The staircase of the Dune du Pilat

In recent days, several press articles They reported on the upcoming renovation of the staircase providing access to the crest of the Dune du Pilat. The Syndicat Mixte de la Grande Dune du Pilat, which manages the site, provides some further details.

Did you know? 5 things you should know about stairs!

1. He is celebrating his 30th birthday this year. !

• The current staircase is a resin (polyester) structure installed in the mid-1990s, more precisely in 1996.
• Before him, a wooden staircase installed by the restaurant at the foot of the dune "La Palombière" provided access to the crest, complemented by a footbridge that crossed the Dune laterally.

2. It requires special authorization for use in a protected site, issued by the State services.

• The Coastal Conservancy is the owner of the plot in question. He authorizes the manager, the Syndicat Mixte de la Grande Dune du Pilat, to install this equipment. The use of motorized vehicles is, in principle, regulated prohibited in a protected site. However, interventions related to the assembly, disassembly, and maintenance of the staircase are subject to a special authorization issued to the Joint Syndicate by the relevant State services.

3. It makes the climb easier, but is never mandatory

• The purpose of the staircase is to facilitate access to the summit and to channel visitor flow onto a designated route.
• It allows people who would not normally be able to reach the ridge, particularly due to physical limitations, to more easily climb this wonder of nature.
• Climbing via the sand remains possible for those who wish to do so, in compliance with the site regulations.

4. It is dismantled every winter to follow the movement of the Dune

• The Dune du Pilat is a natural space in motion, which progresses eastward by several meters on average per year, under the action of wind and storms.
• To prevent the staircase from being completely buried by sand during the winter, it is dismantled every year after the All Saints' Day holidays, then reinstalled before the spring holidays.
• At the end of the season, the modules are removed, carefully cleaned and stored outside the reception area, in order to preserve both the site and the equipment.

5. New equipment is being prepared for the future

• After nearly 30 years of service, the resin staircase will need to be replaced and the gradual retreat of the Dune will make access on the east side increasingly difficult for the equipment needed to assemble and disassemble it.
• By 2025, landscape expertise and a scientific and technical opinion on the dune advance (carried out by the Observatoire de la Côte de Nouvelle Aquitaine) have been launched in order to study the possibilities of renewing the staircase, taking into account the natural and technical constraints of the site.
• The years 206 and 2027 are devoted to feasibility studies and administrative procedures, with a view to future equipment, always demountable, adapted to the movements of the Dune.