🌿 In the mountains, we are all responsible for our impact

The mountains are a living sanctuary that call for a certain elegance in behaviour: discretion. To keep the peaks a place of freedom, here are the key principles every mindful hiker should follow.

🐶 Living alongside Patous

While hiking or cycling, you may come across the well-known Patou dogs in the alpine pastures of Alpe d’Huez. These are not pets; they are there to protect the flock. It is therefore important to give the herd a wide berth whenever possible.

But what should you do if you encounter one?

Make your presence known (“Hello dog!”) and keep moving slowly, as speed may be perceived as a threat, while keeping your walking poles pointed downwards. If you are on a bike, get off as early as possible and walk beside it.
The dog may come towards you to identify and sniff you. If this happens, stop, stay calm, avoid staring it in the eyes, keep your poles down, and reassure it by speaking gently.
Once reassured, it will return to its flock.
Above all, do not walk through alpine pastures with your own dog, even if it is on a lead.

💡 Visit the PastoKézaco website to check the live Map Patou and locate alpine pastures protected by Patous.

🥾 Stay on the path

Marked trails are the only places where human presence is tolerated. They are designed to minimise our impact on the environment. Cutting corners or taking unofficial, unmaintained paths creates gullies that damage the slopes and speed up erosion.

Likewise, alpine grassland is fragile: a mountain flower may take years to bloom, and some species may be rare or protected. Admire plants with your eyes, photograph them, sketch them in a notebook, but never pick them if you want to preserve biodiversity. By leaving the paths, you also disturb wildlife, which can be stressed by human presence. Disturbing animals can affect their feeding, breeding and resting habits. So observe them from a distance, do not feed them, and avoid making too much noise.

💡 To stay on the official trail, use maps, guidebooks or hiking apps (IGN Rando, Viso Rando, MaRando, etc.). But above all, follow the waymarking. If you come across a problem on the trail — poor signage, a fallen tree, a blocked path — report it on the Suricate website or app.

⛺ Bivouacking: a regulated overnight experience

Bivouacking is a special overnight privilege that requires absolute care, particularly in popular areas such as the Ronde des Lacs. Pitch your tent at dusk — and if a spot appears to have been used before, camp in the same place — then leave at dawn without a trace. The permitted time slot is 7 pm to 9 am. Please note that swimming in high-altitude lakes is forbidden: traces of sun cream and sweat seriously pollute these ecosystems. Lastly, open fires on the ground are strictly prohibited; only use a camping stove.

💡 The mountain guides at the Bureau des Guides offer an introduction to bivouacking. How should you pitch and position your tent while minimising ground impact? What equipment do you need? How much water should you bring? How should you cook? What rules must be followed? It is a rewarding experience, and one that families can enjoy too.

🗑️ Leave nothing behind

Nothing should be left behind, not even organic waste. A banana skin or an apple core introduces sugars უცხ外 to local wildlife and can take years to decompose at altitude. Take all your waste back down with you, including toilet paper, in a dedicated bag.

💡 Sadly, you will still come across litter on the trail. Awareness takes time, and some people are not yet sensitive enough to the issue. So do not hesitate to bring a small rubbish bag and help free nature from litter, even if it is not yours. We all play our part.

➡️ Things to remember!

• When hiking, I leave nothing behind
• Around herds, I keep my distance
• Hiking well also means sharing the trail
• Being informed is already a way of protecting
• The right path is the one we respect
• Passing unnoticed helps protect wildlife
• The greatest treasure is the one we can still admire
• In silence, nature reveals itself

💡 Keep in mind ➡️The Hiker’s Charter