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Wild Skiing

Finding wildlife on the slopes of the French Alps

By Nick Gates

December 28^th, 2018

Le Grand Massif

Two of my favourite hobbies are wildlife-spotting and skiing, so when I get a chance to go skiing I always try to choose a resort that has good wildlife potential! The Grand Massif ski area in the French Alps is one of those areas. It has a few ski resorts that utilise two key valleys (Flaine, Samoens, Sixt, Les Carroz) - but when viewed from a satellite you can see that it has a huge area of wilderness in the surrounding valleys that isn't disturbed by people. Coupled with stunning views of Mont Blanc from the top, it ticks all the boxes!

Verchaix

We chose to stay in a chalet down in the valley in a quaint little village called Verchaix just outside Samoens. I'm sure all of the resorts and villages in the area have their own perks and local charms. The whole area is very well connected with ski buses and modern lifts.

where to look for wildlife

During the winter season, all of the peaks in the Alps are covered in snow. The snowfall pushes most of the larger mammals in the region down below the tree line, and this occasionally brings them down into the forested areas of resort - perfect for spotting animals whilst skiing.

The best places to look are on south-facing slopes. These get the most winter sun and as such are attractive to herbivores looking for exposed vegetation. Species like marmots are hibernating, but there are still many species of mid to large mammal that can be spotted. The two I was particularly after were Alpine ibex and chamois - both species of wild goat in the subfamily Caprinae (sometimes called the goat-antelopes). It's rare to find animals in numbers above the tree line at this time of year so you can enjoy a fast ski from the top and then when you reach the trees you can slow up and start spotting!

Always Bring Binoculars!

Whenever I travel, anywhere, I always bring my trusted pair of 10x42 Delta SL3 binoculars. For their price bracket (currently £229 at InFocus), in my opinion they are hands down the best optics on the market. They easily fit into a rucksack, are properly sealed and can be used as a mini digiscope with a smartphone. If you're a confident skier, they also fit comfortably just inside a ski jacket.

Chamois

There is a brilliant blue run called the Serpentine that goes from the highest point in Flaine down through the valley. It is great for a family ski as there are numerous red and off piste sections you can chose that re-connect with this run further down the mountain. All the way down the right hand side is a steep south-facing mountain edge, completely inaccessible to skiers and, it turns out, a brilliant place to look out for herds of chamois. I found two different small groups working their way between patches of exposed vegetation. Their dark brown and black markings contrast with the white snow making them easiest to spot when they were on the move.

Ibex

Further down this same stretch, at around 2000m altitude, I noticed a patch of grass moving. Getting closer, it turned out to be a huge old male Alpine ibex. He had a very impressive set of horns on him and seemed remarkably unfazed by groups of skiers going past just 200m away on the piste below. I sat and watched him for about half an hour through binoculars. A few people stopped to ask what I was looking at and I managed to show about half a dozen their first Alpine ibex. Many exclaimed that they couldn't believe such a large wild animal could be present so close to the ski resort!

Other Species

I did see a few other species whilst skiing. Red squirrels weren't common but did pop up every other day when looked for, and a few times I've had them run across the snow on quieter pistes through the trees. Fresh tracks each morning told me that both red foxes and mountain hares were present up here - I just never actually saw them! On one day, I watched a pair of roe deer work their way between the trees on the edge of the resort. They were well above 1700m which surprised me. Finally, the bird life in the mountains can always show up a treat. On various ski trips I have seen bearded vulture, golden eagles and griffon vultures - make sure to spend some time late morning scanning the thermals over the peaks.