Échappées belles – Haute-Savoie, un été dans les Aravis

Et pour ne rater aucune de vos Échappées belles, abonnez-vous ici : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-HX7z7qJlbuYvhTa3VhGKQ/featured?sub_confirmation=1

Échappées belles – Haute-Savoie, un été dans les Aravis 18 octobre 2025

Loin du tourisme de masse, le massif des Aravis est un territoire préservé, à cheval entre la Haute-Savoie et la Savoie. Cette chaîne montagneuse invite à une découverte authentique des Alpes. Ici, pas de foule ni de grands complexes touristiques : juste des alpages à perte de vue, des fermes adossées à la montagne, des sentiers propices à l’évasion. Jérôme Pitorin part à la rencontre d’habitants, passionnés de leur région et amoureux de leurs sentiers de randonnée. Ce voyage au grand air, entre traditions, paysages et moments simples, permet de renouer avec l’essentiel.

… Clinking of cowbells. … … … … -The panorama is fabulous! Is this your playground? When you go with groups… -Yes. -Hiking. -You’ll see, up there, it’s crazy. -Very good. Hello everyone. Thank you for being loyal to our “Echappées belles”. I’m taking you to discover the magnificent Aravis massif, with Dominique, in particular. Thank you. -Hop! -The view over the valley… -It’s beautiful! -Ah yes. How is this massif broken down? -The Aravis barrier is in front of us. It starts in Savoie, almost from Albertville, and goes up to the Arve valley. -One part is in Savoie, the other in Haute-Savoie. -This geology has been reworked by glaciers. These different green valleys are the former passage of the glacier, which formed this valley in front of us. -It’s more the Haute-Savoie side that I’m going to explore during my stay. I came to this massif in winter. It’s the first time I’ve come in summer. I’m going to meet those who are keeping the know-how alive. A young generation has taken on the task. I’m going to meet them. -We’re going to visit the south of the Aravis with two young people aged 18 and 23. They’re two donkeys. -The young generation. -We’re going to camp in the mountains. -Great! I welcome you to the Aravis massif in “Echappées belles”. … -What a pleasure! -In Haute-Savoie… -We find ourselves in front of a typical chalet. These eaves all made of wood, spruce, a local wood… -There is a spectacular and preserved place. -(Look! (He comes closer.) -Who makes people… -“Money that sleeps “in the cellar doesn’t feed you.” -…stronger. -On a ridge, it’s a feeling of fullness. I feel free, in my element. That’s where I feel good. -1, 2, 3! There you go! We learn to dissociate the upper and lower parts of the body. We only push with our legs. They learn. -In the Aravis massif… -I hope my grandchildren will play the Alphorn. Even in 150 years or more. I hope it survives. -Jérôme has mountain feet. -They say he’s stubborn, but he’s an animal that needs to cooperate. When he trusts you, you go to the ends of the earth. -WELCOME TO THE ARAVIS! -It’s great that you came to meet me and accompany me. -It’s great to come see us. -How long is the hike? -It takes an hour and a half, no worries. -For you. -It takes me an hour. In altitude, it’s 400 m. -Are you from the region? -I live at Lake Annecy, but I’m from Franche-Comté. -Isn’t there a ski lift? -Normally, there are seats! Not in use. -The paragliders love it. -It’s great! -Where did this desire to work in a refuge come from ? -Nature is very important. My parents are sensitive to nature. We walked the mountains and looked at the little flowers, the birds. I love the mountains and isolated places. And there you have it! -Oh! The landscape opens up. -It’s so beautiful! A very beautiful panorama. With… The whole succession of Aravis valleys and the refuge, which is in the sun, over there. -Okay. OK. -We can see the chimney. -It blends into the rock. -We can see the summit of Pointe Percée, the highest peak of the Aravis. -We still have a long way to go. -Yes. Here we go again. -Hey… -It’s beautiful! Yes. -It’s like being in “Heidi,” with all the flowers. -You have lots of essences. -It’s fabulous! Is that the path? -There. Let’s start the fun part. It’s steep. Do you want a stick? -It’s okay for now. Thanks. Gasps. -Hop! -Wait! -Excuse me. Yes. Sorry. I’ll let you breathe. -Yes. Still. We’re at 2,500. -We’re not at 2,000 yet. Soon. -I felt a lot more. -It’s worth coming to us. -The reward is there. That’s why I’m stopping, to contemplate. -Yes. We’re starting to see the grooves. -Yes. -It makes channels where the water has carved into the rock. It’s nice. -It looks like chisel work. -Yes. I don’t think man could have done better. We’re on a karst plateau in its finest definition. It’s magical. -There it is! We’ve never been so close. -You see… Last push and I’ll introduce everyone to you. -Your team. -Yes. My lovely team. Good evening. Sorry. -It’s crowded! -The common room. Everything happens here. I’ll take you to your room. -It’s okay. -You’re in the Bouquetin dormitory. You already have a roommate with you. -Very well. -Choose. -I’ll sit here. It’s really well set up. -You have dormitories of 6, 8, 14. We have a total capacity of 49. -Oh yeah! Not bad. -Yes. It’s not… It’s not that big. I worked in a shelter with 90, even 130. It’s the factory. -Wow! -The team… -Yes. -Orianne, my assistant caretaker. -Hi! -Adrien. -Very well. -So here, we’ll have Albane and Emilie, my cook. -Are you making the soup? -The cook. -Shall I help? -We’re missing someone, so we’ll be able to ask you. It won’t be too much. -Perfect. What are we eating? Is there soup? -Red lentil and coconut soup. -To be continued? -Ground beef and white bean stew. -There are a lot of people. Good evening. -GOOD