and logging, the deer had all but disappeared from the Savoy forests. Reintroduced between 1958 and 1973, it has adapted remarkably well to the mountain environment to form a fine population. In autumn the mating season gives rise to spectacular fighting between males, but it is the raucous and powerful cries of the deer that bring the valley to life. Taking advantage of the peacefulness of the place, the animals bellow practically all day long.

"When most of the flat areas, more suitable for building chalets, were occupied, it was necessary to build on the slope, in areas more exposed to avalanches. Some chalets therefore had to be built with a specific architecture in order to resist avalanches: semi-buried, oriented in the direction of the slope and protected by a protective promontory called a ""tourne""."

Orgère, where barley was grown. In past centuries, the need for pastures, hayfields and cultivated land on flat or slightly hilly areas forced man to deforest, even at high altitude. The right bank of the valley, presenting a gentler profile, was the most exploited. The rocks which clutter the plots are regularly placed in heaps, to form mounds of stones which still remain in the valley. Used during the summer, the valley was brought to life by about fifteen families and their little flock.

The small tortoiseshell is the first butterfly to land on the flowers which are barely out of the snow. The caterpillars feed only on nettles. They can be seen on their leaves piled into bundles with their two yellow bands on their backs. The butterfly, on the other hand, is orange in colour, inlaid with ebony and hemmed with a ring of blue spots around the edge of the wings.

If you get the chance, do this hike in the autumn. The mélézin is adorned by beautiful golden hues. The large-fruit fireweed opens up to release a multitude of seeds surmounted by silky-white snow like threads. And higher up the ubac, the bilberry moors take on a beautiful red hue. Under the effect of the first frosts the alpine pastures are adorned with pretty warm colours that contrast sharply with the white of the first snows covering the summits.

A true burst of sunshine, this yellow flower, daisy-like in appearance is rather common in the sub-alpine moorlands and grasslands. Best known for its medicinal properties, used in anointing, arnica is very effective in the resorption of haematomas. But be careful not to ingest this pretty flower as it is dangerously poisonous, even fatal.

It is the Vanoise National Park’s signature species, which was at the very heart of its creation. Having practically disappeared from the entire Alps region, only a very few small population clusters remain in France in Maurienne, including one at the foothills of the Aiguille Doran. Thanks to the creation of the National Park and then the long-term endeavours to protect and reintroduce this species, the ibex has managed to recolonise many of the mountain ranges in the French Alps.

At the summit of the track, the Col de la Masse offers a 360° panoramic view with the Écrins, the Meige and the Pelvoux to the south, the Pointe de l´Échelle to the north, the Vanoise glaciers and the Dent Parrachée to the north-east, and right at the bottom, to the east, the Albaron!

This high-altitude plant, easily recognisable by its violet colour, is particular for its cushion-like shape. This feature is particular to several high-mountain species and highly useful in resisting the cold and wind. This cushion-like flower, the oldest of which can reach more than 50 years, contributes to the creation of a micro-ecosystem which will then be exploited by other plant species, thereby contributing to plant colonisation.

Also known as the white hare, it has a rock-brown coloured coat in the summer and an all-white coat in the winter except for the tips of its ears. Smaller and rounder than the European hare, the mountain hare also has shorter ears and a thicker coat to limit heat loss. Its wider back paws act as snowshœs which allow it to move easily over the snow.

Among the floral procession of dwarf plants covering the windy ridges, the king of the Alps predominates. Needless to say, this bright blue flower has been named the “blue king-of-the-Alps”. Its pretty blue flowers are found high up in the mountains at an altitude reaching 3,750 metres, grouped in cushion-like clusters, nestled into the rocky crevices of the exposed ridges, often in the company of génépi and androsace. This small forget-me-not can live for decades. The alpine forget-me-not was named by botanist Schrader because of its hairy, silk-like appearance. In Greek, eiros means wool and thrix, or hair.

On this alpine pasture of the “mauvais berger” goats and sheep are to be found. The goats are dairy cattle that descend the pasture every evening to be milked. Their milk is used for the local production of cheese. The lambs and sheep are sent to the meat industry. The lambs are born around March and grow all summer in the alpine pastures. Only the breeding ewes are kept in the sheepfold for winter. The Mauvais Berger flock consists of animals from several different owners. Pooling the flocks means the costs of herd care are shared.

The wolves inhabiting the valley come from Italy and hence are called Abruzzo wolves. They are distinguished by their white mask and black line on the tibia. The wolves live in packs of 2 to 5 on average. The wolf is a carnivore which feeds mainly on ungulates such as deer or chamois. Only the dominant pair of the pack breeds. The cubs are born in a den in late spring. Although the preferred habitat of the wolf is the forest, it ventures into the alpine pastures in search of easy prey such as flocks of sheep.

After a short rising section, the Col du Barbier reveals the entire lower Maurienne Valley, with a view of the Aiguilles d´Arves, but also over all the summits of the left bank of the Arc taking in the Sarrazins, the Grand Argentier, the Pointe de la Norma and the Aiguille de Scolette.

Arriving at the Col du Barbier, a small detour of a hundred metres to the south will offer you a view overlooking the valley of Maurienne, crossed by the River Arc. In front of you, the horizon will be blocked by the border mountains range with the magnificent Aiguille de Scolette (3,506 m). To the south, you will see the three characteristic teeth of the Aiguilles d’Arves. At the bottom of the valley, the strange balls of ONERA (National Office for Aerospace Studies and Research), the largest European wind tunnel, testify to the industrial activity of Maurienne.

The ibex continues to be studied in depth, especially the females in order to better understand their reproductive dynamics. To achieve this, every spring the animals are captured by means of a hypodermic gun equipped with an ear loop and radio collars. Captured animals are also subject to several biometric measures and blood sampling to assess the health of the population. A large number of these catches is carried out on the Barbier Alpine pastures, as the site is highly populated by the species in spring and throughout the winter.

During the summer grazing period you will be able to see the sheep on the alpine pastures. This ancient pastoralism, evident in the stone ruins still standing in Estiva, still continues today. These flocks of sheep, reared by farmers in the valley, gradually climb from the village of Villarodin-Bourget by following the evolution of the growing grass.

Witness to the intense agricultural activity that went on not so long ago, the alpine chalets also reflect the ingenuity of the peasants who were forced to build their chalets with local materials, mainly stone, due to the scarcity of wood at high altitude, covered with lime plaster and a lauze roof. These buildings, such as the chalets of Barbier, often merge into their environment where the walls take on the colour of the local stone.

"Unlike the other two mountain galliformes, the rock ptarmigan and the black grouse, the rock partridge is a thermophilous species (a warmth-loving species), which explains its presence on the sunny slopes of the Maurienne. Barataval (rock partridge) in Provençal means ""door latch"" or “clacking windmill”. The rock partridge is named after its song which resembles the sound of a latch. The best months to hear the bird are April and May when the male marks its territory at the break of day."

During the summer, it was difficult to get down to the village for church services. Chapels were therefore built on the mountain pastures. The lauze roofing and architecture of the building show us how local materials were once used, with the sparing use of wood. In order to avoid mountain hazards such as rock falls and avalanches, the religious buildings such as oratories or crosses figure prominently on the mountain.

Acquired in 1969 by the Vanoise National Park, former residence of EDF workers, the Refuge de l’Orgère is one of the 4 “refuges-portes” (gateway shelters) of Vanoise National Park.