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Lorraine Mace |
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Autumnal Alps |
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Mention the Alps, and one immediately conjures up a vision of snow-clad peaks and winter holidays, but the beauty of the French Alps in autumn is visually more appealing. What’s more, it is much easier to travel at this season than during the winter months, when many of the mountain roads are inaccessible. From Barcelonnette, situated in the heart of the Urbaye valley, the options for touring are almost limitless. As the largest town in the area, Barcelonnette is bustling with activity, and whether your interest lies with markets or museums, there is plenty to see and do. Entrepreneurs and adventurers, known as Les Barcelonnettes, returned from Mexico, having made their fortunes, and built many of the superb villas seen around the town. The Valley Museum is housed in one of these. Sports facilities range from paragliding to playing Bridge, and the tourist office has information on each activity. The weather in Barcelonnette at the beginning of October is delightful, crisp and cold in the mornings but wonderfully warm and sunny during the day. Our first outing took us to Serre-Ponçon, a man made lake on the river Durance. The lake was constructed to avoid further devastation caused by flooding in the area. The dike, which is an impressive 120 metre high edifice, was the first ever built in France. Two villages and several hamlets were submerged in the resulting inundation, and although the village of Savines was rebuilt higher up the mountain, Urbaye was never reconstructed. The effect on tourism has been beneficial. The lake is at an altitude of 780 metres, and the mountains appear to form a natural bowl. The road leading from le Lauzet-Ubaye to Savines-le-lac affords spectacular views, undoubtedly the best of which is at the Belvédère de Serre-Ponçon, where there is also an excellent museum. A stone plinth has been erected in the museum’s grounds in memory of two hamlets belonging to the commune of Rousset, destroyed by the lake. Beaches have been created all around the lake and are used for every conceivable form of water sport, making the area a popular holiday destination for all ages. Leaving Barcelonnette in the opposite direction to Serre-Ponçon, both the scenery and level of habitation change dramatically. The road to the green marble quarry at Maljasset is at times little better than a gravelled track. Twisting roads follow the path of the Urbaye River, through tiny, sparsely populated villages. Hamlets consisting only of two or three houses and a small chapel are isolated from each other by a tortuous drive – if the roads are passable. One wonders how they survive during winter, so far removed from easy access to everyday things that most people take for granted. But again the autumnal tints are dramatic against the mountain backdrop, and the feeling of being the only occupants of the planet is sufficient reward for a sometimes-difficult drive. Parking at the entrance to Maljasset, one walks to the quarry (no longer in use) and from there has a choice of several hikes of varying degrees of difficulty (or ease), all shown on a large map and clearly marked en-route. Another drive well worth the effort was over the Col d’Allos, the pass is closed for much of winter, and having driven over it in good weather, I have to say I’m not surprised. From Barcelonnette (1,132 metres) one climbs gradually until the pass, the road then narrows (in places there is only room for one car) and rises rapidly until the peak is reached at 2,247 metres. Twists, turns, hairpin bends, and steep drops to contend with, this pass has it all. The scenery is everything one could wish for, on the Barcelonnette side of the mountain it is very green, well wooded with lush colours, but once over the peak one descends into a valley that is almost bare of trees. The landscape is so different that it is almost possible to believe that it is a different country. On this side of the mountain, the road, although still difficult in places, has a gentler incline. The main obstacle here is driving through the enormous flocks of sheep that cover the mountainside. Further on the scenery reverts to forests, through which the road passes almost at a level until Allos. The town of Allos has a thriving year round tourist season, one of its main attractions being Allos Lake, at an altitude of 2,230 metres. This is a wonderful area for both novice walkers out to enjoy a stroll, and the serious hiker. The Parc National du Mercantour, in which the lake is situated, offers everything from a gentle ramble to the lake, to three or four day hiking expeditions. Whatever you are looking for in an autumn break, the French Alps will supply it, in abundance. Ends © Lorraine Mace, 2004 |
