Our Public Field Activities & Training Programs
DEMEN CIEL ORCIERES organizes structured, non-commercial sporting and educational initiatives for youth and community residents in Orcières and the Hautes-Alpes. As an Association Loi 1901 non-profit, all programs are developed in collaboration with municipal institutions and sports networks to guarantee absolute accessibility and the highest safety standards.
From initial canopy inflation clinics on gentle alpine meadows to high-altitude bivouacs and micro-aerology research seminars, each activity is crafted to foster personal confidence, collective solidarity, and profound ecological respect.
Public Interest & Non-Commercial Accessibility
All activities are funded through public subsidies, institutional grants, and educational partnerships. All membership dues and resource allocations are fully reinvested in the association's public interest missions. Training gear, certified helmets, and safety reserves are provided free of charge to registered youth participants.
Free-Flight Ground Mastery & Progression Academy
The Free-Flight Academy serves as the technical backbone of our association's sporting curriculum. Operating across the open slopes of Orcières Merlette and surrounding designated flight corridors, this program guides youth aged 12 to 20 through a graduated, safety-first introduction to paragliding mechanics.
Rather than rushing students into the air, we place immense focus on ground handling (pente-école). Students spend structured hours learning to inflate the canopy, center the glider overhead, modulate control risers with precision, and react instinctively to shifts in mountain air currents. Through these exercises, participants gain visceral mastery over aerodynamic balance and develop genuine self-possession.
- Schedule: Weekly sessions on Wednesday afternoons and Saturdays (May through October).
- Locations: Orcières Merlette 1850 slope, Serre-Eyraud training fields, and Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes basin.
- Equipment Provided: EN-A beginner wings, certified airbags, VHF radios, and speedbar systems.
- Instructors: Volunteer certified flight educators and national federation monitors.
Alpine Youth Summer Camps & Wilderness Bivouacs
During July and August, DEMEN CIEL ORCIERES conducts its flagship multi-day educational summer camps. Tailored specifically for rural youth and regional students, these camps combine physical trekking, tandem instructional flights, high-altitude bivouacking, and outdoor survival skills.
The core philosophy of our summer camps is cooperative fellowship. Away from modern screens, adolescents share collective camp chores, prepare evening meals together under starlit mountain skies, learn backcountry orienteering using topographic maps and compasses, and awaken at dawn to observe morning breeze formation and valley inversions.
- Duration: 5-day continuous immersion modules (two annual July & August cohorts).
- Base Camps: High alpine pastoral zones adjacent to the Écrins National Park boundary.
- Curriculum: Leave-No-Trace camping, topographic navigation, ridge safety, weather forecasting.
- Volunteer Needs: Camp logistics assistants, certified mountain leaders, kitchen coordinators.
Environmental Discovery & Alpine Climate Seminars
We recognize that mountain sports enthusiasts must serve as active guardians of the territories they explore. In partnership with local naturalist associations and regional ecological networks, our environmental program introduces youth to the fragile biodiversity of the Southern French Alps.
Participants take part in guided wildlife observation expeditions to study the nesting habits of raptors, catalog endangered alpine flora such as the Edelweiss and Alpine Sea Holly (Reine des Alpes), and analyze historical data on regional snowpack retreat and glacial shrinkage in the Écrins massif.
- Schedule: Monthly Saturday field expeditions throughout spring, summer, and autumn.
- Study Zones: Upper Drac river basin, Prapic nature sanctuary, and Plateau de Rougnoux.
- Materials Provided: Optical binoculars, botanical field keys, micro-climate loggers.
- Target Group: Children, teenagers, and local resident families.
Winter Mountain Safety & Avalanche Rescue Clinics
During the winter season, mountain sports transition to snow conditions. DEMEN CIEL ORCIERES organizes public winter safety seminars to prepare local youth for responsible backcountry skiing, snowshoe exploration, and winter speed-riding considerations.
Participants practice hands-on snowpack stratigraphy, evaluate meteorological avalanche bulletin data (BERA), and execute real-time avalanche beacon (DVA), shovel, and probe rescue simulations in supervised alpine scenarios. This training provides essential life-saving knowledge for adolescents growing up in high-elevation communities.
- Schedule: December through March (bi-weekly weekend workshops).
- Location: High ridges of Orcières Merlette (2,200m – 2,700m).
- Safety Gear: Digital 3-antenna avalanche transceivers, telescopic probes, alloy shovels.
- Partners: Certified high-mountain guides and local ski patrol volunteers.
Support Our Field Operations
The success of our public programs relies upon the generous contributions of time, skill, and enthusiasm from volunteers across the Hautes-Alpes. Whether you can assist with weekend transport, maintain our equipment reserve, or lead nature workshops, your involvement makes a tangible difference.