Five good reasons to discover the Ecrins
© Marie Durand
Water in all forms is to be found in the Ecrins country, from the top of the Dome des Ecrins to the deafening roar of its countless waterfalls. Known in French as "blue gold", it attracts all sorts of people, from aficionados of powder snow, ice falls or whitewater, to engineers interested in its energy generating properties, to simple visitors in search of the welcome cool and shade of its banks.
Lively
It will whisk you along the lively mountain streams and frothy rapids, in the course of an exciting rafting, kayaking, canyoning, canoeing or white water swimming experience. Alternatively, you might prefer to climb up to one of the numerous mountain lakes and waterfalls in the Ecrins.
Generous
With the help of ancestral irrigation techniques, water discreetly contributes to agricultural development and to the well-being of human beings and other living creatures. Numerous types of human activity can be discovered on the mountain slopes, up to a height of 2,000 m.
Industrious
Thanks to hydroelectricity (known here as "white coal"), water provides us with clean, sustainable and renewable energy. Explore the fantastic industrial heritage it has left since the beginning of the 20th century: mountain dams, monumental hydroelectric power plants and modern micro systems for domestic consumption. It sparked off industrial development in the valley, prior to the advent of tourism.
Frozen
Armed with an ice axe, snap hook at the waist and crampons on your boots, you can brave your first 4000er and tackle the ice on Dome des Ecrins. You can learn to climb an ice wall, one of the local specialities, during the grand international Ice Climbing event.
White gold
In winter, enjoy it on skis, snowboards, sleighs, snow rackets and toboggans, on a huge recreational area, open to all, which has qualified the Ecrins to apply as host for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Remerciements
Cyrille DRUJON D'ASTROS, Président de la Communauté de Communes du Pays des Ecrins (maitre d’ouvrage du site) et Président de l’Office de Tourisme du Pays des Ecrins remercie vivement tous les partenaires financiers qui ont permis l’élaboration du site Latitude Gallimard, et plus particulièrement la région PACA et l’État, sans oublier EDF (partenaire principal du PER).
