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THE NATURE RESERVES
The three nature reserves of the Aiguilles Rouges, Carlaveyron and Bérard Valley, are in the Aiguilles Rouges mountain range. The Association welcomes you and invites you to follow the mountain code :
-don’t pick flowers so that other people can enjoy them as you do. -don’t take your dogs on the paths, even on leash, so as not to disturb wild animals -don’t leave any litter so everybody can enjoy the beauty of the area -stay on the footpaths, man’s territory, so we can live in harmony with plants and animals.
Ask, look, read ; and discover the countless secrets that Nature has to offer….
The Association suggests different interesting and pleasant walks : The Col des Montets, Lac Blanc, Vallée de Bérard, Lacs Noirs…. The Lac Blanc and its mountain hut are specially interesting, facing the Mont-Blanc range and its glaciers on one side and the Belvédère ( You will undoubtedly meet marmots, chamois or ibex, and admire a lot of wild flowers on your way ….
Hiking, rock-climbing and ski-outings are the most common sports people practise in the Aiguilles Rouges. We must always remember to hike and climb with an enquiring yet respectful attitude towards the mountains.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE GEOLOGY
The Aiguilles Rouges range is a succession of high valleys, of corries sculptured by glaciers, scattered with scree and old moraine, surrounded with ridges sharpened by time and erosion. On both sides there are numerous lakes, all with their own charm . The rocks are either very old crystalline ones , as around the Lac Cornu, Lacs Noirs and Lac Blanc, or younger ones , like the granite near Vallorcine and the summit of the Belvédère, a proof of the presence of the sea before the Mont-Blanc range started to rise.
FLORA
Along the “Grand Balcon”, rhododendrons make up most of the heath. In summer, arnicas, bearded bellflowers, and rampions are in blossom, indicating that the soil is acid . Higher, in the small snow vales, you can see miniature forests of dwarf- willows , or the two-flowered sandwort, typical of places under snow for a long time every year. In the screes, next to Lac blanc for example, there are doronicum grandiflorum and adenostyle leucophyllus.
FAUNA
Since the reserve was created, the fauna has developed considerably. There are now more than a hundred ibex in the territory, moving along according to seasons and/ or weather conditions. If you set out early in the morning, you may see herds of chamois. If you hear marmots whistling, it is because they are signalling some danger (an eagle, or a fox) to their colony. From April to the end of July, during the mating season, the Col des Montets is an excellent place to study different bird song.
Visitor centre The Reserve Guidebook Brochure of the nature trail |
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