Alpine huts – Pastoral and recreational activities in the mountains

This project is the result of a joint call for projects by the Zone Atelier Alpes (ZAA) and Labex ITTEM, aimed at encouraging inter- and trans-disciplinary research by bringing together researchers in the life and/or earth sciences and those in the humanities and social sciences.

This project studies the interactions between pastoral activities and outdoor activities (hiking, trail, mountain biking, bivouac) around alpine huts at several mountain sites with complementary configurations. Recent changes in the profile and number of mountain users, as well as in activity management methods – such as predation control using guard dogs – have led to a transformation in the interactions between these different players, which is likely to have an impact on the operation of pastoral and tourism activities.

The refuges around which these interactions take place can be both places for observing these exchanges and a structural framework. The aim is to observe these interactions, which can be conflicts of use or situations of pedagogical mediation, qualify and map them, and assess their impact on the governance of the sites studied. The aim of this initial approach is to identify potential future research projects at the crossroads of the Sentinel programs.