A Call to Respect

As you journey through these pages, we ask you to approach the French mountains with the respect they deserve. These are not mere playgrounds for recreation but complex environments where every element—from the smallest Alpine flower to the largest ski resort—exists in delicate balance. They are repositories of biodiversity, guardians of water resources, and homes to communities whose knowledge and traditions represent irreplaceable human heritage.

The future of the French mountains depends on understanding—understanding their ecological importance, their cultural significance, and their economic realities. It depends on visitors who come not just to take photographs but to contribute positively to local communities and environments. It depends on policies that balance preservation with the legitimate needs of mountain residents. Most of all, it depends on recognition that these vertical worlds, for all their apparent permanence, are vulnerable to forces both natural and human-made.