Track No. 2: The Campsite
Description
A safe and easy trail for discovering cross-country skiing!
This introductory trail runs flat on the right bank of the Onde, with no technical difficulties. Ideal for discovering cross-country skiing under the sun.
The circuit is available in skating or classic technique.
Once you've arrived at the Chalet Nordique with your Pass in your pocket, set off to discover the sport on circuit n°2 Le Camping, on the right bank of the Onde!
- Towns crossed : Vallouise-Pelvoux
Recommandations
→ Cross-country ski trails are groomed, marked and safe. Access is subject to a charge and reserved for Nordic skiers.
→ You use these trails under your own responsibility: find out about weather conditions and trail closures, and don't overestimate your possibilities.
→ Respect the signs: trail directions, dangers, prohibitions, avalanche closures, etc.
→ Dogs are forbidden on cross-country ski trails.
→ Night-time activities and biathlon shooting in the Nordic area must be supervised by a professional.
→ Skiing outside opening hours is dangerous and prohibited (presence of grooming equipment).
→ Take your garbage with you
Tours are available in skating or classic technique.
Winter conditions are very pleasant all day long. However, from March onwards, it's best to practice in the morning, as some of the trails are quickly exposed to the sun.
Don't hesitate to ask for a piste map at the Chalet Nordique in Vallouise or at the Pelvoux lift information point!
Please note: This information is for guidance only. It is your responsibility to check the weather report and conditions before you set off. The Tourist Office and Écrins National Park cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident. In case of doubt, contact professionals: instructors or equipment hire companies.
Emergency contact details: Secours Montagne: 04 92 22 22 22 or 112
7 points of interest
FaunaThe northern wryneck
The old trees in the orchard are home to the northern wryneck. It has a loud song, rather like that of the green woodpecker, only slower. This bird owes its name to the extreme way it extends and twists its neck when it feels threatened. Its French name torcol fourmilier is a reference to the fact that it feeds on ants (fourmils in French). Difficult to spot because its plumage merges into the colour of the tree trunks, it gives its presence away by its song when it returns from its migration.
HistoryThe Vallouise Park Centre
Vallouise Pelvoux is a municipality within the Parc National des Écrins. Renovated in 2014, the Park Centre ("Maison du Parc") houses the offices of the local Park staff and has a spacious visitor reception area. It offers a permanent interactive exhibition inviting discovery of the territory and its heritage features, a temporary exhibition space on the upper floor and an audiovisual room (screenings and talks). It is currently in the process of applying for the "Tourisme et Handicap" tourism and disability label. Admission is free and so, too, are most of the activities in offer.
- Fauna
The sun bird
So what is the identity of this sun bird? It's the royal, or golden, eagle of course. Although it is telling the time here, in the surrounding natural landscape it hunts marmots. But what becomes of it in winter when the marmots hibernate deep in their burrows? It's a lean time. It has to make do with a hare or ptarmigan, and in particular the carcasses of chamois which have not survived the winter or have been killed in an avalanche.
FloraThe ash tree
Even in winter, the ash can be recognised from its large black leaf buds. The leaves are compound. A pioneer species that grows easily, the ash has long been used by man for everyday needs: its foliage was used to feed cattle and its hard, flexible wood was used to make a variety of objects such as tool handles. Its French name frêne often appears in local place names too: Freissinières (frêne noir - black ash), Le Freney etc. Evidence of its historical importance to human communities..
- Fauna
The gerris
Some strange creatures are moving jerkily over the surface of the water: Gerrises, insects related to bedbugs. Like a true insect, they have six legs and they «skate» across the water using their intermediate and hind legs which are covered in hairs to make them water-resistant. They are carnivorous and anything on the water surface, dead or alive, is good to eat! They catch their prey with the forelegs, sucking up the juices with their strong proboscis!
ArchitectureVallouise
Multi-storey houses - typical of the architecture in the valley in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries - stand on the old village street. The ground floor was reserved for animals, the first floor for habitation and the upper floors for grain storage. People moved from one floor to another by means of balconies interconnected by a staircase. Many of these balconies are arcaded with stone columns. This type of arcaded balcony is found throughout the valley.
- Fauna
The long-tailed tit
Some birds are causing a stir in a tree, constantly coming and going and uttering little calls. They are round and black and pinkish beige in colour with a long tails, hence their name, the long-tailed tit. They are resident birds and always live in small groups. They inhabit forests, undergrowth and even gardens. They weave a ball-shaped nest out of lichen, moss and dry grass.