2. Stage 2: Le Noyer - Chaillol - Champoléon

19 points of interest

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  Fauna

  Roe deer

  Walnut forests are a favourable home for roe deer. They came from Italy, the Isère and Drôme regions, and were added to some forty animals that were released between 1969 and 1975 in the neighbouring forests of Durbon and Morgon. This timid animal can be recognised by its red-brown coat and white patch on its rear.

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  Fauna

  Yellow-bellied toad

  Between the mountains and the River Drac, the water flows down as mountain streams and irrigation canals, hollowing out the sediment in the fluvial-glacier terraces where the mountain pastures have emerged. As the layers of eroded material of varying size and with impermeable clay layers are built up, sources are formed and feed small ponds. The yellow-bellied toad is a small toad that flourishes in habitats like these. The species is in decline all over its area of distribution due to the reduction in the number of such habitats. This is caused by draining, the creation of dams, levelling work and timber transport, among others. The population of this small amphibian is monitored by the National Park authorities.

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  Flora

  The Chamsaur woodlands

  The woodland landscapes in lower Champsaur are unique in the Hautes-Alpes region. The network of hedges and canals surrounding the parcels of land result in agriculture of a high quality. Thanks to funding from the region and the EU in favour of maintaining the cultural and biological heritage, 70 species of trees and bushes, and over 80 bird species can be found here. 

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  History

  Valgaudemar

  Tradition says the name of the valley comes from the Burgundian chief Gaudemar, who took refuge here in the 6th century. The local inhabitants lived for a long time from subsistence farming and mining. Mountain-climbing began to take off in the second half of the 19th century, and tourism in the 1960s. There are 30 peaks over 3,000 m. The highest point, Les Bancs (3,669 m), stands at the end of this long, narrow glacier valley.

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  Fauna

  Ornithologial diversity

  Thirty years of careful inventories have identified 220 species of bird in the valley. This exceptional variety is not only due to the landscapes (hedges, wetlands, forests and high mountains) but also to the Champsaur's geographical position: not quite north-alpine, wide open to the south with the Manse and Bayard thresholds, ideal for exchange and for migratory birds such as herons, ducks, red-footed falcons or flycatchers.

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  Flora

  Hayfields

  When they have not been disturbed by modern fertilisation techniques and silage, around fifty species of plant can still be found in the hayfields. The most symbolic are the poet's daffodil, alpine salsify, meadow sage, sainfoin and globeflower that punctuate the landscape with their different colours.

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  Flora

  Hedging

  Hedged landscapes were quite common in France before the war, but here, above an altitude of 1000 m, a wonderful diversity has been maintained. A patchwork of hedgerows, prairies and woods are home to an array of birds. Amongst them are many common sparrows (red-backed shrikes, stonechats, sparrows, quails and wrynecks) whose numbers are in decline in France, sometimes alarmingly so. Richness is therefore not solely due to rarity.

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  History

  Petetes Chapel

  This chapel is an oddity as well as a remarkable piece of popular art. Here the "pepetes" are dolls! The story says that in 1730, a shepherd named Pascal, who also happened to be a mason, started chipping rocks. All winter he chipped away at the rocks. When he had chiselled enough, he dug the ground and placed the stones on top of each other. When he finished, the hamlet of Aubérie had a pretty, little mountain chapel. The mysterious shepherd had created small alcoves in the chapel's facade. He started chiselling again, but this time with greater precision and love, as he was sculpting statues. In 1741, after working 11 years, he finished his work of art and placed a monumental cross in front of the chapel.

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  Geology and geography

  Les Infournas

  The locality is made up of two hamlets:
  - Les Infournas-Bas, former administrative seat of the municipality, with the mayor's office and the church, standing at 1,245 metres above sea level.
  - Les Infournas-Hauts, a starting point for mountain hiking, which stands at 1,373 metres above sea level.
  It is only possible to access the Drac valley, a lifeline for the region, via two winding roads, one to the north-west towards Chauffayer 10 km away, the other to the south towards Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur which is 7 km away. Most of the territory is made up of the inhospitable and extensively ravined slopes of the mountains Le Cuchon and Le Queyron. To the south, woods constitute its only real resource. 

