Glières Plateau The Glières Plateau is a limestone plateau in the Bornes Massif . Distant from La Roche - sur - Foron and Thorens - Glières by 29 km and 15 km respectively , it is located around the communes of Le Petit - Bornand - les - Glières and Thorens - Glières . Etymology . In the Francoprovençal language , " glière " means a rocky and sandy plateau without rivers . In the local speech , the word is found only in the singular . Following the events of March 1944 , the journalist Dépollier spoke of " Glière " , in the singular . It was only after the Second World War that the name took on the majestic plural . Although some Savoyards still refer to the plateau as " Glières " , the majority now call it " les Glières " . Geography . The plateau , located between the Auges mountains ( 1800m ) and the Frêtes , is in reality a valley . Its mean altitude is 1450m and it is bounded by cliffs of Urgonian limestone . In fact the plateau has several levels . Places include the Lanches wood , the Auges chalets , the Mouilles chalet , the l ' Ovine chalet , the Notre - Dame des Neiges chapel , the Glières col , the " col de l ' Ovine " , the maison du plateau , Paccot parking , the " pas du Loup " , the " plaine de Dran " , the " plan du Loup " , and the " pointe de Puvat " . History . The Glières Plateau was an important site of the French Resistance during the Second World War , its mountainous territory giving rise to a Maquis group of resistance fighters which was organized and led by lieutenant Tom Morel , Compagnon de la Libération . The plateau was chosen in January 1944 to accept British parachute drops of arms to supply the local resistance , then as a base of operations against the German rear to take place at the moment when the awaited landings by the allies would occur . The plateau was cut off , poorly accessible by road ( and therefore by the enemy ) but identifiable by allied aircraft through its proximity to Lake Annecy . The " battle of Glières " ( March 1944 ) left 121 dead from the maquisards against almost 5000 soldiers from the Wehrmacht and the Vichy milice . Although the British managed to carry out three parachute drops onto the plateau ( of which a large one on the 10 March may have brough some 45 tonnes of weapons ) , the reinforcements promised by Captain " Cantinier " , the Free French envoy , never arrived . In 1973 , the national monument of the Resistance , created by the sculptor Émile Gilioli , was constructed in memory of the dead of the Resistance on a field offered for this purpose by Jean - François de Roussy de Sales . The monument was inaugurated on 2 September 1973 by André Malraux . The sculpture showed the sun held by a hand . In 2007 , Nicolas Sarkozy made a stop there on the eve of the 2007 French Presidential Election , and declared that he would return each year after he was elected . This visit was followed by a demonstration of 3000 people on 13 May 2007 . On 17 March 2008 , Sarkozy would return for the first time , to commemorate the resistance . The media influence of this " pilgrimage " recalled similar high - profile visits by former President François Mitterrand to the Roche de Solutré . On 17 May 2009 , on the instigation of the CRHA " ( Citoyens Résistants d ' Hier et d ' Aujourd ' hui ) " , a rally was organized on the Glières plateau to commemorate the republic ' s values of solidarity , fraternity , living together and of justice as expressed in the 15 March 1944 manifesto of the Conseil national de la Résistance . Stéphane Hessel , godfather of the association , former resistance fighter and follower of the communist party Raymond Aubrac , former communist resistance fighter Walter Bassan , Colomiers schoolteacher Alain Refalo , and head of general psychiatry in the 8th sector in Essonne and psychoanalyst Dr . Michaël Guyader held a discussion on the need to continue the fight of the Resistance and to stand on the pedestal of social advancements which the CNR programme had presented . These demonstrations and discussions became part of the framework of the politics of opposition . Glières Plateau of Algiers . An urban area of Algiers , at the time in 1962 the French departement d ' Alger , was named the " Plateau des Glières " , as a result of the presence of the monument to those fallen for France in the two world wars , and particularly in homage to the Savoie maquisards in the Second World War . Tourism . Cross - country skiing is today the main activity on the plateau in winter with over 36 km of groomed piste s alternative and skating , as well as now several kilometres of groomed pistes for walking . The plateau is dotted with ancient farms and stable s , some of which have been converted into restaurants or gîte s . Access is somewhat difficult ; two winding roads are in use , neither being closed during winter . A marked itinerary directs walkers around the plateau in summer , with numerous signs telling the visitor about Alpine life at the beginning of the 20th century and about the Battle of Glières , with the monument in honour of the Resistance . Other activities . Snowshoe ing and cross - country skiing are frequently practiced , and snowkiting is also possible . A luge piste is set up each year for children . Speleological activities are also available , with about 15 caves over 150 metres deep catalogued in les Frêtes . The deepest hole currently known on Glières Plateau is the " tanne à Paccot " , also called the A2 hole , estimated at 400 metres .