Le Lauzet (no. 11)

Fauna

Flora

History and architecture

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A somewhat technical circuit, but one that is pleasant to travel in a totally natural environment offering numerous panoramic views.

Running through the municipality of La Roche-de-Rame, this pleasant trail leads through meadows and forests. The ascent is relatively straightforward and offers a panoramic view over the massif of Les Écrins and Mont Pelvoux, while the descent which hugs the Bouchouse mountain stream is much more technical.

Description

The circuit starts not far from the La Roche-de-Rame mayor's office ("Mairie") near the Bouchouse mountain stream. First, follow its left-hand bank, going upstream. 430 metres further up, cross the mountain stream and carry on along the right-hand bank. At the crossroads, turn right to cross the mountain stream again and carry on uphill towards Bel Pinet.

Turn left towards Le Lauzet, winding uphill along a stony track
When you come to Bel Pinet, at 1,400 m, head along the track on the right leading to Le Gorgoras, Le Clot du Villaron and Le Lauzet, passing near the pink marble quarry ("Carrière du Marbre Rose"), a marble used in the construction of numerous buildings such as Gap Cathedral
‌When you reach Le Lauzet, at 1,786 m, head left near the small lake to descend towards Bel Pinet via a different route
‌Turn right onto a path to avoid the wide, twisting stony track, and follow this, crossing the track (Be sure to follow the waysigns and exercise caution: it is very stony terrain which makes some sections dangerous and technical)
At the end of the path, head left onto the wide track and, after 300 metres, turn right to join a new path. This, too, is very technical. Continue to follow this path downhill, avoiding the wide track, until you come to the paved road at the Bouchouse hydroelectric power station and then on to your starting point

Departure : La Roche-de-Rame mayor's office ("Mairie")
Arrival : La Roche-de-Rame mayor's office ("Mairie")
Towns crossed : La Roche-de-Rame

Altimetric profile

Recommandations

Rescue services contact details: Secours Montagne (Mountain Rescue): +33 (0)4 92 22 22 22 or 112

Take your litter home

Do not take shortcuts across pastureland

Information desks

23 Avenue de la République, 05120 L'Argentière-La Bessée

https://www.paysdesecrins.com/contact@paysdesecrins.com +33(0)4 92 23 03 11

Vallouise Park house

, 05290 Vallouise

http://www.ecrins-parcnational.fr/vallouise@ecrins-parcnational.fr 04 92 23 58 08

Information, documentation, models, exhibitions, screenings, product sales and works of the Park. Guided tours for school, reservation required. The new Park House opened in Vallouise since June 1, and offers visitors an interactive permanent exhibition inviting to explore the area and its heritage. A temporary exhibition space will allow a renewed offer. Finally, the device is completed by an audiovisual room to organize screenings and conferences Free admission. All animations of the Park are free unless otherwise stated.

Find out more

Transport

Public transport >> www.pacamobilite.fr
Consider car-sharing >> www.blablacar.fr

For more information, ask at the Tourist Information Office nearest to the trail starting point >> www.paysdesecrins.com

Access and parking

6.7 km from L'Argentière-La Bessée, take the N94.

Parking :

mayor's office ("Mairie") car park, La Roche-de-Rame

Sensitive areas

Along your trek, you will go through sensitive areas related to the presence of a specific species or environment. In these areas, an appropriate behaviour allows to contribute to their preservation. For detailed information, specific forms are accessible for each area.

Short-toed snake eagle

Impacted practices:: Aerial,

Sensitivity periods:: MarAprMayJunJulAugSep

Contact:: Parc National des Écrins Julien Charron julien.charron@ecrins-parcnational.fr

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8 points of interest

Water
Bouchouse mountain stream
The Bouchouse mountain stream is fed by the Le Pansier and La Pisse mountain streams 1,900 metres above sea level. It crosses the municipality of La Roche-de-Rame, supplying it with water. This mountain stream then flows into the Durance below the municipality.
Flora
The narrow-leaved lavender
The narrow-leaved lavender has greenish-grey leaves and violet flowers. It grows in sunny areas, a reminder that the Pays de Écrins is in the Southern Alps after all! Not to be confused with the lavandin, this plant naturally grows on rocky slopes in the mountains of the Midi. The word «lavender» is thought to come from the Latin "to wash". This etymology suggests that lavender was used at a very early date to perfume washing.
History
Bel Pinet
Bel Pinet stands at 1,400 metres above sea level in the Bouchouse valley, in the municipality of La Roche-de-Rame. Bel Pinet, or Bel-Pinet, designates the slopes under the rocky cliffs of the Oumbras. It was once irrigated by the Bel Pinet Canal, which suggests that it used to be cultivated and would therefore have been less wooded. The term "Pinet" simply means a place planted with pines (Pinus in Latin). So Bel Pinet means a beautiful place planted with pines, or a beautiful pine wood.
Flora
The aspen wood
Here, a wood of aspen trees, with smooth greenish trunks and round, crenulated leaves, adopt magnificent autumn colours. The petiole («tail») of aspen leaves is flat and twisted and can therefore be caught by the slightest breath of air. This has the effect of making the foliage tremble, hence its French name bois de tremble!
History
The Pink Marble of Combe Mounière
In the nineteenth century, there were four quarries in La Roche-de-Rame. They exploited deposits of metamorphosed limestone which was pink in colour. One of these, the Combe Mounière quarry, produced stone which was used in particular in the construction of the new Cathedral of Saint-Arnoux in Gap, between 1866 and 1904. When exposed to the elements, the surface of the limestone takes on a grey patina.
Fauna
The spotted nutcracker
A harsh call sounds from the forest. A jay perhaps? No, a nutcracker, its cousin. With dark, white-spotted plumage, this bird's strong beak can break open hazelnuts (although not walnuts as suggested by its name in French, cassenoix (walnut breaker)) and in particular it can dissect Swiss pine cones in order to reach the pine nuts inside. It inhabits high forests. It buries Swiss pine nuts in the ground to store up food for the winter. When winter comes, it will find the pine nuts again even under a thick layer of snow. Those it forgets will germinate.
Flora
The Norway spruce
Its slender conical silhouette can rise to a height of 40 to 50 metres. It is the tallest of the indigenous softwood trees. Its white wood has a scent of resin. It is widely used for wooden framework in construction, and also to make musical instruments because it is strong and easy to work. Its long, pointed cones hang downwards, unlike fir cones which are upright. It can live for between 300 and 400 years.
Fauna
The black woodpecker
The biggest bird of the woodpecker family, its shape is perfectly adapted for life in the trees. It can easily be identified by its overall black colour with a bright red cap extending from the forehead to the back of the neck in the male, and just a red mark in the female. It lives in tree-covered areas, which it needs for its food and for its nesting method. It feeds mainly on ants and insects which it extracts by drilling into the back with its sharp beak.