EVENING. -Does everyone have forks? -Yes. -Clarisse. We’ve put down instructions for a pleasant stay. Please use your sleeping bags. We don’t have the leisure to do laundry every day. Take back your waste. We don’t have the trash every day. Help keep the shelter clean. I’ll see you later for the billing! -I’ll put this here. It’s a red lentil soup with coconut milk. -These soups are my favorites. -Is it going well? -Yes. -Is it good? Have you been here before? -Me, yes, my wife, no. -First time. -Do you like it? -It’s fantastic. -The ibex comes to greet you. -There’s another one over there! Over there! -They’re so beautiful! -Great! -There, one with little horns. -Lucky! I’m in the Ibex room. The whole lot! It’s nice. Not shy. -They’re close. -It’s impressive. -It’s really nice. -Yes. It’s so good. … -Are you okay? -Yes. And you? It’s beautiful! -It cleared up. It was overcast. I slept well. It’s quiet. It’s pleasant. -I believe you. -Are you staying long? -I have 6 months of opening: 2 months minimum in winter and 3 months minimum in summer. I adjust as I see fit. You have to come back down from time to time to see your loved ones, to have some time for yourself, because we have long days. -You’re in a vacuum here. You’re very close, united, but you need time for yourself. -It’s essential. -Have a nice walk! -Thank you. -Have a nice day! -Good. I’m going back down. -Yes. Thank you for coming. -Thank you. Have a nice end to the season. -Thank you. -Take care of yourself. -Just the same. -We can see the first rays of sunshine illuminating the Etale mountain. -If these walkers got up at dawn… -We’re getting closer to the more alpine environment. -They hope to meet the mountain’s totem animal. -(Look. There’s one here. (He goes behind the trees.) -Damn! -It’s going to fall! -It’s quite shy, quite fearful, but quite curious. They’ve spotted us. They’re disturbed. -The Aravis have exceptional wildlife: ibex, marmots, and chamois. You still have to take the time to observe them. -There are ibexes everywhere. I have two in the telescope if you want to look. -We don’t bother them anymore. They’ve forgotten us. It’s magnificent! -I’d never seen one. In a natural environment, it’s even prettier. That it still exists is great! -It’s touristy, with the presence of ski resorts, but if you get off the beaten track, there are hidden treasures, wild corners, settings like this, where you can reconnect with what’s essential. -To experience the mountains differently, you have to change your point of view. -We see lots of new paths. Off-piste. It’s strange to see the resort in the summer like this. It’s a change. -Yes. -This family is going to treat themselves to a dose of thrills, a descent with these “mountain karts”. But a little briefing is in order. -Hello. -HELLO. -The right brake is for the right wheel, the left for the left. No brakes in front. You can arrive at turns, have fun drifting. -Are you scared? -No. -Ready to let go? -Hop! -Let’s go for the descent: a 4 km dirt track on cars that can reach 70 km/h. -I’m scared! -No! That’s good! Keep the speed! -Lean in! We’re really close to the ground. So, that… It’s a change from mountain biking. -Once the warm-up is over, it’s impossible to resist the pleasure of the race. -It’s a bit like “Mario Kart”. It’s new. It’s accessible to everyone. You can go there with the family, at any age. We want to go back. -A little. -A little, yes. -In the mountains, for new sensations, you have to make a bit of an effort. -Aren’t the bags too heavy? -It’s okay. -It’s okay. -Good. There, we have the Giffre River, with a rapid. We speed up to reach our embarkation point to board before nightfall. -Eliott and his clients are not simple hikers. They are lovers of a whitewater discipline. -Hop là! -After an hour of walking and inflation, their boat is ready for adventure. -Your turn! We call it a Pack Raft. They will allow us to descend the river behind me, the alpine river. They are very light boats, 2 kg, so they are easy to carry. They allow us to take the public to secret places. -Let’s go for a 10 km descent on these wild waters. -We will arrive in a fast. OK. That’s great! -A part of the river where they’re the only ones venturing. -Right in the middle! A quick word for the camera? Let’s keep going. After the rapids, we’ll stop. Yes! Hop! -It’s a great feeling. It’s fast. It has a special quality. We’re all alone with our guide. It’s great to discover the mountains in a different way. -Come on. We’ll take the boats. Bells ring. … … … … … -It’s great, this village nestled between the big resorts. -We’re in Serraval, where I live, a small village of just over 700 inhabitants. We’re south of the Aravis. La Clusaz is above. We’re going to La Petite Epicerie for a snack. -That works. -Hi, Steph! -Hi! -Hello. -Hello. -Great! -Local products in the butcher’s shop and cheeses, groceries, terrace for coffee, beer. -And bread depot. -Yes. Fresh bread. -You’re a bit of a village fairy. -I hope so. -You’re young. Has it been a long time? -This is the 3rd year. I wanted to work for myself, to meet people. It’s perfect. -Do you know what we’re having? -What do you want? -Pâté en croûte. As for sausage, do you like smoked? -Yes. I like it a lot. -And a little goat cheese. -I have Bruno’s Tomme cheese, plain or fenugreek. -Fenugreek. -It’s excellent. -And a Biscantin. -Come on. -Is it? -Cider. -Serraval apples. -Great! -That’s all? -It’s good. -Should I put it on the bill? -Sir has his account! -There. Thank you. -Thank you. -I’ll take the two essentials. -Thank you. -Have a good day. Goodbye. -I see them. -Here are Pépito and Vanille. -Those are delicious little names. -Vanille