View from above
Today we have the pleasure of introducing you to Aline Ploton, mid-mountain guide and ski instructor. An endearing personality, coupled with spontaneous kindness, who unvarnishedly gives us his vision of the mountains, of life, of his profession and of our beautiful Abondance valley.
“Je suis née dans cette vallée, à Châtel. Ce sont mes racines. Mon attachement y est total. De son histoire à ses paysages, en passant par ses habitants…
It’s my whole life. As a child, I loved getting up to see the chamois, very close to the house. The flowers with their captivating scents, the cows of course, the mountain cows and above all this tranquility. All those summers in the mountains with my family, with my farmer parents and producers of Abondance cheese inspired me.”
“In winter I went to the ski club, I first took the technical test and quite naturally I subsequently entered training at ENSA. These jobs as a ski instructor, then as a mid-mountain guide, immediately appealed to me.” “Our life here is tourism, with skiing of course, but above all with agriculture, because without it, our valley would not have such charm. As a good daughter of producers, I obviously love cheese Plenty of it. I eat it for lunch and dinner in fact (laughs). But what I prefer above all is the smell of the maturation cellar and being able to taste it directly on site.
“I also love my job because I see it as a link between producers and tourists. During snacks and dinners at the mountain pastures, I talk a lot with hikers about our life in the valley, the seasons, the different jobs and the quality of the products that we owe to the unique know-how of our producers… All of this is essential.”
“I created the Mountain office in the Abondance valley, with 5 fellow guides. We offer hiking or snowshoeing, depending on the season, and for all audiences. On school trips or groups of children at summer camp, there are several of us, but I work alone the rest of the time. And my schedule is very busy!”
“I accompany hikers all summer in the Abondance valley.
Mondays are reserved for little ones with the Marmots hike, from 6 years old. Tuesdays are a taste of the Barbossine alpine pasture, where the David family makes farmhouse Abondance, to combine the pleasure of hiking with local products. Wednesday is a snack at Le Chevrier. We join the Blattins mountain pasture, Gérard and his goats to watch the milking and enjoy the snack. And finally on Thursday, dinner at the mountain pasture. A night out in the mountains around a good meal, descent under the starry sky… In short, the perfect hike.”
To chat with Aline and hike with her in our magnificent valley, contact us by email: alineploton@hotmail.fr.
See you soon, for a new portrait.