The mountain is transformed into a vast living canvas, where golden larch trees, flamboyant mountain ash trees and peaks already whitened by the first snowflakes create contrasts worthy of an Impressionist painting. Observing nature at this time of year reveals another side to the resort: more intimate, more peaceful, but just as spectacular.
Every autumn, the same ritual unfolds in our forests: the leaves take on brilliant hues before falling.
The secret lies in photosynthesis, the process through which plants create their energy from light. During spring and summer, chlorophyll – the green pigment – dominates. It hides the other colors present in the leaves.
In autumn, as the days grow shorter and temperatures drop, trees slow their activity and chlorophyll gradually fades away. That’s when other pigments step into the spotlight:
carotenoids, responsible for yellows and oranges,
anthocyanins, which give leaves their red and purple shades.
But autumn in La Plagne is not only about colors—it can also be heard and observed.
The stag’s rut: From mid-September to mid-October, the forests echo with a deep, powerful roar: the males’ call, used to attract females and intimidate rivals.
Marmots preparing for winter: These little sentinels of the alpine meadows work tirelessly to build up their reserves. Soon, they will retreat to their burrows to hibernate until spring.
Migratory birds: Above the valleys, the sky fills with birds flying in formation. Some head south for the winter, while others just pass through, turning La Plagne into a stopover on their long journey.
Every walk becomes an opportunity to witness scenes of animal life typical of this transitional season.
Nature slows down, yet offers one of its most beautiful spectacles. Golden forests, snow-dusted peaks, wildlife in motion—everything invites wonder and contemplation.
If winter is the season of thrills and summer the time for outdoor adventures, autumn is the season of poetry. A unique moment to pause, to observe, to listen, and to let yourself be enveloped by this color palette that belongs solely to the mountains.
So, the next time you think of La Plagne, imagine it in October as well, when nature paints its most stunning canvases before the arrival of snow.