The Auberge de la Colombaz: snowshoeing in Les Contamines-Montjoie

2 points of interest

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  Fauna

  Akin to melting snow, the mountain hare vanishes slowly

  A true relic of the most recent ice age, the mountain hare found refuge in the Alps at the time of the great thaw. Adapted to the cold and snow, it is suffering from the rise in temperature, pushing it to higher altitudes, thus shrinking its suitable habitat. Conversely, the warmer temperatures are benefiting the brown hare, as it climbs the mountains alongside the mountain hare. In the Ecrins massif, the average altitude at which brown hares can be seen rose from 1,630 m to 1,930 m between 2014 and 2017. This is a very pronounced local change. Depending on the extent of climate change, the area of habitat suitable for the mountain hare is likely to shrink by 26% to 45% by 2100 in the Alps. Without snow, the white coat of the mountain hare exposes it to predators.

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  Fauna

  What to do if you encounter a wild animal?

  During harsh winters, animals have no other choice than trying their best to survive, one day at a time. Our presence on their territory will obviously disturb them, and even frighten them; so let's try to minimize this disturbance: - Stop and wait quietly until the animal goes away. - Do not shout or make sudden movements which would stress the animal even more. - Do not try to approach it nor follow it