Getting to Les Chavonnes via the Crêt de Vosy : snowshoeing in Samoëns

Migrating birds are sensitive to the Earth's magnetic field, that is aiding their navigation on long journeys towards their breeding and overwintering grounds. Magnetoreception is one of the many mechanisms that migratory birds use to navigate. They often combine this ability with other cues, such as stars, sun, gravitational field and visual cues. These incredible abilities of birds are being affected by urban/agricultural development. City lights confuse birds during nighttime. On top of this, the proliferation of large-scale farming and climate change are shifting the migratory patterns of certain species and endangering them on their journeys. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, one third of all nesting birds in mainland France are now at risk of extinction. The Col de Golèse, visible from this meadow, is an important migratory route.

You can often hear noisy flocks of forest passerines led by tits. This typically reclusive family of birds includes Eurasian nuthatch, various creepers, crested tits, marsh tits, Eurasian blue tits and great tits…. Many of them flock together, sometimes along with other species, forage for food and snuggle up to each other to retain their warmth. These flocks also reduce the need for constant lookout for predators. Most of these birds stay active during winter and feed on nuts, dried fruit, seeds, twigs and branches. The only exception is the robin, which doesn't participate in winter flock life.

Winter is a harsh time of year for most species, so everyone has their own strategy for staying alive during these long months. While the ground is an excellent shelter for small invertebrates, it can also be a shelter for larger animals such as snakes, which hide under large stones, or tortoises that burrow themselves into the ground... Marmots do the same, sealing up their burrows before going into hibernation. Other animals who remain active for only a few hours during the day can use the snow to insulate themselves from the cold, for example black grouse. Just be careful not to trample on their shelters!

The village owes its origins and its name to a tribe of Germanic origin known as the ‘Hans’, who settled in the Val Clévieux around the year 1206. Their village was devastated in the 15th century by a landslide that came from the Pointe de Chamossière. Because of their Germanic origins, they gave the name ‘Allamands’ to the site they settled on. The Allamands village, at the foot of the Col de la Golèse and the Col de Bostan used to be very busy. The Col de la Golèse was part of the ‘route du Valais’ which, after crossing the Col de Coux, led down into Swiss territory and on to the main Rhone Valley route. The village was also a meeting point for contraband smugglers and other illegal immigrants. Back in the day, they would bypass the Col de la Golèse, which was guarded by men-at-arms, via a steep path known as ‘le pas de la Bide’, which led to the Col de Bostan before reaching the village.