Vallon de l'Orgère

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.

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.

"Although timid, the largest of the European peckers rarely gœs unnoticed because of its ""kraaak kraaak kraaak"" cries in flight often followed by a powerful ""zhreee"" when it lands. Black and the size of a crow, the male has a red cap covering the whole skull which is limited to the neck in the female. Seeking out old trees to dig its nest, its role is decisive for the boreal owl. This boreal forest owl cannot dig its own home in the wood, so it must use the old homes made by the black woodpecker."

A lichen is the fruit of a symbiosis between an algae and a fungus: the fungus protects the algae, giving it water and mineral salts and the algae produces sugars and other products, which it shares with the fungus. An excellent indicator of air quality, capable of withstanding extreme living conditions, there are a great many species in the Orgère forest, including wolf lichen, which grows almost exclusively on the larch tree. With a bright sulphur-yellow colour, it is the only toxic lichen in France. Legend has it that it takes its name from its alleged use as a poison against the wolf.

Comprised of a mixture of cembro pines and European larches, the Orgère forest has derived its richness from the absence of logging since 1943. As a result, it has ecological characteristics that bring it closer to primary forests with many centuries-old trees and a large proportion of dead wood.

"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""."

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.

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.

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.

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.