"Think Like a Mountain" Festival – July
From July 27 to August 8, the Pays des Écrins will host “Penser comme une montagne,” an event dedicated to science and life in the mountains. Lectures, workshops with the Écrins National Park, and stargazing evenings will take place over two weeks in several towns across the region: Ailefroide, Vallouise, Pelvoux, and Freissinières.
Wolves, lynx, chamois, sea turtles, receding glaciers: the program begins with local wildlife and expands to explore broader questions about the ecological balances at play in the mountains, both today and tomorrow.
Two weeks, a common thread
The event kicks off on Monday, July 27, with an introduction to mountaineering on the Glacier Blanc, starting from the Glacier Blanc refuge. The week continues with several evening events at the Écrins National Park Visitor Center and the Salle Bonvoisin in Vallouise: the film *Vivre avec les loups* by Jean-Michel Bertrand on July 29, a workshop on chamois with the Écrins National Park on the 30th, and an outing to see the blue thistles of Le Fournel on the 31st. At the same time, from July 28 to August 4, two regular events will take place: a storytelling workshop for children at the Ailefroide tourist office and a stargazing evening at the top of the Préron chairlift.
The second week explores other aspects of mountain life: stargazing evenings at Pré de Mme Carle, a film about the lynx’s last remaining habitat in Vallouise, a “Let’s Take a Walk in the Woods” hike in Ailefroide, and a lecture on Indian Ocean sea turtles in Pelvoux. On August 5, head to Dormillouse, in Freissinières, for a session focused on herds, predation, and the work of livestock guard dogs. The event concludes on August 8 with a discussion on climate change and glacial retreat.
Topics for anyone with a curious mind
Some programs begin in the Écrins region—with wolves, chamois, and glaciers that are retreating before our very eyes. Others broaden our perspective to include more distant ecosystems, such as the sea turtles of the Indian Ocean. The formats also vary: lectures, daytime workshops, stargazing outings, and storytelling walks for younger children. There’s something for everyone to tailor their own experience based on their schedule.
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