In the Maurienne, geology has devised a spectacular landscape, featuring this monolith for example.
Proudly jutting out from the midst of a forest glade, the Sardières monolith stands 93 metres high. This pinnacle is composed of cargneule, a composite rock of sedimentary origin progressively exposed by erosion. A favourite destination amongst mountain-climbers, it was scaled for the first time by Michel Paquier in 1957. It was at the foot of the Sardières monolith that the Vanoise National Park, the first in France, was inaugurated on June 26th, 1965. Larches, Sylvester and Cembra pines provide the backdrop for the small village of Dardières. Following the wide mountain ledge, ideal for cross-country skiing, there is a fabulous panorama, extending from the Vanoise summits to the north down to the Arves peaks in the South-West.
