Terrasses d'Attilly

On the edge of the Chéran, these relatively stable stony banks are not simply outcrops: they reveal the glacial past of the Bauges, and have a lot to teach us.

During the Ice Ages, when the bottoms of the valleys were covered in ice, deposits from the eroded mountain became blocked by the glacier, which prevented them from being carried downstream. Local glaciers or ice tongues overflowing from the Cols des Bauges caused the formation of these fluvio-glacial terraces to stack on top of each other, and we can see the traces of the heights of these glaciers. When the glaciers melted, the rivers easily carved through these deposits as they meandered through the valley. Often covered in vegetation, the structure of these terraces is clearly visible - the laminations and direction of the stone allow us to read the meaning of the paleo-currents. This beautiful Terrasse des Bauges is located at the start of the Balade du Pissieu, on the right bank of the Nant d'Aillon. Parking at the bridge over the Nant d'Aillon on the road linking Attilly to Villaret Rouge, the Châtelard lake or the car park at the Iles du Chéran leisure centre.