The Vallée des Encombres

The Vallée des Encombres (which might be translated as “Valley of Obstructions”) takes its name from the area’s major avalanche activity. The archives preserve the memory of an avalanche that swallowed up some of the village’s inhabitants while they were making their way to attend mass in the chef-lieu. The exodus that took place after 1850 depopulated the mountains and their isolated villages were abandoned. The hamlet of La Gittaz (pronounced “La Gitte”), located at the entrance to the Valley, suffered the same fate as Planlebon. Sunnier and accessible by car, the village was finally restored.The hamlets of Les Priots and Gittamelon were also restored. However, they were only ever inhabited in the summer, during which they were steps on the Encombres road, which was then a major thoroughfare connecting La Maurienne with Moûtiers. In those days, all journeys were made on foot, with mules to carry the loads. Can you imagine the Valley travelled by hawkers and merchants come to buy Belleville cheeses, pilgrims on the road to Notre Dame de la Vie, and stockbreeders taking their herds to the far-famed fair in Saint-Martin?