5. From La Ville to Plan du Lac

6 points of interest

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  Know-how

  Accommodation in Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans

  Whether you at La Cordée or the Relais des Ecrins, you are in the commune of St-Christophe. Here you will be welcomed with simplicity, in a small village that has kept its charm and authenticity, with the mountain atmosphere absolutely everywhere and peacefulness abounding.
  Marie-Claude Turc, the restaurant owner, whose grandparents opened La Cordée hotel in 1907, will delight you with the Creusets of St-Christophe, the valley's main speciality.

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  History

  Musée Mémoires d'Alpinisme

  At the centre of the village of Saint-Christophe en Oisans, the Mountain-Climbing Memorial Museum is a treasure trove of knowledge about the major figures who wrote the history of mountain-climbing in the Ecrins range . On the lower level is a large model of the mountain range, with numerous portraits of the pioneers and the equipment of the period. On the second level, the focus in on more recent climbing, with the exploration of tougher routes and a section devoted to the many women - often little known - who have taken part in the adventure of mountain climbing.
  The third level is dedicated to temporary exhibitions about the Vénéon valley. This surprising museum is not to be missed !

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  Vernacular heritage

  Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans Church

  The church houses a polychromatic wooden statue of Saint Christopher, and another polychromatic and gold wooden statue of the Virgin and child. Both statues date from the 17th century.
  Make sure you visit the cemetery behind the church, where a large number of mountain climbers and guides, including the famous Pierre Gaspard, have their resting place.

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  Water

  Formation of a pool

  In a mountain stream, the current tends naturally to create small irregularities. Whirlpools are formed, and together with the sediment carried along by the stream , they slowly deepen existing hollows until pebbles collect and are trapped inside them. The pebbles are continually churned around, digging the hollow deeper and deeper. Water can only get out when the hollows overflow. A pool is formed, and can grow to the size of a huge cauldron in certain cases. Pools can be formed one after the other in varying sizes depending on the location, and so create the highly sculpted rocky depths to be seen in some mountain streams.

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  Panorama

  Planting resinous trees as a protection

  Opposite, under the Plat de la Selle, a steep slope overlooking the village is planted with curiously well organised resinous trees. This is the work of the RTM, the Restauration des Terrains de Montagne (Restoration of Mountain Areas) agency, set up by Louis-Napoleon in 1860.
  Planting resinous trees, which grow quickly and are resistant to cold, in particular, helps stabilise the soil. They prevent mudslides and provide a physical obstacle to snow, limiting the number of avalanches.

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  History

  Agricultural decline

  In the mid-19th century, the population of the Alps was at its height. But the land was little productive and emigration ensued. The population naturally began to fall. Agriculture in the mountains also declined, and the First World War put a stop to most activity. The less accessible land was abandoned, since the men who went off to war were no longer there to work on it. After the war, the demand for industrial workers gave new perspectives to the Alpine populations, when compared with the hard, laborious work on the land. Today, we can date when the land was given up by estimating the age of the trees growing there.