is 18, he is 23. -So beautiful! -I’m collecting the equipment. We’re going to brush them and equip them for the hike. So… I’m going to entrust Vanille to you. Pépito must be framed. Give it a few brush strokes, you’ll see the dust come off. They roll in the dust to defend themselves against insect bites. -How did this passion for donkeys begin? -I’m from Burgundy. I discovered the mountains at the age of 10 in the neighboring Beaufortain region. One day, near Lake Roselend, I saw two gigantic mules emerge from the clouds, one of which was sitting a gentleman. I thought, “Later, I want to be that.” At that age, I wanted to be a muleteer. -You went all the way. -Exactly. We’re going to saddle them. You can put this part at the back, and this in front. And this is for Pépito. The packsaddle is a carrying tool. Is that good? -Great! And there you have it, Vanille is saddled. -Come on, Vanille! -Vanille! -Come on! To climb towards this summit, where we’re going to spend the night at Le Sappey… -Are you coming, Vanille? Come on, my dear. This part in the undergrowth is very pleasant. It’s cool. -Yes. -A real joy. -Come on. -It’s a climb. -We’ll arrive at a slightly gentler track. Come on, Vanille! -We have to stop eating. -There. Great, donkeys! -Come on, Vanille! Come on, Vanille! -He’s not a stubborn animal, he needs to cooperate. When he trusts, you go to the ends of the earth. There are differences. Vanille doesn’t like working with young children. -She gives me the cold shoulder! -That’s probably why! When I started working with donkeys, they were a tool. We wanted to make the mountain easier for drug addicts. I quickly saw that they carried more of their own personal backpacks … -Everything difficult they had learned in their lives? -Yes. They could share it without judgment. It made me want to train in animal mediation and do mediation. Have you heard of the dunce cap? It seemed to have been created to bring the donkey’s wisdom. -You haven’t been good, I’ll put the cap of wisdom on you and you’ll become good again. It’s been hijacked. -Completely. There’s beautiful light. -Oh yes. -It’s magnificent! -Someone’s coming. We have to wait. It’s Stephanie. -Yes. -She’s jogging. -Are you on the way up? -Yes. One more bit. -Let’s go up slowly. -OK. -Are you going up too? -Yes. Good luck. Have a good day. -Have a good walk too. Hey, that’s working the cardio. -We’re getting to the bivouac area. We’re setting up to unload the gear. Come on, Pépito! Come on. -Well done, Vanille! Thanks. You were great! -Come on. We’ll get out what we bought. A sausage over there. -There are lots of things. We’ll enjoy ourselves. I’d love to try that. To our walk! To Pépito and Vanille, who are incredibly calm ! -They’re calm after the hike. -Is this mountain range well suited to this kind of excursions with animals? -It’s a mountain range made for that. It’s not too high up. It’s a fairly open environment. After the forest, we have the mountain pastures, an environment in which agriculture shapes the landscape. The mountain pasture is where domestic and wild meet. I find it an interesting environment, where you see some cool things. The bivouac, we pitch the tent at sunset, we take it down the next day and we haven’t left a trace. That’s my idea. -Shall we pitch the tents higher up? -On the flat. That way we’ll have a nice view of the Aravis mountain range. -Come on. Your shoulders! OK? Did you see? What did he do with his shoulders? -He’s straight. -Don’t do anything. Same here, Jojo. Just legs. That’s great! That’s great! I’m trying to teach them to separate the upper and lower body. We only push with our legs. There you go. -They’re going to need their legs. This morning, the young people from the Contamines club are going to do a series of flights. -Come on, Marius! -It’s technical. -When you let go of your pole, you put your butt down, you bend down. Not your butt there. Is that good? -You have to conquer your fear of heights. -Are you feeling the pressure? Come on. On 3! 1, 2, 3! There you go. Impeccable! The hardest part is daring to jump into the void. Once you’re on the rail, you can’t stop. You start young. The little ones don’t have that apprehension. They trust the springboard. -For the more experienced children, you can jump on the 30m springboard, a giant that can make you fly up to 60m. -When I was little, I used to jump off the small springboard. Here, it scared me. Now, I jump off bigger springboards. It’s so cool. You fly, you get the feeling. … -Oh! Nice! -In the valley, we like activities that are a bit high up. -You bend your knees. Look at the tree. Stare at a point. Take your time. I’m teaching him to slackline. He’s 4 and a half, it’s just the beginning. The first tips. All the way. Are you going to the tree alone? Whoops! Bravo! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… Ah! Almost. It was good. He’s at the age where his body can balance on a strap. It’s difficult. He’s doing well. I can’t wait for him to grow up so we can go into the void together. -We’ll have to wait, because Nathan trains on impressive installations. Near his home, in Le Reposoir, he installed this 350 m long strap. -I know roughly from the noise and the force I pull how much tension there is. Now it’s good. I’m ready. -Nathan Paulin is a master of highlining, which involves walking along a 4 centimeter wide strap. A well-oiled ballet. -To stay on the highline, my legs are very strong, my arms supple. I look straight ahead. I try to be as gentle as possible with every step. The wave comes back and can knock me down. That’s what you have to master. -Nathan has mastery. The Haute-Savoie native