Surrounded by an exceptional panorama, the famous Aiguilles d'Arves rise majestically at the heart of the Maurienne valley in Savoie. Accessible to the whole family, this 7-hour hiking trip will delight lovers of wide open spaces where a sense of freedom and serenity reigns. With water as our theme, I will take you to discover a mysterious glacier.
As a mountain guide, I invite you to discover at my side these summits I have been exploring since childhood. More specifically, we will traverse the vast moraine plateau overlooking the Aiguilles d'Arves in search of a glacier. The story of the blueberry fairy and the mysterious glacier.
The unyielding glacier of the Aiguille de l'Épaisseur
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Les Aiguilles d'Arves © Yves Vionnet[/caption]
Regarded as one of the hidden treasures of the moraine heritage, the glacier of the Aiguille de l'Épaisseur, situated between 2,600 and 2,800 m in altitude, hides and persists beneath the accumulation of rocks on the north face. Despite the warm summer sunshine, the ice melts only very slowly. Covered in scree, this makes it all the more resilient, as it is only detectable at the time of the spring thaw.
Landscape reading
Throughout the summer, a wonderfully diverse fauna and flora can be observed on the surrounding slopes and in the alpine pastures. This rare flora, such as the Striped Cneorum, the Parnassus-leaved Buttercup and the Alpine Saussurea, is highly prized by cows, marmots and chamois!
I will teach you to read the landscape of this vegetation made up of endemic flowers and shrubs that take on wonderfully vivid colours during the warmest few days of summer. But do you know why these colours are so striking? I won't reveal all the valley's secrets, but these vibrant colours are partly there to ensure the perpetuation of the species…
The Maurienne valley will delight nature lovers and enchant fans of landscape and wildlife photography.
Following the water…
On this family hiking trip, we will follow a fresh mountain stream flowing down from the glacier to the lush green pastures. You'll discover water in all its forms! From snowflake to melting ice, drop by drop, stream by stream, all the way to a roaring torrent. This educational hiking experience will teach your children about the water cycle. Just below the glacier and on the moraine, we will also be able to witness the effects of alpine climate warming.
A gastronomic hiking trip
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Yves Vionnet, Mountain Guide[/caption]
In the pastures below, we will admire the beautiful Tarine and Abondance cows feasting on the grasses and wildflowers, producing the wonderfully rich milk used to make the "Beaufort" cheese. Do you know how it's made? I'll show you over a delicious tasting… But the gastronomic hiking experience doesn't stop there — on the way back, a delightful surprise will tantalise your taste buds: blueberry crêpes or tarts will be waiting for you during a little break at the Chalet de la Croë.
On a very gradual route accessible to the whole family, this 7-hour summer hiking trip will bring you calm and wellbeing amid the vast moraine landscapes, while sharing some knowledge about alpine nature and its gastronomic treasures.
To book your hiking trip, contact me:
- Via my website Albiez Hiking
