The Col de l’Hysope (1236 m.) offers spectacular views over the Duyes valley. This panorama is the result of a major geological event linked to the formation of the Alps.
You’ll be able to take in the whole Duyes valley, whose eastern edge shows the overlap of the Digne nappe on its foreland. The rocks of the mountains to the northeast date from the Secondary Era and belong to this nappe, which abnormally overlies younger terrain, in particular the Valensole poudingues (-8 to -1.65 Ma). These form the bulk of the landscape stretching across the foreground, through which flows the Duyes torrent.
The Digne nappe illustrates the last Alpine movements; these lands were originally located some twenty kilometers to the northeast.
You’ll also see “chunks” of rock that have been “pushed up”, such as the rock of Sainte-Madeleine or the hill of Pié Gros. Last but not least, the landscapes reveal the still-important agricultural activity that gives this emblematic Geopark valley its identity.