is a pioneer. For 10 years, he has broken world records. by casting his line in iconic places around the world. His feat: crossing the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, 2.2 km. Nothing predestined him for it. -When I was young, I had bad experiences. The void really terrified me. I was good at ground level. Crossing the void was another world. Vertigo is present in highlining. The wire moves and there is the void around it. There is nothing worse. The void is being face to face with yourself. You have to manage your emotions, your fears. It helped me a lot to learn about myself and to be better in other areas. -We’re going to leave the donkeys behind and settle down facing the southern part of the Aravis. -This view! It’s sumptuous! -Shall we attack your room? -The rest! -Of course. There you go. -“Perfecto”. -I suggest we go get some camera traps, which will show the wildlife around us. -What can we see? -We might see roe deer, chamois, a few deer, foxes, etc. There, we can see a small path. -It’s packed. -It’s packed more. The wildlife skirts the park. This could be a good place to set the trap. Not bad. -Good. -We’ll set it up. We just have to make a note here. And off we go! With this, we’ll learn a little more. -Good. -It’ll be our eyes. It works. Off we go. I wish you a good night. -It’s going to be good. We’ve walked well and we’re going to sleep peacefully. Rest. -Good night. Bye! -Come on, hop! There you go. Good. Time to sleep. Come on. See you tomorrow. … It’s sunny out there! How are you, Dom? -Hi! -It’s nice out there. -Are you okay? -Good night? -Good. Great. -Same. -Not too cold? -At one point, it was stinging. I had to do it again. It was very pleasant. We could hear nature, the birds… It’s so good. We didn’t see the wolf, the fox… -We’ll see later. -With the camera traps. Thank you very much. Great! What is the reaction of the young people when you take them here to sleep in the mountain pastures? -At night, it’s complicated to manage. There’s emotion, a fear. In the morning, it’s a new perspective. It’s a very small adventure, but it is one. -They succeeded. -In doing something. -In the mountains. -It’s nice. We’re going to see the camera traps, if they captured anything. -Of course. -Hop there! Ah! Chamois! -Let’s see. -There. Female and young. -A cub. -A young of the year. Beautiful image. It’s good. They’re close. -There’s a triggering noise. It surprises them. It freezes them in place and they watch. -It’s hard to imagine. -Nice! -What animals have you had the opportunity to observe? -There are those that we usually observe: roe deer, stags, chamois, badgers, foxes, but there are the little ghosts of the forest, the wildcat. It’s an endemic European species that cannot be domesticated. On the other hand, this one is absolutely discreet. These traps show if they’re there. Bells tinkling. … Now, we’re going to see Bruno. We ate his cheese yesterday. -The goatherd? -Yes. -Isn’t he far? -We’ll be able to go see him. -Excellent. -Come on. Bleating. Bells tinkling. … Bleating and bells tinkling. … -Hello! -Hello! -How are you, Bruno? -Hello. Hello! -Pleased to meet you. Welcome to the mountain pasture. -Thank you. I didn’t know you were close. -We slept at his place. -Thank you for your hospitality. -With pleasure. -Weren’t we too noisy? It was okay. Are these your goats? -Everyone’s here. We have two breeds of goats: chamois-colored Alpine goats, the brown ones, and the light-colored Savoy goats, with a small population, 700 individuals… -Are you maintaining the breed? -We’re trying, yes. A breed endemic to Savoy. -Dominique was explaining to me that the wolf was prowling. How do you manage with your animals? -They’re in an electrified pen at night, with the dogs. When they’re out on the open range, the dogs stay with them. They navigate around. They mark their territory. I’ve never had any problems. -Shall we see them up close? -We’re going to start milking. Come on, everyone! Hop! Come on! Let’s go. Come on! Yep! Come on! -Come on! Let’s go, girls! Blow the cowbells. They’re as obedient as donkeys. … -Come on, you little ones! … Easy there! 2, 3… 4. -They’re falling into place right away. -6! Your turn! -Over here, Galinette! Come on. Help me. There you go. That’s good. -It’s been rainy recently, the milk isn’t on the rise. It’s pretty calm. We’re at the end of lactation. Come on! -Let’s have a bite to eat. -This is tomme, and then, petits palets, 2 maturings. -Yesterday, we had fenugreek. -It works really well. It’s a nice blend. -Good combination. -A little fresher. -Oh yes! -It’s summer. The cheeses go super fast. I try to mature them over 3 weeks. Generally, they go. It’s always better. “Money sleeping in the cellar doesn’t feed the man.” -You make nice stops at friends’ houses. -You can start. -We’re going to taste this. This breakfast is delicious. It was a great hike. Vanille and Pépito are animals you quickly become attached to. Thank you for sharing these moments with me, your story. To end on a high note like that, regal at the bar. -A pleasure in the heart of the mountains. Helicopter engine. … *-I can see it, up there. *-Higher. *-About thirty meters. *-Let’s go. -In the heart of the massif, when someone needs help, they are the first on the scene. -Sir! Can you hear me? -This morning, the PGHM men are in full action. -Can you hear me? Not hurt? -Not hurt. -You don’t move on the Vire. I’ll join you. -Today is an exercise. -We’re going to work in the axis of the grassy corridor. -We have to watch out for the stones. Here we go. -They don’t neglect any detail. -When we arrive, the main job will be to assess all the risks without