Aiguilles de Chabrières

The astragalus alopercurus (from alopex: fox and oura; tail) is a spectacular plant due to its size. It has long leaves with many leaflets. It blossoms when the weather gets warmer and shows off a beautiful cluster of flowers at the top of a tall hairy stem. Several yellow corolla grow out through thick protective hair to take in the sunshine and the warm summer winds.

A high flying, mountain top acrobat, the yellow-billed chough is also very talented at gathering leftovers from the walkers' picnics. It usually moves in groups and brightens up its passage with a flute-like sound that is easy to recognise. This black bird has a yellow beak and red feet, and is a much a companion to mountaineers as it is to daydreamers.   

The Oucanes that can be seen on this walk are strange geological formations that are quite original for the Ecrins massif. The karst that they are made of is thick limestone and dolomite that is part of the Briançon fragment of Chabrières. In a limited space, the Oucanes make it possible to observe the characteristics of alpine karst: limestone pavement, meandering ribs, small rock pools, corridors with ribbed walls and Vaucluse karst springs. 

The golden eagle, a large bird of prey and emblematic of mountain regions, regularly nests between Piolit and the Aiguilles de Chabrières. Boasting a wingspan of over 2 metres, it is one of the largest eagles in the world. It has an absolute command of gliding and, using updrafts, can climb to great heights to survey its territory. It is also capable of lightning-fast acceleration when swooping on prey. In the past, like all birds of prey, it was hunted down by humans, which led to its disappearance from many parts of the world. But today it is protected by law throughout Europe and its populations are doing quite well. So look up and open your eyes: you might just be lucky enough to see it gliding over the ridges in search of a marmot, its favourite prey!

The rock partridge is a gallinacean, like the ptarmigan, and is easier to observe during the spring courting period. As it stands on a promontory to sing a broken song, the rock partridge is recognisable due to its grey back, white sides and throat, and its red beak. It lives in the sun on the well-exposed slopes of the mountains and likes rocks and open moors. Here its young can feed on the insects necessary for their growth.

The creation of the National Park has enabled the chamois, emblematic animal of the Alps, to settle again in the Ecrins massif. It has short curved black horns and is a close relative of the antelope. It has a particularly well developed sense of smell and hearing. It is consequently difficult to approach. Females and kids like to group together in herds, whereas the males keep their distance until the mating season in October-November.

If all pasque flowers are identifiable by their thick but soft hairiness, unlike anemones, when they reach maturity they also have a characteristic head of scruffy hair, made up of numerous fluffy white seed heads that will get blown away by the wind. In this family, the pasque flower is the most glamorous and most beautiful. It has the advantage of flowering in spring and displays a remarkable purple-black corrola among the grass that has been faded by the winter.