Tré la Tête Glacier, return by the gorge

It is the smallest and most discreet of the mountain Galliformes species. Being an exclusively forest-dwelling spieces, it is much less well-known than the Lyre Grouse or the Rock Ptarmigan! Yet it is also important from a biological and scientific point of view: it is an environmental change indicator species. It's quite picky in its needs for vegetation and variety of tree species. Degraded and badly managed forests jeopardise its survival, which is one of the main causes of the species' decline.

This refuge, situated at an altitude of 1970 m, has a history spanning over a century. Founded in 1907 to accommodate the pioneers of mountaineering, it is now a meeting place for all mountain enthusiasts. Whether you're a mountaineering enthusiast, a hiker on a day trip or a touring mountaineer, this is where your paths may cross. Conveniently located, it offers breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks as well as of the village 900 m below!

The Tré-la-Tête glacier is a mountaineering paradise. It is bordered by the legendary peaks of the Mont-Blanc massif, such as the Dômes de Miage and the Aiguille Nord de Tré-la-Tête, the highest point in the Nature Reserve at 3,892m. It is the crossing point for a number of regular and ski-mountaineering routes. Since the end of the nineteenth century, it has played an important role in the evolution of mountaineering.

In 1939, Max Waeber, an engineer, secured a world's first under-glacier water source. The captured water is still used to irrigate an artificial lake (Lac de la Girotte, in the Beaufortin region) across ten kilometres of underground tunnels, for the purposes of hydropower generation. In 2011, the Nature Reserve, in partnership with EDF, carried out a programme to dismantle the industrial infrastructure linked to the creation of this water supply (sleeping quarters and cable cars).

This glacier, the name of which means " over the head ", is the fourth largest in France! It is being studied in relation to climate change. Its condition has been monitored by the Nature Reserve since 2014, assessing the volume of ice gained or lost. This is known as mass balance. It is 8 km long, and its tongue of ice runs from the Infranchissable pass on the Italian border at an altitude of 3,300 m, right up to the place where you are standing!

Make the most of this scenic viewpoint to catch your breath. But be careful, this place is unsafe as the rock is slippery! You overlook the forest and the village of "Combe noire". The name comes from the forest that is almost exclusively covered in dark spruce. From this stunning vantage point, you can see the Rollaz mountain pastures which are part of the GR footpath. From left to right, you can see the Roches rouges, the Roches franches, the Aiguilles de la Pennaz, the Col du Bonhomme, the Rocher du Bonhomme and finally the Tête Nord des Fours.

When you stop at this bridge, you can feel the fresh spray from the Combe Noire waterfall and just imagine that the Tré-la-Tête glacier arrived here in 1870! Since then, the glacier has melted a few hundred metres, but its presence can still be felt through the raging river, which has formed impressive sculptures known as "potholes of giants" as it erodes the rock in a thunderous racket!

It's the end of summer... This is the time of year when the Alpine Autumn Crocus blossoms. Its name comes from Colchis in Greece, home to infamous poisoner Medea. This plant contains a highly toxic alkaloid: colchicine. According to the alchemists, this substance, when used in very small doses, could be used to treat rheumatism and episodes of gout.

On your left are the Rosière boglands, but be careful to only admire them while walking along the path, as they are fragile environments and hidden treasures of biodiversity! Tracing its origins from the Ice Age, this boggy area is the result of a glacier erosion which caused water to stagnate. This is the kingdom of carnivorous plants such as the Alpine cattail or the round-leaved sundew...