forgetting any and to determine a work strategy. -The idea is to watch out for all the stones that could come loose from the ground, that could fall on the victim. OK. 3 meters. -OK. I’ll secure the victim. Go on. Let’s go back up. -The peloton practices these training sessions every week. -That’s good. -There. Secured. -The massif should hold no secrets for them. -In a vast universe, knowing the trails, knowing if it’s passable… If there’s a helicopter, accessing from one place is easier than from another… Knowing the terrain is part of the job and it helps when you have to make decisions. -It’s not seen from a helicopter that he knows the Aravis best. In civilian life, he’s Michel Lanne, a renowned trail runner, winner of international competitions. The Pyrenees native took up residence here 12 years ago. He knows these trails by heart. Here we are in the Tardevant valley, one of the many valleys of the Aravis. Here I train. The Aravis has a special appearance. Valleys with a 1,000 m drop. At the top, they are crossed by a straight ridge. And there, at 2,000 m, we enter a more mineral, more abrupt universe. I love that. -Michel Lanne is a lover of the Aravis. -Mont Fleuri, it’s behind us! -A playground where he likes to set himself serious challenges. He has linked all its peaks in one day. The ridges of the Aravis are his garden. -That’s it, we’re at the top of the valley. We’re on the summit of the Aravis. And so now, I’m going to take this ridge that goes to the summit of Mont Charvet, and beyond. It’s dozens of kilometers of sharp ridges. I’m going there, there. Forward! Let’s go! -Over the years, Michel has invented a discipline for himself, a mix between trail running and climbing, where he brings all his experience to bear. Gasps. -When you’re moving along these ridges… The idea is not to get caught up in the speed, to be very flexible on the supports. It’s incredible. This feeling of freedom, here… When you’re on a ridge, it’s a feeling of fullness. I feel like I’m free, in my element. I love it. A little comfort. The first time I came, I loved the beauty of the landscapes. This massif is full of secrets. You have to have a little explorer’s soul and say to yourself: “Have I seen everything in the Aravis?” We’re always surprised to discover hidden corners. It’s magnificent! It’s adventure on your doorstep. -Michel likes to enjoy his garden with his family. -Come on! I’ll catch up! It’s interval training. Either run or walk. -Tonight, he’s going to camp with his two children… -OK. And there you go. The Carlton… -And his wife, Camille, a former trail runner. -I used to do that a lot too. We’ve shared ridge runs like that. Seeing us love it, César is constantly asking us to go running, cycling… We’ve immersed them in it since they were little. It’s going to continue like that. -Today, little César, four years old, is going to be served. -Come on. -As a story, he has a climbing class. -We’re going up here. We’re putting our feet in the hollows. With Hands, grab the horns. -Yes. With your feet, the corners. -Come on. Are we going? Go straight ahead. Great! -Oh, hoist! -Is it hard? Come on. Straight like that. Put your foot on the rock. There. This is no joke. -No. -No. Yes, there. Great! We won! -Yes. We won! -We left everything over there. Hit it! I never imagined staying here. Passion has spoken. -Yum! -And then, I think I’ll walk the Aravis to accompany the little ones on this discovery if they wish. The passion will remain. Bells ringing. -A handsome farmer, here we go. Inaudible words. … -I like to mix ice cream and sorbet. If you have a sweet tooth, there are hazelnuts with pieces, organic hazelnut paste. -So good! -With the gooseberry, I would use meadowsweet or basil. Both are quite powerful. -How much do we owe you? -That’ll be 19.50 E. -Hello. -Hello. -How are you, Elisabeth? Hello. Jérôme… Nicolas… The market is huge! -It’s the biggest market in Haute-Savoie. -Are you family? -No. I’m a woofer. -You work. -15 days. -Are these your ice creams? -Homemade. -Flavors? -We put the emphasis on plants. I have Nino’s basil. Then I have mint from my garden, Meadowsweet that we pick wild. And fir, fir bud alcohol. -I’d like to taste that. It feels like you’re nibbling on thorns. It’s strong. -In strong, we have basil. What makes it all is the milk. I only pasteurize it once. It’s quite fatty milk. It takes on the scent of the plants. -Where does the milk come from? -From our cows. -From your farm? -Yes. Cows are more my brother. -Will you take me to see the farm? -Yes. -It’s great! Bravo! -I’m a pastry chef. I’ve worked in restaurants, in many Michelin-starred restaurants. Now, I’ve gone back to the source. My favorite profession is pastry. -What do we have to sell? -Wild blackberry. You can’t find it anywhere else. -Ah! Blackberry! We’re treating ourselves. We’re enjoying homemade products made by an excellent pastry chef. -Today, we’re giving you a taste of fir, redcurrant, and basil. -Firberry. -We knew it. Fir, great! -I’ll take vanilla. -Blackberry. -Blackberry is the new thing. We made it yesterday. -Perfect. -It’s launched. The success is there. -We work with restaurants. We’re making ourselves known. We’re not visible at the farm. We work with restaurants that are interested in producers. It’s the best way to make ourselves known. Shall I take you to the farm? -When you arrived here, to develop your business, did you approach people? -I only went to the market. Word of mouth helped me. Here, there’s tourism. We can sell our products. The fact that we work with local fruits, grandparents are happy to rediscover flavors they use in their jams. We have a loyal clientele