Hamlet of Les Peines

High above Villar-Loubière, the remains of the hamlet of Les Peines bear testimony to the harsh living conditions in the Valgaudemar valley at the beginning of the last century. Perched on a promontory, the site offers a spectacular view. 
Too often afflicted by mountain river floods, maintaining the stricken land was like the labours of Sisyphus: constant clearance with no end in sight. This disheartened the few mountain-dwellers who returned from the Great War. This prompted the abandonment of Navette, above La Chapelle-en-Valgaudemar, as well as Les Peines. In the nineteenth century, 92 inhabitants still lived in these high areas, and 14 children attended the school in the hamlet... until the inter-war years.
In 1955, the last inhabitant, who lived as a hermit here, departed as well, leaving only memories behind. Only the conveyor cable between Les Peines and Villar-Loubière is still used to transport wood down the mountain.