Summer village festivals in the Bauges Mountains: a review of the experience

The Inter-Bauges

A plunge
into the adventure
of the Inter-Bauges

In July 2024, I was lucky enough to attend the Inter-Bauges Games day to write a feature for Chambéry Montagnes. The day, organised by Bauges tes Fêtes, left a far deeper impression on me than I could ever have imagined.

I didn’t know anyone. I’d only just arrived at Le Châtelard and had barely started chatting to a few people when I was roped in as a member of a games team – that of the commune of Saint-François-de-Sales. And so I set off to experience the six events from the inside, in cheerful company. The start of a wonderful adventure!

Throughout the afternoon, 14 teams, each from a village in the heart of the Bauges, were set to compete against one another in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

On the programme were six challenges:

The nail-driving relay,
The stretcher race,
The five-a-side giant ski race,
The wheelbarrow race,
The round boot roll,
The tug-of-war.

Everything you need to ensure a festive and joyful competition, with a distinct agricultural twist. I’ll leave you to imagine the laughter, the warmth and the camaraderie…

A medal,
concerts and
memories to last a lifetime

With the events over, the day continues with the presentation of the trophy to the winning team: the Saint-François-de-Sales team (who will be defending their title next year), the very team that had welcomed me and which I’d been lucky enough to follow throughout the afternoon!

We were so happy! Benoît, chairman of the Bauges tes Fêtes association, presented us with medals. They’d all been made by his dad, Patrick. Wooden medals – beautiful, heart-warming, authentic… just like the day itself! Today, that medal has found its place in my home. I love the wonderful energy it gives me. Such lovely memories!

At dinner time, our little group could have gone their separate ways, but there was such a lovely atmosphere and the bonds we’d formed. We shared the traditional matouille (tome des Bauges), set up a WhatsApp group to share our memories ‘Forever’ 🙂 … Two concerts followed one after the other: we sang along with 2 Pixies and Red Ballon… I promise, next year we’ll meet up again for the second edition of Inter-Bauges!

That little extra something

I was blown away by the volunteers’ efforts in putting this event together. There’s all the organisation, of course, but I’m also struck by the benches, the stretchers, the wheelbarrows, the trophy and the medals. All made of wood… Every single one of them the result of the touching work of Patrick, Benoît’s dad. I can only imagine the effort involved, the evenings spent working to achieve such a heart-warming result!

A huge thank you to the ‘Saint-François-de-Sales’ team! The unexpected makes life so lovely!

To make the most of a weekend in Les Bauges...

All walking routes

Meet-ups on the farm

Outdoor activities

The Lumberjacks’ Competition

Have a go at the
lumberjack competition

The following weekend, brimming with enthusiasm, I went to another village festival: the woodcutters’ competition in Les Aillons-Margériaz 1000 (Aillon-le-Jeune). Organised by Aillons-Margériaz Événements, this competition celebrates traditional woodworking skills and attracts many enthusiasts every year.

In keeping with the same spirit of hospitality and community, the 34th edition of the competition began with an event open to the public: a ‘passe-partout’ contest. The ‘passe-partout’ is a long saw fitted with two handles, one at each end. This event is therefore a team event. It requires skill and speed to saw through a log 18 cm in diameter! The children compete first, followed by mixed-gender adult pairs.

Of course, my friend Randa and I give it a go! Once we’ve found the right coordination and rhythm, we get into our stride. Still, what a workout for the arms! It makes you imagine the work of the lumberjacks of yesteryear, before the arrival of chainsaws… We cheer each other on, we laugh whilst staying focused and in sync (it is possible, yes!) … Sometimes we get stuck… “Pull! Come on, pull!” … On one knee, I think to myself that we must look quite a sight, the two of us city girls!

We finished second in the competition, despite never having touched a pass-partout before! Well, second out of two women’s teams… Fair enough! But second all the same! That’s what matters!

We were really touched by the presents we were given… We weren’t expecting them at all! Just imagine two little girls discovering presents!

Marvel at the power
and the wood festival

Next, teams of professional loggers, both men and women, went head-to-head. What strength! What precision, what skill! The events involve splitting logs with an axe at the marked points along the trunk, first horizontally and then vertically (for the grand final). You need to be skilful, quick and in good physical shape. This competition brings to life the history of logging before the advent of chainsaws. I was blown away by the physical prowess of these loggers, the women in particular. I can still picture them giving it their all to bring down those logs… Logs with ever-increasing diameters, up to 30 cm. I found myself torn between admiration for the precision of their movements and fear that they might injure themselves… Yet everything seemed so fluid; their movements were almost like a dance. The whole day was devoted to wood: logging, woodcarving, wooden toys and wooden objects at the craft market. Of course, there were also other designers and craftspeople, as well as food stalls, notably serving the famous matafans – that rich, sweet traditional Savoyard dish that really ‘stops the hunger’!

That little extra something

Once again, I’m in awe of the volunteers’ work. There’s the big day itself, of course, and all the preparatory work. Just imagine those enormous logs (20 metres long) that had to be sourced from the Morbié forest: finding 11 trees that were identical in height, diameter and wood quality to ensure a level playing field for the woodcutters during the competition. I can just picture the transport and then the work involved in setting them up at the competition site. Of course, all this timber will then be used by the local council (and, as luck would have it, it will all have been cut already)!