of elderly people. Here, we are in the village of Clefs. It’s where I grew up. Clinking of cowbells. … -The farm. I see it up there. And there you have it. “Ice Creams and Sorbets.” Great! It’s a blessing to have grown up surrounded by this lush nature. -We have a wonderful view of the Tournette. -Do you grow all your herbs and fruit here? -Yes. I do everything here. And I pick in the mountains. We’re going to pick some rhubarb. Here, there’s verbena. -Yes. -Passion tagetes, the scent of passion fruit. -I don’t know. Oh yes! -A pineapple sage. -It’s an exotic garden. You wouldn’t think you were at high altitude. -I have a slightly redder variety of rhubarb. Yours is more tangy. For ice cream, it adds something. -What course did you take? -A hotel school. I was drawn to cooking. I lived in the South, near Switzerland, in Paris and England. -You’ve moved around quite a bit. What brought you back? -My parents’ retirement. My brother took over the farm on his own. I wanted to work with him. Doing it here made sense. Doing it as a family. -Right away, it clicked: “I’m going to be able to make ice cream”? -It clicked. I thought about a product I could make on my own, that would keep over time and be varied. I don’t like routine. I like being in the creative process. -Shall we continue? -Yes. -They’re beautiful. They’re huge. -It’s a hardy variety. Hop! -I like charlotte! -Hop! It’s blackberry sorbet. -Oh! How much do you produce per day? -It varies. I try to make 60 liters per day in the summer. -Oh yes! -We’re going to put the mixture in my ice cream maker. We have to be patient. -Is there already the right milk inside? -There’s no milk there. It’s just a sorbet. -Okay. -I’ll take it out. -Wow! Magnificent! It looks like cream. I won’t lie to you, it’s tempting. -That’s when it’s best, at minus 7 degrees. -The fruit, there… It’s concentrated. It’s magnificent! Thank you. Bravo! A delight! 100% fruit. -We’re going to leave for a delivery. My brother. -OK. Hi! Jérôme. -Grégoire. -You produce this delicious milk for ice cream? -That’s it. I take care of the dairy herd, the fodder, the cows, the fields… -How was the surprise to see your sister come back? -I was happy. It’s working well. -You make a great product. -Very good. -Good luck. -Thank you. Goodbye. -Hop! -We’re just going up a little in altitude, that changes everything. The view is so beautiful. It’s clear. There’s no one there. -Is that the restaurant? -Yes. -It’s not bothered by the neighbors. -No. Come on. -Hop! -It’s good. -Hello. -HELLO. -Jérôme. -Laura. -Hi! -Hello. Alexis. -Hi! -Pleased to meet you. -Pleased to meet you. Beautiful chalet. -Thank you. -Wow! It’s charming. Very welcoming. It’s original, this perched restaurant, a little isolated from everything. How long has it been there? -1806. -Was it a refuge? -A farm. It’s been a restaurant for 30 years. -Have you been here? -3 years. -How did you find out about Elisabeth’s products? -We tasted her ice cream at the farm and we really fell in love with her product. -Very good. What did you choose? -Meadowsweet. I have a burnt and smoked white chocolate cream. I have a little yellow peach compote. -It looks tempting. -My gavotte tuiles . -OK. -And the meadowsweet ice cream. It’s finished. We’re going to taste it. -It works. It’s delicious. It’s fresh and not very fruity, so it’s very pleasant on the palate. It brings freshness, it’s magnificent. -It’s nice. The smoky touch, I wouldn’t have thought of it. -You should make a smoked ice cream. -It’s an idea for Christmas. A small smoked log. -We’ll be interested. -Done. -Done. Gasps. … -Here we are on the vertical kilometer of Manigod. It’s climbing. It’s a great effort. I like coming here. You have your heart in your mouth and a crazy view at the top. Today, we’ll see. -If Alexandre rose above the clouds, it’s for an original performance. With an instrument that is no less so. -Do you know the expression “Little horn will become big”? -He’s one of the best Alpine horn players. He likes to give his 3.50 m instrument some air. -I’m going to try to find the best possible resonance with the wind, and… We’re going to test it. Alphorn tune. … … Echoes in the mountains. … Yes! That’s good. There, we have twice the resonance coming back. Let’s go for a fun game. Alphorn tune. -Two years ago, Alexandre embarked on a crazy project: playing the horn on all the peaks of the Aravis. It’s a return to his roots. -The Alphorn is a communication instrument. It was mainly used to announce two dangers: the wolf and a storm. Horn tune in the distance. The Alphorn is a mountain instrument. It must be kept in its environment. … Alphorn tune. -In the valley… … -Yes. That’s really good. -Romain Boulanger, 30, also knows a thing or two about it, because he makes these horns. -It is an instrument where we seek resonance with the vibration of the lips on the mouthpiece, which leads the vibration to the tip, with amplification. -Romain makes horns in the traditional way, from spruce wood. Small taps. -We can clearly hear instantly that the resonance is well controlled. … … -Five years ago, this carpenter trained with a traditional maker. Dozens of instruments came out of his workshop. Unique pieces, requiring more than 100 hours of work. -What I like about this construction is really this atypical effect that the instrument itself has. It is conical, curved like the bell… And this sound that we find at the end… This instrument, we don’t know at the beginning how it will sound. When we finally play it, we realize its sound, the importance, the nobility of the wood. -Romain’s workshop is already well known. -Hi! -Hi, Philippe! How are you? -Good. How