{"id":60812,"date":"2024-06-22T14:46:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-22T12:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/catastrophe-en-oisans-la-berarde-devastee-par-les-intemperies\/"},"modified":"2024-10-10T14:15:13","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T12:15:13","slug":"disaster-ecrins-france-la-berarde-devastated-by-flooding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/disaster-ecrins-france-la-berarde-devastated-by-flooding\/","title":{"rendered":"DISASTER IN THE ECRINS MASSIF: THE VILLAGE OF LA B\u00c9RARDE, ONE OF FRANCE\u2019S MOUNTAINEERING CENTERS, DEVASTATED BY FLOODING"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.22.1″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”4px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”11px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ header_font=”|on|||” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” text_orientation=”center” module_alignment=”center” hover_enabled=”0″ header_font_size_tablet=”” header_font_size_phone=”16px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|desktop” header_2_font_size_tablet=”” header_2_font_size_phone=”20px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” text_orientation_tablet=”center” text_orientation_phone=”left” text_orientation_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

In Oisans, France, torrential rains and melting snow have swollen rivers, including the \u00c9tan\u00e7ons, which has completely overflowed its banks, submerging La B\u00e9rarde and destroying this century-old village. A historic mountaineering center, La B\u00e9rarde no longer exists, and neither does the road, washed away by the flooding over several kilometers. Access to the heart of the Ecrins massif is neither possible nor authorized.<\/strong><\/h2>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.22.1″ custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”0px||||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”0px||||false|false” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_padding=”1px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.22.1″ max_width=”800px” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”800px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ text_font_size=”18px” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

T<\/span>his is a major disaster for the mountain community in France, and of course for all the inhabitants of the Veneon Valley. The hamlet of La B\u00e9rarde, which belongs to Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans, 11 km away, was completely devastated last Friday and Saturday. The torrent des \u00c9tan\u00e7ons, which flows from the Meije, overflowed its banks, swollen by heavy snowmelt. It swept away the bridge at the entrance to La B\u00e9rarde. Worse still, the Etan\u00e7ons torrent overflowed its bed, turning it to the west, and submerged La B\u00e9rarde, sweeping away several houses.<\/p>\n

“Since 2 a.m. today, June 21, the \u00c9tan\u00e7ons torrent (a tributary of the V\u00e9n\u00e9on) has suffered a break in its flow, with major ice jams causing flooding in the heart of the hamlet of La B\u00e9rarde,” said the Is\u00e8re Prefecture. Aerial videos show the hamlet completely flooded, with heavy brown water still pouring down, destroying dividing walls and houses and the heart of the village. The church at La B\u00e9rarde is surrounded by water.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ max_width=”1200px” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”800px” global_colors_info=”{}” column_structure=”1_2,1_2″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/laberarde_1-.jpg” title_text=”laberarde_1-” show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ width=”100%” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ text_font=”Merriweather|900|||||||” text_font_size=”16″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ border_style=”solid” saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

At the start of the flood, the houses in the center of the village were still standing, but would be destroyed the day after.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/jocelynchavy_laberarde-2.jpg” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” title_text=”jocelynchavy_laberarde-2″ hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ text_font=”Merriweather|900|||||||” text_font_size=”16″ custom_margin=”-27px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ border_style=”solid” saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

The 1892 church no longer exists, nor does this street, nor some of the houses visible in this 2022 photo. \u00a9JC<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ max_width=”800px” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”0|0px||0px|false|false” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”800″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ text_font_size=”18px” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

Saturday, the rescuers from S\u00e9curit\u00e9 Civile carried out dozens of helicopter rotations to evacuate the inhabitants of La B\u00e9rarde, as well as visiting mountaineers and hikers – a total of around 97 people. In Bourg d’Arud, campsites near the V\u00e9n\u00e9on were evacuated yesterday, while the road is cut off after Venosc and even before this village, the first when you come from Bourg d’Oisans.<\/p>\n

It’s a disaster for La B\u00e9rarde, the Mecca of mountaineering in the \u00c9crins massif on the Is\u00e8re side. There were no casualties which is a miracle considering the situation. The PGHM (mountain rescue) managed to rescue (then heliport) a resident trapped in the frame of his chalet, surrounded by water.\u00a0<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_testimonial quote_icon_color=”#000000″ quote_icon_background_color=”#ffffff” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ body_font=”Oswald|700||on|||||” body_text_align=”center” body_text_color=”#000000″ body_font_size=”30″ use_background_color=”off” custom_margin=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]

It’s a disaster for La B\u00e9rarde, the Mecca of mountaineering in the \u00c9crins massif<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_testimonial][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ text_font_size=”18px” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

 <\/p>\n

Seen from a helicopter, the new bed of the \u00c9tan\u00e7ons torrent has ravaged the center of La B\u00e9rarde, sweeping away several houses. Built in 1892, at the time of the first conqueror of the Meije, the emblematic peak of the Oisans massif, the church of La B\u00e9rarde has been destroyed. It’s a landscape of apocalypse for all mountaineers and hikers who have ever visited the area.<\/p>\n

It should be noted that the mayor of Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans and the prefect of Is\u00e8re have each issued an order prohibiting people from entering the Upper V\u00e9n\u00e9on-La B\u00e9rarde disaster zone, due to the risks to people (buildings threatening to collapse, inability to cross rivers).<\/p>\n

How could such a catastrophe happen? The river was laden with materials that may have been responsible – in part – for the June 21 tragedy. The retreat of the Bonnepierre glacier, a tributary of the stream, also made way for a new lake, which may have overflowed with last week’s particular weather episode, combining torrential rain and sudden melting of record snow volumes at altitude for late June.<\/p>\n

A symbol of mountaineering in France, a wilderness place not accessible in winter, La B\u00e9rarde has become a dystopian allegory of our present world, and this is terrible news for all mountain lovers in Europe.<\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Oisans, France, torrential rains and melting snow have swollen rivers,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":60816,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,25,26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alps","category-environment","category-society"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60812"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60820,"href":"https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60812\/revisions\/60820"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alpinemag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}