An inside-out oasis
It is deserted in the tiny mountain village of Archiane. The houses look neat, people definitely live in them. There were also several cars in the parking lot for visitors, just outside Archiane. Yet there is no one to be seen. The only sound is the rushing of the mountain stream that runs past the village. Before I know it, I am out of the village and at the starting point of the hike through the cirque of Archiane.
Directly from te start the hiking trail is stunningly beautiful. The path leads into a fresh green valley, capped on both sides with imposing sheer cliffs. All that is topped with perfect weather. The dense clouds of earlier this morning opened up and hang in patches around the rocky peaks.
Slowly, the path creeps up against the right slope of the valley. The rock formations on the mountains are getting closer and closer. When the path makes a turn back in the direction of Archiane, my eye falls on a peculiar part of the rock face across the valley. The rocks have a yellowish tint and stand like loose hoodoos on light gray rubble. It is the opposite of an oasis: a piece of desert in an otherwise lush green landscape.
After about an hour of walking and taking lots of pictures, I reach La Belvédère. There I encounter the first people, two other hikers.
Mysterious grooves
From La Belvédère I can walk on a bit more. The route is flat and runs mostly through dense forest. Between the trees there are occasionally views on the valley or the rocks across the valley. At Pédane the path bends to the right, back to Archiane. But the sign also points to a ‘lunette d’observation’, straight ahead. That has to be worthwhile, right?
I end up on a mountain slope covered with boulders. The view there is magnificent, of the rocky outcrops surrounding me like a gigantic amphitheatre. Fondly, I hop over the boulders, which have a surprise in store. Many of the boulders have intriguing grooves. After some searching on the Internet, I learn how the boulders were formed. The limestone is cracked by gelifraction, alternately freezing and thawing of water. But the grooves remain a mystery. Perhaps a petrified seabed, perhaps erosion by a glacier.
The last kilometers back to Archiane are a relaxed walk. Calmly, the path descends through the middle of the valley. The valley is wider here, making it look lovely. Meanwhile, the wheather becomes cloudier again, until hardly any blue sky can be seen.
Hiking map
- In the village of Menée is the turnoff to Archiane, which is situated at the end of the 4-kilometre dead-end road. Visitors are not allowed to drive into Archiane. Immediately on the right of the prohibition signs, there is a well-marked and free parking lot.
- With a hiking map, it is easy to find the way on the Cirque d’Archiane trail. At Pédane, be sure to turn off towards the lunette d’observation. This is signposted and is a highlight of the walk.
Sources
For information about the geology of Cirque d’Archiane I used the following sources.
