Le Méale

Flora

Pastoralism

Panorama

Top

Embed this item to access it offline

This sporty loop takes you up to the summit of Méale, where the view of Lake Serre-Ponçon and the surrounding peaks will reward your efforts.

This demanding loop takes you to the pyramid-shaped summit of Méale (2426m), above the county town of Les Orres. The 360° view takes in the Serre-Ponçon valley, the resort of Les Orres, the Parpaillon massif and the surrounding peaks.

3 points of interest

Pastoralism
The pastre
This is the Provençal word for shepherd. The trail got its name because of its many traces of pastoral activity along the way. Among other things, you can see the remains of ancient shelters known as muandes. These were used as stopovers between the farm and the mountain pastures during the transhumance up to the summer pastures at the start of the summer and during the transhumance to lower pastures in the autumn.
.
Pastoralism
Grazing
Pastoralism is an extensive management technique. Known as the "Vachaïre", it emerged alongside cattle rearing and milk production. It entailed setting up a community-based herd management system, with the animals grazing every day. And it was the shepherd, "Lou Pastre" in Provençal, who was entrusted with managing the flocks.
Fauna
The Common Blue
In this small butterfly, the male's upper wings are dark grey, somewhat bluer at the base of the wings, while the female is brown. It is most often seen at higher altitudes, in July and August, in grasslands and meadows. The Arctic blue is a species of northern regions (Scandinavia, Greenland, Siberia, North America) which, in more temperate parts, lives only in the mountains.

Description

Take Rue du Commun, which turns into a dirt track. A single track leads up to the Méale road. Follow the discovery trail on the right.
Turn left just before the hamlet of Haut-Forest for a demanding climb. Follow the hairpins until you reach La Platrière, with its panoramic view over Serre-Ponçon. The view becomes clearer and clearer as the climb continues.
Take a right to reach the summit via one of the two paths. Retrace your steps to the last junction, where you need to turn right. A series of hairpins leads to a track that you need to follow briefly.
Watch out for the single track on the left that leads to the Forêt car park. Take the track back to the starting point.

Departure : Church car park, county town, Les Orres
Arrival : Church car park, county town, Les Orres
Towns crossed : Les Orres, Saint-Sauveur, and Crévoux

Altimetric profile

Recommandations

Use appropriate equipment
Take clothing suited to the terrain and weather conditions (sunglasses, cap/hat, windbreaker...)

Herd protection dogs

In mountain pastures, protection dogs are there to protect the herds from predators (wolves, etc.).

When I hike I adapt my behavior by going around the herd and pausing for the dog to identify me.

Find out more about the actions to adopt with the article "Protection dogs: a context and actions to adopt".
Tell us about your meeting by answering this survey.