オルセモンの湖・トップ7

No water in the pond when I was there but a beautiful meadow

Many fishermen along this pond, the starting point of the Drouette. It's a must-see in the area :-)

At the edge of this road a pond which forms with the forest which surrounds it a protected natural area. Each year, during the thaw (roughly from February to April), a "toadstool" is installed on the road that runs along the pond. But what is a toaddrome exactly? So, it is not a place where one could indulge in clandestine bets on toad races, but a device intended to prevent these poor beasts from being crushed by cars in crossing the road to breed and lay their eggs in the pond on the other side of the road. Indeed, thousands of common toads, but also frogs and newts, begin their long prenuptial migrations around March each year. They go to the nearest pond or pond to breed. Once their duty is done, they leave the aquatic environment to return to their summering areas where they will spend most of their time feeding. In order to avoid a carnage of amphibians on the road, a tarpaulin is planted 600m on each side of the road to block their passage. In various places a hole has been made in which a bucket is buried. By looking for a passage all along the tarpaulin, the toad will inevitably end up at the bottom of a bucket. Every morning, volunteers come to collect toads and other frogs and drop them off on the other side of the road.

I drove several times by car near this magical place without seeing it but, thanks to a mountain bike ride, I discovered it! great place to unwind!

A family and incredible place a few steps from the city center of Rambouillet

A wonderful place....

Unfortunately dried up following the floods in Rambouillet a few years ago. They dried up all the ponds overlooking the city.

when I passed during my tour the lake of the gorge cutter was dry plus the slightest drop of water this was due to the high heat of June and July 2022