Unspoilt mountains

Our valleys are home to species that have been around for centuries or have been reintroduced. Use all your senses to notice and admire them. Have you come to the mountains for the calm and serenity of the great outdoors?

Be a guest of this wildlife and respect its habitat and tranquility, so that you can play your part in maintaining its biodiversity.

– By keeping your distance, observing through binoculars without trying to get closer. Seflie are for buddies, not groundhogs (marmots).

– If you come across them, of course, you must remain calm, without any sudden movements that would encourage them to flee and consume energy for nothing.

– You just bought a magnificent drone and you’re already dreaming of making it fly over the peaks and ridges, accompanying golden eagles and ibexes? Apart from the fact that you’ll need a permit for that, you should be aware that this device is extremely disruptive to animals, both in terms of sound and vision.

All the food they need to survive is already in the nature.
Bring back clementine peelings or any other comfort food with you so that it doesn’t disturb their diet.

Before talking about time, let’s talk season.

They wake up from hibernation around March 20/25. And yes, why bother with the “subway-work-sleep-repeat” routine when all you have to do is eat and sleep? That’s why they forsake the unappetizing winter to get belly-filled from spring to October.

The best time of day to see these adorable little mammals is early morning. Your ears will spot them before your eyes. They’ll whistle at your approach, to let their fellow creatures know you’re there.

Discretion is the key word, not to disturb them and allow you to observe them. If not, it’s straight back to the burrow!

The Edelweiss, an emblematic flower, is protected in only six communes of the Hautes-Alpes. It’s fragile because it grows at altitudes where the flora is subjected to many stresses, so don’t overdo it and remember that a wild flower is better in nature than in a vase.

Some people call it Léon, because its Latin name is Leontopodium. The one we find in the Alps is Leontopodium alpinum. More poetic versions include Lion’s Foot, Silver Star and Glacier Star. They grow at altitudes between 2,000 and 3,000 meters in stony soils where the grass is short… and we won’t tell you more. It’s up to you to keep your eyes open and take a photo of it, rather than picking it.

I pick a little, a lot, passionately, not at all? (The french for “Love me, love me not”) Well, not at all! I look at the edelweiss, admire its woolly leaves, count its little yellow heads and leave it where it is.

Don’t you think that, in the words of the Queyras Regional Natural Park, “the pink of flowers is much better than the pink of toilet paper” ?

This makes you smile? Yet it’s a real problem, given that mountains are not equipped with portable toilets and that more and more of us are enjoying the altitude and hiking! For everyone’s well-being, animals and humans alike, follow these recommendations.

• Slip a small bag into your hiking gear to bring your toilet paper “and the rest” back.
• Above all, don’t burn paper – several forest fires have started this way.
• If you can’t fit your faeces into your little poo bag, dig a hole and cover it up. Be aware that drug and pesticide residues (organic poo is not very widespread at the moment) will pollute the mountainsides.