(En)Agiles

In 2025, the Glacier Blanc in the Écrins massif will continue its marked retreat, confirming a trend observed for over two decades. According to the Parc National des Écrins, last summer’s particularly hot weather accelerated a melt that was already well underway: the glacier lost an average of 2 metres in thickness, retreating by around 30 metres over the year.

Park staff point out that the Glacier Blanc, once one of the most accessible and frequented glaciers in the massif, is now a tangible illustration of the impact of climate change in the high mountains. Its shrinking volume is spectacular: since 1980, it has lost almost 40% of its surface area and over 70 metres in thickness in places.

While the situation continues to give cause for concern, our field teams continue their ongoing scientific work, which is essential for documenting these rapid transformations and raising public awareness of the climatic realities at work in the Hautes-Alpes.

Radio France Culture journalists Catherine Pétillon and Véronique Rebeyrotte travel the length and breadth of the Hautes-Alpes. From the orchards of the Haute-Durance to the glaciers of the Haute-Romanche, striking testimonies from mountain dwellers confronted with climate upheaval.

These men and women, glaciologists, first-aid workers and high-mountain guides, share their experiences of these places and offer some keys to understanding the current landscape transformations linked to global warming. Their stories are interwoven with unheard-of sounds captured by microphones, hydrophones and seismic sensors plunged into the depths of crevasses, glacial torrents and moraine folds.

More directly impacted by global warming, mountain areas are particularly exposed to changes in the water cycle. Journalist Sabah Rahmani reports from Dévoluy and the shores of Lac de Serre-Ponçon on this environmental, societal and economic challenge.

This short audio clip, taken from Christophe Bourseiller ‘s column on France Inter, is a perfect illustration of the erring ways in which some people view the future of skiing and mountain regions. The issues at stake deserve a fairer, more nuanced approach.

Behind this shocking phrase lies a fascinating debate proposed by journalist Quentin Lafay of France Culture radio. Virginie Maris, philosopher and member of the scientific council of the Ecrins National Park, was invited to talk about the subject.

Disappearing glaciers, rising temperatures, rock collapses, permafrost degradation: GREC-SUD experts decipher the impacts of climate change in the Southern Alps. Excerpts from the “Mountain” thematic section .

Global warming tends to alter the quality of certain wines. Higher temperatures mean higher sugar levels in the grapes and, by extension, higher alcohol levels in the bottle. To avoid disappearing from the market, the vineyards concerned have had to adapt by replanting old grape varieties, some of which have been abandoned for over a century. For several years now, without waiting to see the impact of global warming on vines and wine, the Hautes-Alpes region has been taking this bold step, like Domaine Allemand and its endemic grape variety Le Mollard, with the observation that these grape varieties, abandoned at the end of the 19th century during the phylloxera epidemic and poorly adapted to the climate in the past, now seem to be in tune with rising temperatures. This opens up new prospects for the“Vins des Hautes-Alpes” PGI and for the entire industry.

Founded in 1830 in the heart of the Hautes-Alpes, Filature du Valgaudemar in Saint-Firmin is one of the last French companies to manufacture yarns from natural fibers. A veritable living heritage, it was taken over by Marie-Laure Laurent in 2020, a passionate entrepreneur keen to safeguard the industrial heritage of a mountain spinning mill. Today, she is relaunching the production of “Made in France” wool under the name Laines du Valgaudemar.

Marie-Laure ‘s aim is to preserve this magnificent industrial heritage, bringing it into a new era: safeguarding the spinning profession, adapting to environmental requirements, collaborating with players in the French wool industry and developing exceptional French yarns. The aim is to meet new customer demands, as demonstrated by the development of a wide range of untreated natural wools, certified by the Oeko-Tex ecolabel for colored wools.

Sobriety and technological innovation, the ski resorts continue their actions in favor of a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly tourism development. From self-generation of energy using renewable energies at Serre Chevalier, to energy management to regulate consumption in real time at Les Orres, find out all about the eco-responsible initiatives of the department’s resorts in the Winter 2024-25 press kits.

A small mountain hamlet in the Ecrins National Park, Monêtier-les-Bains is renowned for its mountaineering. Recently, bouldering has also become a popular sport. A France 3 report, by Lucie Robert and Fabien Madigou.