are you working? -Yes. Look. This is the horn I’m going to have you try. We’re going outside. Alphorn tune. … What do you think? -It looks pretty good, flexible in its attacks. I’m surprised. -I’m quite proud of being able to produce beautiful instruments. I really have the particularity of wanting to do my best and always improve the instrument. -Thank you. See you soon. -Hi! -Thanks to Romain, there’s no shortage of horns in the valley. Clarinets ringing. Horn. … For his part, Alex has come back down to train the young players. -Shall we go together? Nod. G on the alphorn. We try to play it really loud. Take in a lot of air, as if you were a big, burly man with a big belly. Let’s play a big G. Come on. G. -This evening, Alex is giving a lesson to Léon, 12 years old. -Great! -Yes. Thank you. -The cows have stopped. -At first, I saw this instrument. Its originality made me want to play it. It’s easy at first. Then, when you go up into the treble or bass, you need to have enough breath to push the notes all the way to the end of the horn. -We’re going to do an exercise. The sky is coming at us really fast. There’s going to be a big storm. Now, we have to warn everyone. Are we going? -Lightning? -Yes. A lot. -OK. He plays several repeated notes. … -Me, for sure, I was scared. I’m going home and I’m going to bring everyone back home. Bravo! He plays the same note several times. I’m happy to see these younger generations getting into it. I hope my grandchildren will play it, and the great-grandchildren. In 150 years, I won’t be here anymore, but I hope we’ll still have these Alpine traditions. Bell ringing. … -Hey! What a welcoming committee! Hello. -HELLO. -Jérôme. -Mathilde. -Sarah. -Hi, Sarah! -Welcome. -Magnificent! -Thank you. -Wow! -I’ll take you to your room. -It works. -And here’s the little room. -Cool! Thank you. I like the rustic feel. -We stayed in the authentic atmosphere. -Here, it was a farm. -It was our grandparents’ farm, who made Reblochon. -Original. -Yes. -Great! -Let’s go back down. -Let’s see what’s next. A very nice little kitchenette. A large living room, fireplace. -The travelers’ common areas. This is where they meet around the fire in winter or around the table to eat. We share breakfast. Breakfast is here. Afterwards, there’s outside. Everyone meets in the same place. -You’re so young to manage such an establishment. Since when? -It’s been 2 years. This is our 3rd summer. -It’s because it works well like this. -We like it. -Satisfactory. It was a farm. Part of this farm has remained somewhat as it was? -No. We have photos. -Yes. I’m curious. Those are your little faces. I recognize you. -We really have the before and after. -Oh yes, indeed! It was the hay. -That’s it. -Yes. -3 years of renovations. Are we going to see the family who renovated this farm 20 years ago? -Come on. Saddle up! -Saddle up! -This setting is beautiful! -It’s magnificent. -You’re incredibly lucky! -YES. -To see this… -A dream setting. -I’m launching the breakaway. It’s going to be a great breakaway. Sound of an electric saw. … -Hi! -Have you found the place? -Well yes. -Still! -Hello. Charles. -Jérôme. -Constantin. -Are you taking over? -Yes. Our great-grandfather created this in 1964. The idea is to take over and carry on the torch in the Aravis and beyond. -Your specialty? -Renovation. We take the original element and come and rework it in the workshop to then restore it to a better condition or make a decorative element with it. -The one in front of your chalet, was it you who renovated it? -Yes. It was a job of… Girls? -A year. -A short year to create a beautiful surface. We create volumes where we feel comfortable. We create something opulent and aesthetic. -The story continues. -We try. Here’s the dad. -Hello. -Are you okay? -Yes. -And you? -Hello. -Jérôme. -Didier. -It’s the dad. Okay. -The dad. -The next generation is here. -Yes. That’s it. -What are you working on? -Here, we’re renovating a chalet in the mountains, a chalet quite high up in altitude. It’s an old chalet, from 1787. -Ah! -We’re happy. An incredible view! We love this kind of challenge. -I can see that. -There are more than 500 chalets in Le Grand-Bornand. Didier has renovated dozens of them. -Will that work? It’s fine. -Get up. -On each of his projects, Didier treats the pieces that make up the chalets with every consideration. -This wood dates from the construction of the chalet. It’s more than 3 centuries old. We want to reconstruct something with the materials of the time. We salvage everything when we take it apart. The smallest plank, the smallest slat… To rediscover the aesthetic that makes our mountain chalets so charming. Come on, hop! So here, I’m putting the slats back in place. I’m putting them back in place so that they’re perpendicular to the rafters. It’s a puzzle. You have to choose the right one, the one that’s wide on the right side. You have to turn it over if necessary. Here, typically, I’m bigger, so I put the big one there. That should do it. There you go. This old wood, if it’s healthy, can last for centuries. These pieces have a patina, knots that stand out. We want to preserve it. -This precious wood is a treasure for the inhabitants. It’s the basic element of their architectural heritage. -We are in front of a typical chalet of Grand-Bornand. We see these large eaves to protect against the snow in winter. We see the solarets for drying hay. They have been opened to create a balcony. It’s made of wood, spruce, a local wood. -It’s not marked. We are in the logging area. I have to find the trees marked by the forest ranger. It’s a treasure hunt. -Lionel is not an orienteering