Snowshoeing : Un petit air de là bas

You pass through an area of fields that were once cultivated in the summer.
Spelt and buckwheat were used to feed men and animals during the long winter months. A time when living in autarky forced men to work hard to feed themselves and survive.
Our mountain is home to many ungulates (deer, roe deer, chamois, wild boar and others). Winter is synonymous with survival for them. The species make high altitude transhumance.
The snow cover is too heavy in their summer quarters, so the animals gradually move down to the areas where they do not sink so deep. Walking in the snow requires a great deal of energy and the snow-covered landscape offers little food. So the animals feed on what they can find: tree bark, bulbs found while digging, seed remains (beech fern, for example). The meadows are now out of reach and it is necessary to fight the snow, the cold, the wind, to find shelter. It is important to observe the fauna in silence, and to avoid stressing it further.

Minimum age: 5 years

Welcome: All rubbish must be brought back by the hikers. This rule applies along the trail. The forest environment must be preserved, avoid cutting branches or mutilating them.

Tips:
- Make sure that snow does not get into your shoes by using gaiters.
-While snowshoeing:
- Remember to release the heel of the snowshoe! For your information, the back of the foot is sometimes tied up when going downhill when there is a lot of snow.
- Go with poles, essential for balance.
- Don't hesitate to tap your snowshoe with the pole from time to time, it allows to remove some of the snow and thus to lighten your step.
- Foggy glasses are usually a good indicator of too much body heat or too rapid a change in body heat. If this happens, you can reduce your speed, the number of layers of clothing or simply ventilate by allowing cool air to enter under your windbreaker.