An easily accessible hike...
with family and friends!So we meet up with some friends in front of the Bessans alpine resort. In our rucksack: a change of clothes for one night, our toiletries and everything we'll need for the hike: water bottle, sun cream, picnic.
We set off along the Arc to pick up the alpine pasture path. The ascent is straightforward, and as we make our way up the path, we can take in the view of the Bessans plateau and the surrounding peaks: Pointe de Tierce, Charbonnel, Pointe de Soliet... Simply magnificent. The hamlets of Bessans are also clearly visible: La Goulaz and, just below us, Le Villaron.
After an initial 30-minute climb, we pause to observe the haymaking around the village in early August. Along the way, the trail joins the Vallon track, where chalets and old barns can be found. A 4×4 track reserved for farmers and the inhabitants of these cottages. Just beyond the old barns, we reach a vast plateau.
The big climbs are over, and we're in stroll mode!
2-hour hike...
for 540m of ascent +.We walk past the first chalets and the cow park to the last chalet in the valley (the farm), where Julien, our host, welcomes us with a tasty snack: hot drinks and toast with a choice of jams. This is the reward for our hike, a moment of conviviality to introduce us to the other people who will also be spending the night here, as well as the alpagistes who work with Julien.
After this gourmet break, we discover the dormitory: a small entrance hatch where we can swap our walking shoes for slippers, a first bedroom on our left with bunk beds, then on our right, the shower room with washbasins and showers, and at the far end the last bedroom, ours. As for the toilet, it's outside, as in the old days, in a small shed next to the fountain.
A daily routine of milking cows and farm work
After changing into warmer clothes, we join David for a hands-on look at the alpacists' work. It's time for the 2nd milking of the day.
But before the cows can be milked, the herd has to be retrieved. The good news is that to "recover the herd", there's no need to run up the mountain or call out to the cows: all you have to do is... open a gate in front of the farm. On seeing this, the cows (Tarines and Abondances, the only breeds authorized to make Beaufort) immediately understand what this means and head back to the farm of their own accord! And if any of them are lagging behind, the dogs - 3 border collies - are on hand to get them up to speed!
In the milking parlour, David explains the process to be followed for each cow: giving nutrients in the form of kibbles (they love them!), cleaning the teats before placing the machine that will extract the milk (a safety feature for milk quality), disinfecting and moisturizing the teats (a care for the cows).
Once that's done, the animals can set off on their own back to the meadow to enjoy the grass and mountain flowers (it's these flowers and high altitude grasses that give the milk - and hence the Beaufort cheese - such a pleasant fragrance!)
It's up to us to put our hands to the udders
The first step is straightforward, but setting up the machine can quickly become complicated... And it takes several tries before we achieve efficient milking. We also try milking with bare hands, the old-fashioned way. Generations and generations of farmers have used this technique, and we should be able to do it too! But in fact... it takes a real knack to get the milk out of the udder.
We finally manage to get some milk for a snack. Fresh from the cow, the milk is warm and creamy. A real delight. On the other hand... we're clearly not ready for the job: while David could easily fill jumps by hand-milking, our hands couldn't handle the shock of milking several cows in a row.
Outside, a calf, only a few days old, was waiting for its meal. To keep him waiting, we started stroking him until it was time to give him a bucket full of milk, which he emptied with a few flicks of his tongue. A little gourmand that one!
Waiting for dinner
We meet by the fire with a plank of home-cured ham and a beer. After a hard day's work, the last alpacists arrive, and it's time to sit down to dinner!
On the menu: beef brochettes (farm-raised) and crozet gratin. A real treat.
We are then treated to a selection of cheeses produced on the farm, followed by pies and fromage blanc for dessert.
To round off the meal and the evening, we try our handmade génépi (a tradition! 😉 ).
Now it's time for bed.
Mid-August: temperatures fall at night...
snow too!To reach the dormitory, we have to leave the chalet. And then... it was a shock. We've arrived in glorious sunshine and summer heat, and a few hours later... it's snowing! It's mid-August and a few flakes are falling from the sky. So much so that we had to rush back to our rooms!
The dormitory is very well equipped, and with our little "night bags" (sheets in the form of sleeping bags), we settle quietly into our cosy beds. Bedtime!
After a busy day, the morning's program is just as enjoyable, with a home-cooked breakfast followed by an introduction to Beaufort cheese-making. Sébastien, dressed in white, is ready to start making the wheels.
Did you know?
It takes a minimum of 400 liters of milk from Tarine and Abondance cows to make a 40kg wheel of Beaufort.
From milk to cheese
Beaufort cheese-making is a highly technical process: once the milk from the last two milkings (the previous day's and the morning's) has been collected, the work can begin. During the process, numerous steps must be respected, such as cheese resting times and precise dosages. The work is physical, and Sébastien gives his all! It takes real know-how to produce an excellent cheese that meets PDO criteria.
At the end of the production process, we went into the cellar, already well stocked with the cheeses produced since the beginning of the summer. The ripening stage is also very time- and effort-consuming, as the 40-kilo cheeses have to be salted and turned every day until they are marketed, after at least 6 months' ripening.
After a last look at the shelves where the grinding wheels are stored, it's time to think about heading back down to the valley.
Outside, the alpine pastures are once again bright green, the snow that fell last night having obviously not withstood the first rays of sunshine.
Once we'd collected our bags, we set off again, making a promise to ourselves: come back next year!
To find out more about the alpage du vallon and book an unusual stay to discover ancestral know-how, visit the Ecurie de Panino website. Cheeses produced on the mountain pasture are also sold directly in Bessans.
Good to know!
Do you know the differences between Beaufort d'Alpage and Beaufort d'été?
Alpine Beaufort must come from the same herd, be made at each milking and be produced at altitudes over 2000m.
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