enthusiast. -Not marked. -He’s working. -Not marked . Not marked. -The days begin with a treasure hunt. -Not marked. This one either. It’s one. It’s a tree to be felled, hammered. It will be our first customer of the day. The most opportune place is here. We cut it down to harvest wood, but also to allow the forest to develop. The goal is not to damage it. Sound of a chainsaw engine. … -It’s not an easy job. Dense forest, slopes… Impossible for Lionel to use modern machinery. Alone, chainsaw in hand, he must face the firs and spruces he confronts. … -I’m setting up this jack to send it in the determined direction. Careful! Perfect. I had predicted it would fall there. What we see are these rings. Each ring corresponds to a year. So here, we see that the rings have grown very slowly, which is characteristic of mountain woods. The growing seasons are short. -Here, we have a wood culture. This passion for the material… -Can everyone hear me? -YES! -Perfect. -Some want to pass it on. -The miter saw. We can cut our nails at the same time. Practical! -Really? -No. It’s nonsense! It’s simple. I’ll need to bend my arms and unbend them. Easy peasy! The mission: to use all the teeth of the saw. -The Thônes wood ecomuseum offers children carpentry initiations, to try out tools and familiarize themselves with the material. -When you’ve been doing this for a long time, what I do, at the end, it becomes completely smooth. It’s funny to think that at the beginning, it was a big tree, and then, it’s going to become an easel. -Not bad at all. Impeccable. We keep the same gesture, and you’re only going to move your arms. The body doesn’t move. We fold and unfold with large movements. Magnificent. Great! What’s pleasing is the concrete aspect. After 2 hours of workshop, they leave with an object. It’s an accomplishment for them. Hammer blows. … It also helps to raise awareness among children, their families, and those around them about this wood, which is our heritage, our patrimony. We’re off. We’re staying the course. We’re almost there. There you go. Well done. … Bell tolling. -Hello. Jérôme. I called you. -Hi, Jérôme! -Pleased to meet you. -Welcome. -So many products! -We make liqueurs. -Including Génépi. -That’s it. Génépi from La Clusaz. -It’s recent. -Yes. In 2020, with my brother. An emblematic distillery. It had been run by a family for generations. Alas, everything stopped around 2017. When the still is running, everyone is happy. -Since when had it existed? -They say 1876, the distillery’s first recipe. -Ah! -We’re going to see Romain. He must be distilling. -It works. -If you want, I’ll show you the plants. -Is that génépi? -Yes. When it’s fresh, the little bells are yellow. This plant only grows from an altitude of 2,000 m. -It is. -Famous black génépi. -Why? -It grows above 3,000 m. -The Aravis mountains aren’t high enough. -My brother. -Hello. -I’m visiting your distillery. You make… -The magic potion. -OK. -A génépi maceration. -I recognize… -The plant will pass into neutral alcohol. -Oh! -The alcohol will draw out the aromatics of the plant and soak it up. This is a complete maceration. -Ready to distill. -We do it the old-fashioned way. You mustn’t be allergic. Careful! -The génépi shower, never done. -We’ll take care of the alcohol. -Continuous alcohol vapors. You mustn’t cross the tide. -Our grandfather started distilling fruit. We started distilling from a very young age. It was a family affair. -The reaction of the locals when they saw you? 2 young Ardéchois! -When we arrived, there were a lot of expectations regarding the quality of the products offered. We’re happy to have had favorable feedback from the locals. -When the old-timers taste, we get a little nervous. If the smiles appear… -It’s important. It’s through that. -Will it be heating all day? -We left for 7 hours. It will flow in an hour. Let’s taste the finished product. -Yes. That’s a long time, 7 hours. -So… -The star of the Aravis. Slowly. Drink in moderation. -It should air in the glass. -Thank you. It’s very surprising to smell the plant. -We’re only going to extract the best from the génépi. We’re adding less sugar. Now that we’ve been able to taste the génépi, we’re going to fly over the Aravis. -Now? -Yes. -Direct? -Direct. -After the génépi… -It ‘s fine. -Here we go. -She’s going. -Magnificent! -Good. -It’s satisfying to take off well. -A passion. -Since when? -At 11. I started in middle school. -Brilliant! -Every Wednesday, we did that. We went paragliding. -No drawing lessons. -I started recently. With the young people from the village, it tickled us to see them fly by. It’s a beautiful place to enjoy like that. With these conditions, it’s nothing but pleasure. -Romain, have a good flight! -Have a great time. -It’s going? -It’s going. Magnificent! We’re going running. Again. Whoo! And we’re in the air! -We’re fine. -Superb! -Oh my! What a blast! … There you go. My summer stay in the Alps is coming to an end. It was a rather special moment because the altitude is a test. You have to know how to adapt, you have to know how to give of yourself to appreciate these mountains. I was delighted to discover the Aravis, this exceptional massif. It offers incredible nature … The wild is everywhere. I would like to thank those who accompanied me: Dominique, Elisabeth and her ice, Romain, Mathilde and Sarah. And I also say thank you to Clarisse, who allowed me to climb this Pointe Percée to be able to discover this refuge. It was physically and emotionally demanding. I hope you enjoyed it. See you soon in other countries. You can watch this show again in replay. See you soon. Take care. See you soon. Kisses. france.tv access