Tour des Alpages

Scenic view on the Alpe Prô Sec building, with the Alpe Tsanté-de-Guerra at the forefront. To the upper right, the Alpe Comianaz.

The remains of the old Alpe Tronchaney.

The Alpe Courthod di Meiten and to the bottom right, the Alpe Courthod Desot. On the right side of the picture, at the bottom of the alp, a small humid patch of vegetation can be seen.

Small larches in emergence near the Alpe Courthod Damon.

View on the Alpe Courthod Damon.

"The mountain pastures, meaning the mountains, need a blessing from heaven".
It is probably for this reason that, in 1761, the notary François-Jérôme Frutaz had the Chapel of Fossemagne built at his expenses on his own lands. The chapel, dedicated to Notre-Dame of Oropa, becomes a place of worship every 26th of July, when a mass is celebrated for the occasion of the day of Saint Anne.

To make sure that the building would last in the centuries to come, François-Jérôme Frutaz made sure to involve his neighbours, which included François-Joseph Frutaz, the Gal family and Jean Perrin, who all pledged through a public act to maintain and preserve the chapel forever.

As it often happens, two legends tied to the chapel have emerged. The first one, which is more poetic, claims that a young woman dressed in white would wander around the promontory where the chapel was built. The second one, certainly more pragmatic, suggests that the harsh pastoral life, the scourges, and epidemics which afflicted the local cattles pushed the notary to seek the help of the divine.

Panoramic view on the Fossemagne chapel and on the mountain pastures of the Alpe Tsanté de Guerra.

The Alpe Château and the view on the Alpe Dzanzeve and on the Mont d'Ersaz et Saleron.
According to canon Frutaz's recounting of the construction of the alp, which dates back to 1780, a portion of the stones used in the construction came from the demolition of the Chavacour hospice.

As the sun goes down, the lights of the alps of the Alpe Dzanzeve start shimmering at the base of the Mont d'Ersaz.

The Alpe Château, hidden between the larches, seen from the opposite side of the valley. This will be the next alp that we will cross paths with after the Alpe Petit Chavacour.

As soon as one takes a left turn while following the footpath n.1, the path begins to become flatter, and from the very first turn a wonderful panorama is shown to us: the gneiss of the Tsan peak, which rises majestically in front of us.
The most well-known route is the one opened by Guido Rey in 1896.

The old and new Alpe de Tellinod, bought by the Municipality and later rebuilt.
The remains of the old alp are today the home of numerous Alpine marmots, which do not seem to mind the presence of humans too much.
Towards the end of the afternoon, this place becomes charming, with its oblique sunrays gently touching the nearby objects and casting long shadows, and its Alpine marmots seemingly enjoying the soft heat produced by the end of the day.

The Alpe Comianaz seen from a dirt road which continues upwards towards Gilliarey.

The Alpe Courthod Desot standing under the remains of the Alpe Courthod of Meiten.

The historical Alpe Tronchaney.

In the waters of Loditor one finds the highest occurrence of dense Greenland Tongue in the Alps. The water tongue is an aquatic plant with opposite leaves that lives totally submerged, forming more or less dense stands. Also very conspicuous, especially in the flowering period (midsummer), is Ranunculus peltatus, a white-flowered water buttercup with floating leaves and roots anchored to the seabed. On the banks is the Salix petandra, or smelly willow, a very rare tree in Valle d'Aosta, whose name derives from the characteristic sweet, woody scent released by crushing its leaves. Utricularia minor or lesser bladderwort grows in calcareous stagnant water. It is a carnivorous plant characterised by bladders with a dual function: they act both as floaters and as tiny traps (they have a series of small bristles at the end and contain air. When the bristles are touched, for example by a small crustacean, the trap opens and the animal is sucked in). At least 15 different species of sedges have been recorded in the marshy area, among them the uncommon Carex limosa, whose genus name (Carex) is derived from the Greek 'keìro' (to cut), due to its sharp leaf margin, while the specific name (limosa) refers to its growth on muddy soils. Sphagnum moss is a light, permeable moss that forms dense pads that absorb water like sponges. The forest surrounding the marshy basin is composed of Larch, a coniferous tree typical of the mountain environment characterised by tender needle-like leaves gathered in clumps that turn yellow and fall in autumn.

- The temporaria frog, commonly called the red frog because of its colouration, is spread from relatively high altitudes. Adults are not strictly bound to water, but for reproduction they reach water with a weak current or still, shallow water, where they deposit up to 4000 eggs in gelatinous clusters (eggs). The larva, the tadpole, develops completely in an aquatic environment. Metamorphosis takes place through different stages of development until the adult individual takes on a completely different appearance to the larva. In winter, the adult enters hibernation. Depending on latitude and altitude, hibernation can begin from August to November and lasts until February to June. During hibernation it appears dead, no heartbeat, no breathing. To survive, it produces large quantities of glucose, which reduces the freezing temperature of its body fluids. At the first signs of thawing, it wakes up and immediately begins the breeding season.
- The mallard, an ever-present in ponds and lakes, is the most common wild duck. It spends most of the day on the water and only goes ashore for nesting or to rest and care for its plumage, which it makes waterproof by smearing an oily substance produced by a gland located at the base of its tail with its beak. There is a marked sexual dimorphism, with marked differences between males and females, especially in plumage colouration. In the male, the head and neck are a beautiful dark green - but bright - and a thin white collar emphasises the contrast with the black chest. The head colouration becomes more vivid during the mating season to attract females. The female, on the other hand, is predominantly brown, with a variety of shades from beige to brown. This colouring ensures her optimal camouflage in the marsh vegetation, which is indispensable for hatching eggs and caring for her offspring.
- Dragonflies are insects belonging to the order Odonata that are bound to water for their life cycle. Adults can be recognised by their long abdomen made up of easily recognisable segments, two pairs of densely veined wings, large eyes and very small antennae. They are active during the day, especially in the middle hours, and have an agile and fast flight. All dragonflies are predators, both in the larval and adult stages. Their formidable flying power and extraordinary eyesight make dragonflies unparalleled winged hunters. Prey is captured by ambush (the dragonfly spots prey from its perch, pounces on it, captures it with its legs and returns to its perch to consume it) or in flight (it attacks and devours its prey in flight and without the need to perch). Mating is a fascinating moment that, with luck, can be witnessed: the male makes ritualised movements to attract the female, grabs and holds her, then arches his abdomen, stimulating the female to do the same. If the female proves receptive she will respond by assuming the typical 'heart' position.

Panoramic view on the Triatel village.
The path, with its slight ups and downs, continues peacefully into the woods. Keep the right until you meet a small asphalt road which goes up; then take said road for a bit, since the climb is short.

Spectacular view of the Mont Avic mountain range, as seen from the pastures at the bottom of the Alpe Châtelard.

The Alpe Chavannes, at last renovated, is the first alp you will find after a few minutes. From here you may enjoy a magnificent view of Torgnon and of the eastern part of the Aosta Valley.