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  Architecture

  Champsaur architecture

  Today's landscapes and the houses are no accident. They bear the trace of humans, who were less concerned with building attractive places, than with striving to find the best rigorously functional solutions for the area. In the northern part of the Drac valley, an area often faced with a cold wind, hedges were planted, buildings were close together and almost blind on the north-facing side. On the balconies to the east, as in St-Michel-de-Chaillol or St-Julien-en-Chapsaur, the aim was to find sunlight and the facade often had a large porch.

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  History

  The origin of the name "Champsaur"

  A dozen origins explain the name "Champsaur". Obviously the prettiest one, and the least likely, is that it means "champ d'or" (Field of gold) as Napolean is said to have shouted out "what a beautiful field of gold" upon discovering the area. Other explanations are "field of lizards (sauros meaning lizard in greek) or "Sarrasins field" (campus sauracenorum) due to their numerous invasions. However, the most likely explanation is that it comes from "campus saurus" the field or the land of Saurus, the name of the owner at the time.

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  Geology and geography

  Le Vieux Chaillol

  Easily visible from Champsaur and from beyond Gap, Le Vieux Chaillol is, like the Ecrins range, made up of granite rocks originating in the bedrock of the Cambrian era and which suddenly rose up some 5 million years ago. But the rocks of Le Vieux Chaillol have undergone a particular recrystallisation and have been transformed into metamorphic conglomerates and schists.

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  Flora

  Scots pine

  The Scots pine can be recognised by its long reddish brown trunk and sparse foliage. The needles are grey-green, slightly curved and paired. It needs a great deal of sunshine, but can make do with poor, sandy soil that is unsuited to other trees. Its wood is light and of high quality.

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  Vernacular heritage

  Les Roranches Chapel

  Built in 1780 on the site of a former chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, the Roranches chapel is dedicated to Saint Pancras, the protector of farm animals and pets. It was built using humble architectural techniques, and is highly representative of the small places of worship in the Champsaur woodlands where, as so often in the mountains, the materials used were those that were ready to hand. Two renovation projects have been carried out on the chapel since 2013 with the support of the Ecrins National Park. The first was aimed at stabilising the barrel vault and renewing the framework and roof using the original material, slate. The second project was to restore the plasterwork inside and outside, as well as the whitewash, windows and flooring.

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  Fauna

  Short-toed snake eagle

  This bird of prey can be recognised because of its large head, its quite impressive wingspan (1.80m) and the white plumage under its wings and body. Despite its size, it rarely eat small mammals. Its food mainly consists of lizards and snakes. When it hunts, it takes up a particular position against the wind, poised in the air with its wings fully outstretched.

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  Vernacular heritage

  Les Richards

  Perched up at an altitude of 1548 m above Pont-du-Fossé in the commune of Saint-Jean-Saint-Nicolas, the village of Les Richards is a haven of tranquillity. The view is breathtaking over the Autanes and the Champsaur woodlands. This is the starting point for a very popular hiking trail around the mountains or to the summit of the Palastre, and a take-off area for long-distance hang-gliders. It is not unusual for a hang-glider to land in Grenoble and sometimes even in Chamonix after a long day's flight from Les Richards! The record is 162 km, with a landing in Chamonix in 2002. 

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  Fauna

  Alpine ibex

  If you take a few minutes' walk at the end of the valley, you will be able to see some Alpine ibex. In September 1994, in Champoléon, some thirty animals from Vanoise area were released by Ecrins National Park rangers. This superb animal is heavier (100 kg) and less timid than the chamois, and is closely related to the domestic goat. It was almost extinct in the Alps. Today it is totally protected in France and is now safe extinction.

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  History

  Les Borels

  This is most important village in the Chamoléon district (no hamlet bears this name). Until towards the first world war in 1914, the valley lived in a closed circuit for all everyday items. At the Borels there was a weaver (wool and hemp), a miller-baker, an ironmonger, a mason, a breeches-maker and in the other hamlets, a cobbler, two millers, a joiner and two shoemakers. The latter worked from home.

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  Vernacular heritage

  The Shepherd's House

  Opened in memory of the shepherd and writer Pierre Mélet, the Maison du Berger ("the Shepherd's House") is a discovery and research centre focusing on Alpine pastoral cultures. It is a site of cultural outreach for all members of the public. There is an exhibition,  educational activities for school groups, as well as a library for professionals and researchers, and a shop.