The Transalpins - Crossing the Alps in the footsteps of the wolf

Jules, Joseph and Joé joined the Lagoped Family in March 2024, as they are preparing to go on an expedition between France, Switzerland, Italy and Slovenia, across the Alps . Meet these three young people passionate about the mountains and their inhabitants.

We are Jules, Joseph and Joé, three agronomy and environment students who hold the mountain high in our hearts. For our gap year we took on the challenge of crossing the Alps on foot, from Nice to Ljubljana via Switzerland and Italy . We don't just want to hike, so we put this challenge at the service of reflections that are dear to us. We will travel these 1700km with, in our bags, all the equipment necessary to make a documentary on the perception of wolves by those in our mountains.

The returning wolf is disrupting the daily lives of those involved in the environment and agriculture. Through this walking approach, we want to meet shepherds, hunters, scientists, and more. We will collect their testimony and, on our return, we will try our hand at this impossible synthesis that is the question of the wolf in the Alpine arc. While attempting to test this tense terrain, our film will deal with the adventure of three stubborn people in tacit search for moments of friendship.

First stage of our adventure: the French Alps which offer a great diversity of landscapes and agricultural riches. The National Parks of Mercantour, Écrins and Vanoise. The Ubaye valley (Sisteron lamb), the Grésivaudan valley (AOP Noix de Grenoble) and the Maurienne valley (Savoie cheeses).

The second country on our trek, Switzerland, a large country in the Alps, is covered by almost 61% of its territory. The Gruyère Pays d'en Haut Regional Natural Park and the UNESCO-listed Entlebuch biosphere. The canton of Valais (Pays du Gruyère) and the canton of Glarus (Extensive agriculture).

After several detours at the start of the journey, we will find the Italian Alps.

The massifs of Trentino-Alto Adige and the Dolomites. The environmental and landscape richness of the numerous protection zones (Natura 2000). Fruit and market gardening (39%) and viticulture (21%).

Despite its small surface area, Slovenia is home to the end of the Alps where the country's only national park is located. In the heart of the Julian Alps, the Triglav national park and its summit. Beekeeping, Styrian hops, Nanoški sir cheese, hemp and the Teran grape variety.

Students and trekking enthusiasts for only a few years, we did not have the necessary equipment for this expedition; whose prices often peak at the altitude of the peaks. This is why we warmly thank the members of Lagoped who make our epic journey possible while allowing us to respect our convictions .